Divine Substitution
Humanity as the Manifestation of Deity in the Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Near East
By (author) Stephen L. Herring
Hardback (Published)
(November 2013)
ISBN: 9783525536124
6.34 x 9.33 inches
Price: $119.00
In stock
English summary: Divine Substitution is an investigation of ancient conceptualizations of divine presence. Specifically, this thesis investigates the possibility that the ancient Mesopotamian conceptualization of cultic and royal statues, thought to actually manifest the presence of gods and kings, can likewise be found in ancient Israel. Despite the overly pessimistic view of the later biblical authors, material objects were almost certainly believed to extend and manifest the presence of God in pre-exilic Israel (e.g., standing stones). Likewise, the later polemics against such cultic concepts demonstrate Israel’s familiarity with this type of conceptualization. These polemics engaged in the rhetoric of mutilation and destruction of cultic representations, the erasure and re-inscription of divine names, and the rhetorical deconstruction of the specific Mesopotamian rituals thought to transform the dead statue into a living god. Though the biblical reflection of these concepts is more often found in the negative commentary regarding “foreign” cultic practices, S. Herring demonstrates that these opinions were not universally held. At least three biblical texts (Gen 1:26f.; Ex 34:29-34; and Ezek 36-37) portray the conceptualization that material images could manifest the divine presence in positive terms. Yet, these positive attestations were limited to a certain type of material image – humans.
Dr Stephen Lane Herring is Biblical Hebrew Lector at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies.
- By (author) Stephen L. Herring
"...the assemblage of evidence and arguments to support the book's central thesis is impressive. [...] ...Herring has provided a though-provoking analysis of these biblical texts, and a reminder that scholars must be careful to interpret ancient cultic practices within their own conceptual world rather than imposing later ideas from Greek, Christians, or Postmodern thought." -- Bryan Bibb, Furman University
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Other Titles in this Series
»Blickt auf Abraham, euren Vater«
Abraham als Identifikationsfigur des Judentums in der Zeit des Exils und des Zweiten Tempels
„Wie die Verwundeten ‒ derer du nicht mehr gedenkst”
Zur Phänomenologie des Traumas in den Psalmen 22, 88, 107 und 137
The Spirit World in the Letters of Paul the Apostle
A Critical Examination of the Role of Spiritual Beings in the Authentic Pauline Epistles
Die Ortsangaben im Buch Genesis
Ein historisch-topographischer und literarisch-topographischer Kommentar
Die himmlische Bürgerschaft
Untersuchungen zu einem urchristlichen Sprachmotiv im Spannungsfeld von religiöser Integration und Abgrenzung im 1. und 2. Jahrhundert
Der eine Gott Israels und die Mächte der Welt
Der Weg Gottes im Alten Testament vom Herrn seines Volkes zum Herrn der ganzen Welt
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