My Shepherd, though you do not know me. The Persian royal propaganda model in the Nehemiah Memoir. / Lucas L. Schulte.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Schulte, Lucas L., author.

Series:

Contributions to biblical exegesis and theology ; 78.

Contributions to biblical exegesis and theology

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bible. Historical Books.

Bible. Nehemiah.

Judaism--History--Post-exilic period, 586 B.C.-210 A.D.

Judaism.

History.

Judaism--Post-exilic period (Judaism).

Bible. Historical Books--Historiography.

Bible.

Bible. Nehemiah--Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Nehemiah (Governor of Judah).

Nehemiah.

Bible. Old Testament--Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Bible. Old Testament.

Bible. Historical Books--Historiography--Congresses.

Religion.

Historiography.

Genre:

Conference papers and proceedings.

Criticism, interpretation, etc.

History.

Physical Description:

x, 269 pages : illustrations; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Leuven : Peeters 2016.

Summary:

The redactional history of the book of Nehemiah is a hotly debated topic within scholarship. While a general consensus both attributes Neh. 1:1-2:20; 4:1-7:5; and 13:4-31 to the Nehemiah Memoir and postulates the influence of ancient Near Eastern royal inscriptions, previous scholarship lacks a systematic examination of Persian-period royal inscriptions in discussing the redactional history of Nehemiah. This present book examines Persian-period inscriptions from Judah's neighbors, Babylonia and Egypt, and identifies a propaganda model in which Persian kings are supported by the local deities and are heirs to the local dynasties. This propaganda model resembles depictions of Artaxerxes in sections of Nehemiah often attributed to the Memoir. Challenging a recent trend attributing religious references to Hellenistic redactions, this study finds that references in Nehemiah to divine authorization of Artaxerxes akin to the royal propaganda model in Persian-period texts from Babylon and Egypt most likely date to the Persian-period Nehemiah Memoir due to a shared literary context.

Contents:

Chapter 1 Introduction 1

The Proposal 2

Methodology 4

The Nehemiah Memoir In Previous Scholarship 5

Charles C. Torrey 6

Sigmund Mowinkel 7

Wilhelm Rudolph 8

Gerhard von Rad 8

Ulrich Kellermann 9

Sara Japhet 10

H. G. M. Williamson 10

Anton jus Gunneweg 11

Joseph Blenkinsopp 12

Reinhard G. Kratz 13

Titus Reinmuth 14

Jacob Wright 14

Conclusions 15

Outline of Chapters 20

Chapter 2 Persian Period Texts from Cyrus the Great to Cambyses 23

Cyrus II (the Great) 24

The Cyrus Cylinder 24

Nabonidus Chronicle, Column III 34

Excursus: Isaiah 44:24 -45:13 38

Summary of Texts Concerning Cyrus the Great 44

Cambyses II 46

Nabonidus Chronicle, Column III 47

Statue of Udjahorresnet 48

The Apis Stele of Cambyses 57

Summary of Texts Concerning Cambyses II 62

Chapter 3 Persian Period Texts from Darius I "The Great" 65

Behistun (Old Persian Inscription) 66

Babylonian Sources 83

Statue of Udjahorresnet 84

Statue of Darius I at Susa 88

The Apis Stele of year 4 of Darius I. 98

Canal Stelae of Darius I 102

Fragmentary Inscriptions 114

Darius as Pharaoh: a Success? 118

Summary for Darius the Great 118

Chapter 4 Persian Period Texts From Xerxes to Artaxerxes I 121

Xerxes the Great King 121

Xerxes and "Hellenocentrism" 122

Babylonian Sources 124

Chronicle 8: Chronicle Fragment of the Achaemenid Period 125

Summary of Babylonian Sources 127

A Persian Text Describing the Destruction of the Temple of Marduk? 128

Egyptian Sources 130

Summary of Egyptian Sources 134

Summary for Xerxes 136

Artaxerxes I 137

Babylonian Sources 139

Egyptian Sources 141

Summary for Artaxerxes I 142

Conclusions 143

Chapter 5 The Persian King in the Book of Nehemiah 147

Artaxerxes I: a Review 148

Nehemiah 1:5-11 149

Nehemiah's Prayer 149

Comparison to Previous Scholarship 152

Relation to Persian Period Texts 154

Nehemiah 2:1-10 155

The Dialogue Report of the Commissioning of Nehemiah 156

Comparison to Previous Scholarship 164

Relation to Persian Period Texts 166

Nehemiah 2:11-20 167

Narrative Report on Nehemiah's Inspection of Jerusalem's Walls 168

Comparison to Previous Scholarship 171

Relation to Persian Period Texts 173

Nehemiah 5 173

Comparison to Previous Scholarship 174

Relation to Persian Period Texts 175

Nehemiah 6 176

Comparison to Previous Scholarship 177

Relation to Persian Period Texts 178

Nehemiah 9 178

Comparison to Previous Scholarship. 181

Relation to Persian Period Texts 182

Nehemiah 11 182

Comparison to Previous Scholarship 184

Relation to Persian Period Texts 184

Nehemiah 13 186

Nehemiah Remedies Problems in the Temple 187

Comparison to Previous Scholarship 188

Relation to Persian Period Texts 190

Synchronic Summary: Nehemiah and the Judeans, the Persian King, and YHWH 191

Diachronic Summary: Perspectives on Royalty in the Nehemiah Memoir 194

Did the Nehemiah Memoir Contain These Verses? 194

Chapter 6 Conclusions 197

Results 197

Passages from the Persian Period 199

Passages Possibly from the Persian Period 200

Inconclusive Passages 201

Passage not from the Persian Period 201

Evaluation 201

Implications 202.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [263]-269).

ISBN:

9789042932203

9042932201

OCLC:

946011378