Images of Others Iconic Politics in Ancient Israel / Nathaniel B. Levtow.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Levtow, Nathaniel B.

Series:

Biblical and Judaic studies ; v. 11.

Biblical and Judaic studies ; vol. 11

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

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

Bible.

image--religion israelite--religion mesopotamienne.

image.

Dieu--image--polemique--"Bible. AT.".

Dieu.

Iraq--Religion.

Iraq.

Iraq--Civilization--To 634.

Physical Description:

xii, 211 p.

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Winona Lake (Ind.) : Eisenbrauns, 2008.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

In this volume, Nathaniel Levtow articulately interacts with Mesopotamian and Israelite iconoclastic traditions, locating Israelite polemics against cult images among a spectrum of ancient West Asian literary genres and ritual practices that target the embodied deities of political opponents. Levtow argues that Israelite parodies of Mesopotamian iconic cult were not unique expressions of aniconic monotheism but assertions of Israelite political potency during and shortly after the Babylonian Exile. By interpreting Israelite icon parodies in this context, Levtow rejects the idea of "idolatry" as a static, native Israelite descriptive category and highlights the ability of Israelite writers to compose authoritative classifications of cult that profoundly influenced ancient and modern understandings of iconic worship practices. He concludes that biblical representations of iconic cult reveal dynamic acts of Israelite social formation and exemplify the enduring power of the cult image in ancient West Asian societies.

Contents:

Introduction. Interpretive traditions : idolatry, dualism, monotheism, aniconism ; Redescribing Israelite parodies of iconic cult

Rites and writing in ancient Israel. Ritual and power ; Classification ; Social formation

Israelite icon parodies. An innovative genre of the exilic age ; Jeremiah 10:1-16

The icon parodies of Second Isaiah ; Psalms 115 and 135 ; Literary history, social history, and interpretive power ; Classification and social formation ; Mesopotamian iconic ritual. The Mesopotamian cult image : ancient evidence and modern interpretations ; The induction of the cult image in Mesopotamia : the mīs pî ritual ; Iconic aspects of Mesopotamian warfare and historiography ; The enthronement of the supreme deity ; Mesopotamian iconic politics and Israelite icon parodies

Iconic politics in ancient Israel. Iconic traditions in the Hebrew Bible ; The Ark Narrative ; Deuteronomistic iconic political discourse ; Ezekiel and the departure of Yahweh ; Israelite aniconism or Israelite iconic politics?

Conclusion. Classification and cult.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. 173-193) and indexes.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781575065915

1575065916

OCLC:

922991598