Constructions of Space V: Place, Space and Identity in the Ancient Mediterranean World 9781472556752, 9780567265968

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LIBRARY OF HEBREW BIBLE/ OLD TESTAMENT STUDIES

576 Formerly Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series

Editors Claudia V. Camp, Texas Christian University Andrew Mein, Westcott House, Cambridge

Founding Editors David J. A. Clines, Philip R. Davies and David M. Gunn

Editorial Board Alan Cooper, John Goldingay, Robert P. Gordon, Norman K. Gottwald, James Harding, John Jarick, Carol Meyers Patrick D. Miller, Francesca Stavrakopoulou, Daniel L. Smith-Christopher

ii

CONSTRUCTIONS OF SPACE V

Place, Space and Identity in the Ancient Mediterranean World

edited by Gert T. M. Prinsloo and Christl M. Maier

N E W YOR K • LON DON • N E W DE L H I • SY DN EY

Bloomsbury T&T Clark An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 50 Bedford Square London WC1B 3DP UK

175 Fifth Avenue New York NY 10010 USA

www.bloomsbury.com First published 2013 © Gert T.M. Prinsloo and Christl M. Maier, 2013 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. Gert T.M. Prinsloo and Christl M. Maier have asserted their rights under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Editors of this work. No responsibility for loss caused to any individual or organization acting on or refraining from action as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by Bloomsbury Academic or the author. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. eISBN:

978-0-567-26596-8

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.

Typeset by Forthcoming Publications Ltd (www.forthpub.com)

CONTENTS Abbreviations List of Contributors

vii ix

INTRODUCTION: PLACE, SPACE AND IDENTITY IN THE ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN WORLD Christl M. Maier and Gert T. M. Prinsloo

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Part I PROSPECTIVES, PERSPECTIVES AND METHODS PLACE, SPACE AND IDENTITY IN THE ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN WORLD: THEORY AND PRACTICE WITH REFERENCE TO THE BOOK OF JONAH Gert T. M. Prinsloo

3

FICTION AND SPACE IN DEUTERONOMY Michaela Geiger

26

CRITICAL SPATIAL THEORY 2.0 Matthew Sleeman

49

Part II SACRED SPACE AND THE FORMATION OF IDENTITY THE IMPLIED TRANSCENDENCE OF PHYSICAL AND IDEOLOGICAL BORDERS AND BOUNDARIES IN PSALM 47 Jo-Marí Schäder

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JERUSALEM, THE HOLY CITY: THE MEANING OF THE CITY OF JERUSALEM IN THE BOOKS OF EZRA–NEHEMIAH Maria Häusl

87

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Contents

WHOSE MOTHER? WHOSE SPACE? JERUSALEM IN THIRD ISAIAH Christl M. Maier

107

THE MEANING OF THE CITY OF JERUSALEM IN THE BOOK OF TOBIT: AN ANALYSIS OF THE JERUSALEM HYMN IN TOBIT 13:8–18 Johanna Rautenberg

125

Part III PLACE, SPACE, IDENTITY: THEORY AND PRACTICE FROM THE WALLS OF URUK: REFLECTIONS ON SPACE IN THE GILGAMESH EPIC Gerda de Villiers

143

FAMILY AS LIVED SPACE: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY AND INTERTEXTUAL READING OF GENESIS 34 Reineth (C. E.) Prinsloo and Gert T. M. Prinsloo

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(RE-)SITING SPACE AND IDENTITY OF GIBEONITES AND JAPANESE AMERICANS Johnny Miles

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NARRATIVE SPACE AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF MEANING IN THE BOOK OF JOEL Mary Mills

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UNFOCUSED NARRATIVE SPACE IN TOBIT 1:1–2:14 Ronald van der Bergh

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FROM URBAN NIGHTMARES TO DREAM CITIES: REVEALING THE APOCALYPTIC CITYSCAPE Carla Sulzbach

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Place, Space and Identity in the Ancient Mediterranean World: A Spatial Bibliography

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Index of References Index of Authors

254 265

ABBREVIATIONS AB ABD AJA AJSR AOAT BA BARev BBR BE Bib BibInt BIS BKAT BN NF BOT BR BTAT BTB BZAW CAD CBQ CBQMS CEJL CRBS FAT FRLANT Greg HAR HBS HKAT HR HTR HTS HTSSup IBC ITC JANESCU 1

