Prophet, Intermediary, King
Prophet, Intermediary, King

Author: Julie B. Deluty

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2024-04-04

Total Pages: 270

ISBN-13: 9004690778

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In Prophet, Intermediary, King: The Dynamics of Mediation in the Biblical World and Old Babylonian Mari, Julie B. Deluty investigates the mediation of prophecy for kings in biblical narratives and the Old Babylonian corpus from Mari. In many cases, the prophet’s message is delivered through a third party—sometimes a royal official or family member—who may exercise a degree of autonomy in the transmission of the words. Drawing on social network theory, the book highlights the importance of third-party intermediaries in the process of communication that lies at the core of biblical and ancient Near Eastern prophecy. Recognition of the place of non-prophetic intermediaries in a monarchic system offers a new dimension to the study of prophecy in antiquity.

Kings and Prophets
Kings and Prophets

Author: Cristiano Grottanelli

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 1999-02-18

Total Pages: 221

ISBN-13: 0195361121

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This collection of essays examines the respective religious and social functions of kings and prophets as they are presented in the biblical narratives. Biblical kingship is easily shown to be a specific instance of an ancient and widespread institution--sacred monarchy--that was the pivot of most state organizations throughout antiquity; prophetic authority is described as a typical institution of ancient Hebrew society. The difference between monarchy and prophecy is radical, because the former implies a hereditary power and is upheld by its subjects who feed their kings with taxes, while the latter derives its authority from allegedly direct divine inspiration, and though it is also economically dependent it is not explicitly presented as being based upon systematic exploitation. Cristiano Grottanelli interprets the rise of prophecy as a consequence of a crisis of monarchical structures at the beginning of the Iron Age, and connects it to similar phenomena attested in ancient Greek texts derived from a similar crisis. Though monarchy finally won the day in the Ancient Mediterranean in a new imperial form, the new literatures in Greek and Hebrew consonantic and alphabetic scripts shaped nonmonarchic figures to which they attributed some of the functions previously pertaining to monarchy. These new literatures, produced by two cultures that were both highly literate and organized according to nonmonarchical principles, diverged radically in their development and final outcomes. In the Hebrew tradition, monolatry and an official canon of sacred writings were the final result; the prophetic principle was thus overcome by a new ideological construction, centered upon inspired scriptures rather than upon the impromptu performances of inspired persons. In using the prophetic principle against the monarchic, the canonical texts paradoxically shaped their own authority above that of living prophets.

Introduction to the Prophets
Introduction to the Prophets

Author: Leclerc, Thomas L.

Publisher: Paulist Press

Published: 2017

Total Pages: 438

ISBN-13: 1587687275

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Now in a second edition, this volume introduces college students and adult learners to biblical stories about the prophets as well as the theology and teachings of each of the prophetic books in the Bible. There are discussion questions at the end of each chapter.

Transforming Authority
Transforming Authority

Author: Katharina Pyschny

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG

Published: 2021-09-07

Total Pages: 360

ISBN-13: 311064715X

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Human leadership is a multifaceted topic in the Hebrew Bible from a synchronic as well as diachronic perspective. A large range of distributions emerges from the successive sharpening or modification of different aspects of leadership. While some of them are combined to a complex figuration of leadership, others remain reserved for certain individuals. Furthermore, it can be considered a consensus within scholarly debate, that concepts of leadership have a certain connection to the history of ancient Israel which is, though, hard to ascertain. Following a previous volume that focused on the Pentateuch and the Former Prophets (BZAW 507), this volume deals with different concepts of leadership in selected Prophetic (Hag/Zech; Jer) and Chronistic literature Ezr/Neh; Chr). They are examined in a literary, (religious-/tradition-) historical and theological perspective. Special emphasis is given to phenomena of transforming authority and leadership claims in exilic/post-exilic times. Hence, the volume contributes to biblical theology and sheds new light on the redaction/reception history of the texts. Not least, it provides valuable insights into the history of religious and/or political “authorities” in Israel and Early Judaism(s).

First and Second Kings
First and Second Kings

Author: Alice L. Laffey

Publisher: Liturgical Press

Published: 2016-12-01

Total Pages: 176

ISBN-13: 0814647790

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The books of Kings view Israel's history through the theological lens of action. Actions have consequences that are determined by the people's faithfulness or unfaithfulness to their God and the covenant, and the editors' purpose is to demonstrate that the monarchy stands or falls on its faithfulness to its God. The books of Kings, though in real ways foreign to the twenty-first century, contain content that resonates with our contemporary experience. They raise an array of questions: In the relationships between and among individuals and between and among nations, what constitutes loyalty? What behaviors exact justice? What are the demands of being in a covenant relationship with God? What does it mean to be faithful to that relationship? What risks are we willing to take? How do we pray? Where do we look for the power of God? The insights gleaned from engaging these questions can shed a unique light on our contemporary lives.

