Images of Egypt in early biblical literature : Cisjordan-Israelite, Transjordan-Israelite, and Judahite portrayals / Stephen C. Russell.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Russell, Stephen C.

Series:

Beihefte zur Zeitschrift fur die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft ; 403.

Beihefte zur Zeitschrift fur die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft ; Bd. 403

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

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

Bible.

Egypt in the Bible.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (300 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Berlin ; New York : Walter De Gruyter, c2009.

Berlin Boston De Gruyter, [2009]

Language Note:

English

Biography/History:

Stephen C. Russell, University of California, Berkeley, USA.

Summary:

This book suggests a regional paradigm for understanding the development of the traditions about Egypt and the exodus in the Hebrew Bible. It offers fresh readings of the golden calf stories in 1 Kgs 12:25-33 and Exod 32, the Balaam oracles in Num 22-24, and the Song of the Sea in Exod 15:1b-18 and from these paints a picture of the differing traditions about Egypt that circulated in Cisjordan Israel, Transjordan Israel, and Judah in the 8th century B.C.E. and earlier. In the north, an exodus from Egypt was celebrated in the Bethel calf cult as a journey of Israelites from Egypt to Cisjordan, without a detour eastward to Sinai. This exodus was envisioned in military terms as suggested by the nature of the polemic in Exod 32, and the attribution of the exodus to the warrior Yahweh, Israel's own deity. In the east, a tradition of deliverance from Egypt was celebrated, rather than the idea of a journey, and it was credited to El. In the south, Egypt was recognized as a major enemy, whom Yahweh had defeated, but the traditions there were not formulated in terms of an exodus. While acknowledging the reshaping of these traditions in response to the exile, Images of Egypt argues that they originated in the pre-exilic period and relate to Syro-Palestinian history as it is otherwise known.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Abbreviations

Chapter 1. Introduction

Chapter 2: Early Cisjordan‐Israelite Traditions about Egypt

Chapter 3: Early Transjordan‐Israelite Traditions about Egypt

Chapter 4. Early Judahite Traditions about Egypt

Chapter 5. Summary and Implications

Backmatter

Notes:

Revision of the author's thesis (doctoral)--New York University, 2008.

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

This eBook is made available Open Access under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed September 05 2025)

ISBN:

9786612716904

9781282716902

1282716905

9783110221725

3110221721

OCLC:

557704083