Anchor Bible The Anchor Bible Dictionary. Edited by David Noel Freedman. 6 vols. New York, 1992 American Journal of Archaeology Association for Jewish Studies Review Alter Orient und Altes Testament Biblical Archaeologist Biblical Archaeology Review Bulletin for Biblical Research Biblische Enzyklopädie Biblica Biblical Interpretation: A Journal of Contemporary Approaches Biblical Interpretation Series Biblischer Kommentar: Altes Testament Biblische Notizen. Neue Folge De Boeken van het Oude Testament Bible Review Beiträge zur Theologie des Alten Testaments Biblical Theology Bulletin Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. Chicago, 1956– Catholic Biblical Quarterly Catholic Biblical Quarterly, Monograph Series Commentaries on Early Jewish Literature Currents in Research: Biblical Studies Forschungen zum Alten Testament Forschungen zur Religion und Literatur des Alten und Neuen Testaments Gregorianum Hebrew Annual Review Herders Biblische Studien Handkommentar zum Alten Testament History of Religions Harvard Theological Review Hervormde Teologiese Studies Hervormde Teologiese Studies Supplementum Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching International Theological Commentary Journal of the Ancient Near Eastern Society of Columbia University

viii JAOS JBL JBQ JNSL JQR JSHRZ JSNT JSOT JSOTSup JSP LHBOTS NCB NEchtB NICOT OBO OLB OTE OTG OTL OTS POut Proof PzB QD ResQ SBAB SBLDS SBLMS SBLSP SBLSympS SBS SK SOTSMS STAR ThWAT TSAJ TynBul VT VTSup WBC WiBiLex WMANT WUNT ZAW ZDPV ZTK 1

Abbreviations Journal of the American Oriental Society Journal of Biblical Literature Jewish Bible Quarterly Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages Jewish Quarterly Review Jüdische Schriften aus hellenistisch-römischer Zeit Journal of the Study of the New Testament Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, Supplement Series Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha Library of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies New Century Bible Neue Echter Bibel New International Commentary on the Old Testament Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis Orte und Landschaften der Bibel Old Testament Essays Old Testament Guides Old Testament Library Oudtestamentische Studiën De Prediking van het Oude Testament Prooftexts: A Journal of Jewish Literary History Protokolle zur Bibel Quaestiones disputatae Restoration Quarterly Stuttgarter biblische Aufsatzbände SBL Dissertation Series SBL Monograph Series Society of Biblical Literature Seminar Papers SBL Symposium Series Stuttgarter Bibelstudien Skrif en Kerk Society for Old Testament Study Monograph Series Studies in Theology and Religion Theologisches Wörterbuch zum Alten Testament. Edited by G. J. Botterweck and H. Ringgren. Stuttgart, 1970–95 Texts and Studies in Ancient Judaism Tyndale Bulletin Vetus Testamentum Supplements to Vetus Testamentum Word Biblical Commentary Das wissenschaftliche Bibellexikon im Internet (www.wibilex.de) Wissenschaftliche Monographien zum Alten und Neuen Testament Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft Zeitschrift des deutschen Palästina-Vereins Zeitschrift für Theologie und Kirche

LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS Gerda (G. G.) de Villiers. Editor of www.teo.co.za and part-time lecturer in Ancient Myths and Ancient Religions. Department of Old Testament, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa Michaela Geiger. Lecturer of Old Testament. Department of Protestant Theology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany Maria Häusl. Professor of Biblical Studies. Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Science, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany Christl M. Maier. Professor of Old Testament. Department of Protestant Theology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany Johnny Miles. Adjunct Instructor. Department of Religion, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA Mary Mills. Adjunct Professor of Biblical Studies. Department of Theology, Philosophy and Religious Studies, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool, United Kingdom Gert T. M. Prinsloo. Professor of Ancient Near Eastern Languages and Cultures. Department of Ancient Languages, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa Reineth (C.E.) Prinsloo. Senior Lecturer in Family Development and Guidance. Department of Social Work and Criminology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa Johanna Rautenberg. Research assistant in the Collaborative Research Centre (SFB) 804 “Transzendenz und Gemeinsinn.” Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany 1

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List of Contributors

Jo-Marí Schäder. Lecturer in Ancient Near Eastern Languages and Cultures. Department of Ancient Languages, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa Matthew Sleeman. Lecturer in New Testament and Greek. Oak Hill Theological College, Southgate London, United Kingdom Carla Sulzbach. Independent Researcher and Research Fellow in Ancient Textual Studies. Montreal, Canada and North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa Ronald van der Bergh. Lecturer in Biblical Greek and Classic Culture. Department of Ancient Languages, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa

1

INTRODUCTION: PLACE, SPACE AND IDENTITY IN THE ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN WORLD Christl M. Maier and Gert T. M. Prinsloo