Jeremiah, Zedekiah, and the Fall of Jerusalem
Jeremiah, Zedekiah, and the Fall of Jerusalem

Author: Mark Roncace

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2005-09-08

Total Pages: 204

ISBN-13: 0567486788

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*Uses both a narratological and historical-critical method to read these specific passages of Jeremiah *Demonstrates that the story of Jeremiah and Zedekiah is not the typical god prophet/bad king story found in much of prophetic literature and the Deuteronomic History *Provides an intertextual reading of the passages which connects Jeremiah to other figures in the Old Testament The book offers a narratological and intertextual reading of Jeremiah 37:1-40:6, a text that features the dynamic interaction between the prophet Jeremiah and King Zedekiah in the context of events surrounding the fall of Jerusalem. While there have been many literary studies of biblical texts, there has been little such work on the narratives in the book of Jeremiah. This fact is surprising since the Jeremianic stories are narrated in a lively and sophisticated manner and contain complex characters and vivid dialogue and action, reminiscent of texts in the Primary History which have received much more literary attention. Roncace's book begins to uncover the richness of the prophetic narratives in Jeremiah. The study focuses on issues of characterization and point of view as well as the text's connections with other passages in the book of Jeremiah and those beyond it, particularly the Deuteronomistic History. Roncace argues that the text develops complex images of both Zedekiah and Jeremiah. It is not a story of the good prophet and the bad king; times as chaotic and confusing as the final days of Jerusalem do not call for a black-and-white story. Rather the text invites both sympathy and criticism for Jeremiah and Zedekiah. Jeremiah is the embattled prophet of God; yet at times he appears deceptive and manipulative, more concerned about his own well-being than that of the people, and his message can be ambiguous and in the end is not fully correct. Zedekiah, for his part, appears receptive to Jeremiah's word and protects the prophet from others who would harm him; yet he is too irresolute to take any action to save the city. The ambiguity in the portrayals of both figures is further developed by intertextual connections. Jeremiah can be compared to Moses, the Rabshakeh, Daniel, Joseph, Samuel, Nathan, and Micaiah, while Zedekiah can be compared to the monarchs that correspond to these figures (Pharaoh, Hezekiah, Saul, David, and Ahab).

Feminist Companion to Samuel-Kings
Feminist Companion to Samuel-Kings

Author: Athalya Brenner-Idan

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 1994-05-01

Total Pages: 287

ISBN-13: 0567231550

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A stimulating collection of studies by leading feminist scholars offering radical readings of the Old Testament books of Samuel and Kings. Although gender ideology may have been only a 'side issue' for the writers of these texts, the articles in this collection show that it is definitely a constituent of the general ideological framework of this section of Israel's historiography, and they explore the texts for women's lives, female voices, gendered types, and the presence of women in the written history. As Athalya Brenner states in her introduction to the volume, in looking at the presentation of women and femaleness in Samuel and Kings we 'encounter chiefly relational images': women are seen as daughters, mothers, queen mothers, and in their relations to kings and prophets.

The Jews
The Jews

Author: John Efron

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2018-09-03

Total Pages: 1239

ISBN-13: 1351017853

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The Jews: A History is a comprehensive and accessible text that explores the religious, cultural, social, and economic diversity of the Jewish people and their faith. Placing Jewish history within its wider cultural context, the book covers a broad time span, stretching from ancient Israel to the modern day. It examines Jewish history across a range of settings, including the ancient Near East, the age of Greek and Roman rule, the medieval realms of Christianity and Islam, modern Europe, including the World Wars and the Holocaust, and contemporary America and Israel, covering a variety of topics, such as legal emancipation, acculturation, and religious innovation. The third edition is fully updated to include more case studies and to encompass recent events in Jewish history, as well as religion, social life, economics, culture, and gender. Supported by case studies, online references, further reading, maps, and illustrations, The Jews: A History provides students with a comprehensive and wide-ranging grounding in Jewish history.

Prophet Against Prophet
Prophet Against Prophet

Author: Simon John De Vries

Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing

Published: 1978-08-21

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 9780802817433

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"Throughout the history of the Israelite kingdoms there were prophets who prophesied nothing but favorable consequences for the actions of their political leaders. Opposing them were prophets who drew a distinction between the will of Yahweh for his people and the opportunistic aims of the monarchs. In the Micaiah narratives of I Kings 22 are seen two early stages in the development of this ideological conflict. Simon John De Vries examines thoroughly these early stages in order to find and understand the root causes of the conflict that led finally to national ruin."--Back cover