The choice between two cities : whore, bride, and empire in the Apocalypse / Barbara R. Rossing.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Rossing, Barbara R.

Series:

Harvard theological studies ; no. 48.

Harvard theological studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bible.

Good and evil--Biblical teaching.

Good and evil.

Bible. Revelation, XVII-XVIII--Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Jerusalem--In the Bible.

Jerusalem.

Babylon (Extinct city)--In the Bible.

Babylon (Extinct city).

Women in the Bible.

Physical Description:

xv, 180 pages ; 22 cm.

Place of Publication:

Harrisburg, Pa. : Trinity Press International, 1999.

Summary:

The Apocalypse depicts New Jerusalem as an alternative to Babylon and calls on the audience to make a choice between the two cities. The audience must "come out" of Babylon in order to "enter" into New Jerusalem.

One way in which the Apocalypse structures the rhetorical contrast between the cities is to invoke an ethical "two-women" topos that was well known in the ancient world both from the Jewish wisdom tradition (Proverbs 1-9) and from the story of Heracles's choice (Xenephon's Memoribilia). The topos of the "two women" provided a framework for exhortation between two alternatives -- the "evil woman" who must be resisted, and the "good woman" whom the audience should follow.

Chapter 2 surveys the "two-women" topos and its use by a variety of ancient authors. Chapter 3 analyzes the prostitute of Rev. 17:1 -- 4 as a stereotypical "evil woman" and the portrayal of Babylon as "evil woman" and evil empire. Chapter 4 focuses on the use of the "city lament" genre in various texts and Revelation 18's taunting of Babylon via laments and dirges. A final chapter studies New Jerusalem as the "good woman" and as an alternative political economy to Rome.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1563382946

OCLC:

42290465