From 2009–2011 the “Place, Space, and Identity in the Ancient Mediterranean World Program Unit” organized sessions at the Society of Biblical Literature International Meetings in Rome (2009), Tartu (2010) and London (2011). The aim of the program unit was to investigate the inherent spatiality of human existence and how it affects human behavior, ideology, identity, and orientation. The unit also aimed at enhancing both attentiveness to and research on spatial readings of ancient texts and contexts among scholars on an international scale. Participants in the unit’s sessions were encouraged to apply various approaches to spatiality to the spectrum of ancient Mediterranean cultures in order to enhance our understanding of these cultures in their lived historical and social realities. In Rome (2009) one session was dedicated to the question of how “space” in text and culture could be assessed hermeneutically and methodologically. Papers of a second session addressed perceptions of space in the Ancient Mediterranean world. In Tartu (2010) papers focused on the role of sacred space in the formation of identity as well as on space and gender in ancient texts and cultures. In London (2011) two sessions were allocated to the interrelation between space and identity. The current volume, the ¿fth to be published in the Constructions of Space sub-series of the Library of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies, contains selected, peer-reviewed contributions from the three meetings of the program unit. Some participants of our sessions provided new essays related to their ongoing studies in critical spatiality. The contributions are representative of the themes discussed over the period of three years and the division within this volume approximately reÀects the subsequent main topics. Part I, Prospectives, Perspectives and Methods, looks at various theoretical approaches to spatiality that can be applied to the ancient 1

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Constructions of Space V

Mediterranean contexts. In “Place, Space and Identity in the Ancient Mediterranean World: Theory and Practice with Reference to the Book of Jonah” Gert Prinsloo (University of Pretoria) argues for a comprehensive approach to spatial analysis that includes ancient Near Eastern concepts of space. He illustrates his comprehensive methodological approach with reference to the book of Jonah. Michaela Geiger (Philipps-University, Marburg) applies Wolfgang Iser’s theory on ¿ction and the imaginary besides Martina Löw’s sociology of space to indicate the book of Deuteronomy’s intentional ¿ctional character. Her essay, “Fiction and Space in Deuteronomy,” demonstrates how a ¿ctional space like Horeb shapes ideas about spaces for human-divine encounters among readers of the narrative. In “Critical Spatial Theory 2.0” Matthew Sleeman (Oak Hill Theological College, London) provides an assessment of the development of critical spatiality within biblical studies. He argues that the spatialization of biblical studies is an irreversible and ongoing process that heralds a radical conception of scripture, of spatial scriptures while at the same time inviting more transdisciplinary research and a wider range of scholarly contexts. In Part II, Sacred Space and the Formation of Identity, attention shifts to the important role of sacred space in ancient Mediterranean societies’ sense of belonging and identity. In “The Implied Transcendence of Physical and Ideological Borders and Boundaries in Psalm 47” Jo-Marí Schäder (University of Pretoria) argues that YHWH is depicted in Psalm 47 as a universal deity that knows no boundaries. Consequently, physical and ideological boundaries are crossed and the nations are no longer depicted as an entirely separate entity to Israel. In “Jerusalem, the Holy City: The Meaning of the City of Jerusalem in the Books of Ezra–Nehemiah,” Maria Häusl (Technische Universität Dresden) indicates that the designation of Jerusalem as Holy City characterizes the city as a public place of meeting with God. Since the idea of holiness is expanded beyond a speci¿c cultic meaning, Jerusalem serves as an important theological topos for the construction of post-exilic Israel’s identity. In “Whose Mother? Whose Space? Jerusalem in Third Isaiah” Christl Maier (Philipps-University, Marburg) interprets different portraits of Zion/Jerusalem in Third Isaiah with the help of Henri Lefebvre’s three perspectives on space and Paula Cooey’s evaluation of the personi¿ed female body as an ambiguous medium that conveys both sentience and agency to the readers of these texts. Maier argues that collected passages in Isaiah 56–66 successively comment on Second Isaiah’s oracles of 1

