2023 The Prophet from Anathoth: Benjamin-Judean Identity Negotiation and the Formation of the Book of Jeremiah (PhD dissertation) — Excerpts: Frontmatter, Introduction, Conclusion, and Bibliography (original) (raw)
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In the article I argue that it is fruitful to approach the Jeremianic Tradition as a form of collective memory that continually shapes and is shaped by new groups of readers. In collective memory a social group expresses identity in an ongoing process of reconstructing its own position in interacting with existing tradition. My approach illustrates how processes of identity formation take place in the Jeremianic Tradition, including not only the book of Jeremiah but also subsequent appropriations of the book. The approach is applied to Jer 32: 36-41 and its appropriations in the Masoretic text, in the Septuagint, and in the contemporary context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. These verses, that I regard as a late insertion into the chapter, change the perspective of the chapter as a whole and constructs a new identity for the readership. The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint represent two different interpretations of the of the role and position of these verses in the chapter. Israeli and Palestinian responses give insight into the role of conflict in the tradition, mostly by pointing out the exclusivist and dominant voice in the text, which overlaps with that of the Zionist narrative, dominant in Israeli society.
Getting Closer to Jeremiah: The Word of YHWH and the Literary-Theological Person of a Prophet
Martin Kessler, Hg., Reading the Book of Jeremiah. A …, 2004
In this essay, I attempt to define the dominant role that Jeremiah plays in the book by his name. The focus will not be so much on the biography of the historical prophet or his religiopsychological development but rather on his literary-theological function. Particular attention will be directed to the relationship betweenJeremiah and the word of YHwH, of which the prophet is both the first recipient and the proclaimer. I will also show that the so-called biographical portions (the biography by Baruch and the Confessions) are not extraneous additions but are essential to the book, since they are needed to underscore its central message.
Biblica, 2018
This article traces two significant issues in the polemic among prophets in the book of Jeremiah: the role of theology in their struggle with political events and the polemics in effort to establish authority. It is argued, first, that there are significant theological distinctions between the prophets on the concept of war and on the roles played by God and by humans in victory and in defeat. Second, the struggle over their sources of authority motivated a genuine transformation within prophetic activity (oral and written) that seems to have occurred by the late seventh- and early sixth century BCE.
New Covenant, New Identity: A Social Scientific Reading of Jeremiah 31:31-34
Interpretations of Jeremiah’s New Covenant passage have tended toward its use in Christianity. In light of the work that asserts ancient Israel was a tribal coalition, Social Identity Theory can be a useful heur- istic tool in understanding how this oracle may have been heard by those who first encountered it. This social-scientific model, first developed by Henry Tajfel and modified by John Turner, is summarised and demonstrated to be a beneficial method for understanding group identity in the Ancient Near East. Against this backdrop, Jeremiah's New Covenant passage is examined and thereby understood as the prophet’s attempt to create a new common in-group identity for the post-exilic Israelite community.
A King under the Law: The Torah promulgation and its subversion in Jeremiah
Old Testament essays, 2012
This paper explores the call of Israel to be a unique people and the implications of this for its leadership styles. It, as such, examines the Torah promulgation for a king subservient to the Law (and its attendant institutions), as prescribed in Deut 17:14-20, vis-a-vis the evolution of Israelite leadership culminating in the monarchy, and the outworking of this in the Deuteronomistic History. The paper ultimately aligns this deuteronomic leadership ideal with the reality of the late pre-exilic experience of the Judahite covenant community, especially as documented in the traditions of Jeremiah's life and ministry. The ensuing consequence of the exile is also looked at. Inferences are drawn from these discussions, outlining trajectories of import for contemporary communities of faith.