MAIER AND PRINSLOO Introduction

xiii

salvation and simultaneously adjust their grandiose outlook to a later situation. Johanna Rautenberg (Technische Universität Dresden) discusses “The Meaning of the City of Jerusalem in the Book of Tobit: An Analysis of the Jerusalem Hymn in Tobit 13:8–18.” In her view, the book of Tobit emphasizes not the city’s geographical dimension, but her signi¿cant role as a relational entity. Jerusalem is depicted as mother and as a “social” space constituted in the loving care of God toward the people as well as the people toward Jerusalem. Part III, Place, Space, Identity: Theory and Practice, gathers a variety of both ancient Mediterranean contexts and applications of spatial theory to texts from these contexts. In her essay “From the Walls of Uruk: ReÀections on Space in the Gilgamesh Epic” Gerda de Villiers (University of Pretoria) argues that the spatial theories of Edward Soja and Nicholas Wyatt have a heuristic function with regard to the Gilgamesh Epic. Uruk serves as a Secondspace narrative construct from where wisdom and insight into life issues are reÀected. Moreover, this city is also a central point for Gilgamesh in terms of his self-orientation. Reineth and Gert Prinsloo (University of Pretoria) read Genesis 34 from a general systems theory and spatial perspective in “Family as Lived Space: An Interdisciplinary and Intertextual Reading of Genesis 34.” They argue that the “Dinah Affair” sets in motion a series of incidents with far-reaching consequences. Read against the background of the post-exilic identity building project, the narrative implies that neither Dinah’s crossing of social borders to the Canaanites, nor her brothers’ violent defense of these borders, nor Jacob’s silence can ensure a life “atcenter.” In contrast, taking YHWH upon his word and acknowledging his promises ensures contact with the divine sphere and a sustainable future. In “(Re-)Siting Space and Identity of Gibeonites and Japanese Americans,” Johnny Miles (Texas Christian University) explores the conÀuence of space and identity in Gibeonite and Japanese American colonization utilizing the postcolonial spatial constructs of Edward Soja and Arjun Appadurai. Sociological insights identi¿ed high boundedness and exhaustiveness as factors present in the narrative ethnoscape of Gibeonites and Japanese Americans. It delimits their social space and ¿xes their identity at the ideoscape site. Their ostracism to a culturally hybrid status as “other,” Miles argues, additionally opens up a site of resistance from which to recon¿gure identity from a non-essentialist stance utilizing cultural traditions. Exploring “Narrative Space and the Construction of Meaning in the Book of Joel” Mary Mills (Liverpool Hope University) uses the concept 1

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Constructions of Space V

of religious geography as a lens through which to analyze the book of Joel. In her view, Joel visibly links land, city, and shrine and thus deals with sacred space as the means of controlling events in the natural and human worlds. The study explores the manner in which the imaginative universe of a literary text creates an ordered response to chaotic events through its deployment of religious geography. In “Unfocused Narrative Space in Tobit 1:1–2:14” Ronald van der Bergh (University of Pretoria) uses the concept of “unfocused space” and the so-called model-reader in his spatial analysis of the ¿rst two chapters of the book of Tobit. He argues that these chapters reveal a gradual movement from freedom to con¿nement. The use of unfocused space, when read from the perspective of a model-reader, masterfully attributes to the build-up of tension in the narrative. Finally, Carla Sulzbach (Research Fellow, North-West University, Potchefstroom) engages in a spatial reading of two cities often juxtaposed in biblical and early Jewish writings, namely Jerusalem and Babylon, in “From Urban Nightmares to Dream Cities: Revealing the Apocalyptic Cityscape.” At the high end of the apocalyptic spectrum, John’s New Jerusalem, like that of Ezekiel, becomes a New Babylon. In contrast, Ezekiel’s plan for the renewed city, at the low end of the same spectrum, is grounded and down-to-earth and describes a case of urban planning. According to Sulzbach, the underlying motivation for the metaphor in Revelation differs radically from the same image in Jewish apocalyptic writings. In the latter the metaphor is used in response to the destruction of the Temple, whereas in Revelation it signals a departure from the need to have a physical sanctuary. The editors wish to thank all participants in the “Place, Space, and Identity in the Ancient Mediterranean World Program Unit” for their contributions over the period of three years, especially those who contributed to this volume. We hope that the publication of a representative sample of the work done in the program unit will stimulate a deeper and broader understanding of the inherent spatiality of human existence and how it affects human behavior, ideology, identity, and orientation. We also would like to thank Dr. Beatrice Martin who did the language editing for this volume, Jo-Marí Schäder and Josephine Haas for their assistance in editing the manuscript, Claudia Camp for her willingness to accept this volume in the Constructions of Space sub-series, Bloomsbury T&T Clark for publishing our work, and our copy-editor, Duncan Burns, for preparing the volume for publication. Marburg and Pretoria, July 2012 1

Part I

PROSPECTIVES, PERSPECTIVES AND METHODS

1

2

PLACE, SPACE AND IDENTITY IN THE ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN WORLD: THEORY AND PRACTICE WITH REFERENCE TO THE BOOK OF JONAH Gert T. M. Prinsloo

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