Exile and Restoration Revisited: Essays on the Babylonian and Persian Periods in Memory of Peter R. Ackroyd (The Library of Second Temple Studies, 73)

This volume had its origins in a session presented to the Society of Biblical Literature in Washington in 2006 in order to examine the legacy of Peter Ackroyd to the field of biblical studies. Ackroyd's work stretched over a wide range of topics within Biblical Studies, notably study of prophetic literature and work on exile and restoration. This volume particularly focuses upon his work on the latter. Whilst the present work is founded upon the papers given at the session it also includes several essays solicited subsequently which further serve to draw the contributions together into a fitting tribute to a pioneer in his field.The contributions take account of Ackroyd's approach to the theme of exile and restoration, focusing largely upon the study of Ezra-Nehemiah and Chronciles. As a brief flavour, Bob Becking examines the epigraphic evidence concerning the mixed marriage crisis Ezra-Nehemiah. Joe Blenkinsopp seeks to find the ‘Sons of Aaron' before the 5th Century in a fascinating essay focusing which picks up the work of R.H. Kennett over a century ago. Among the other distinguished contributors are John Bergsma, Eric Myers and Jill Middlemass.This is volume 73 in the Library of Second Temple Studies series (formerly the Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha Supplement series). Exile and Restoration Revisited: Essays on the Babylonian and Persian Periods in Memory of Peter R. Ackroyd 4 Contents 6 List of Abbrhviations 8 List of Contributors 12 Lester L. Grabbe and Gary N. Knoppers: Introduction 14 1. Summaries of Papers 16 2. Themes from the Papers 29 a. Terminology 29 b. New Sources 30 c. Historiography 31 d. Jerusalem and the Persian Relationship with the Provinces 33 e. Community Strife and the Intermarriage Issue 36 f. The Question of Literacy 37 3. Conclusions 38 Bibliography 39 1. Bob Becking: On the Identity of the ‘Foreign’ Women in Ezra 9-10 44 The Mixed Marriage Crisis in Ezra and Nehemiah 44 a. Introduction 44 b. Text-Internal Motivation 44 c. Text-External Motivations 46 2. Indications for Mixed Ethnicity in the Persian Period? 47 a. The List of Ezra 2 // Nehemiah 7 48 b. Tell al-Mazār Ostracon VII 49 c. Samaria Papyri 51 d. The Polytheistic Religion of Ancient Maqqēdāh 52 e. Conclusions 54 3. Competing Temples 54 4. Stereotyping the Other 55 5. The Identity of the Strange Women in Ezra 9-10 56 Bibliography 57 2. John S. Bergsma: The Persian Period as Penitential Era: The 'Exegetical Logic' of Daniel 9.1-27 63 1. The Perceived Text: The Usual Interpretation of Daniel 9 64 2. Differences Between the Perceived and Received Texts 64 a. Daniel Understands that Jeremiah Meant '70 Years' 64 b. Daniel's Prayer is not a Request for Exegetical Insight 66 c. Gabriel does not Interpret Jeremiah’s Oracle 67 3. The Exegetical Logic of Daniel 9 68 4. The Starting Point for the 70 Weeks of Years 71 5. Daniel's Theological Perspective on the Persian Period 73 Bibliography 75 3. Joseph Blenkinsopp: The Mystery of the Missing 'Sons of Aaron' 78 Bibliography 88 4. Tamara Cohn Eskenazi: From Exile and Restoration to Exile and Reconstruction 91 1. Archaeology 93 2. Close Analysis of Biblical Texts 95 3. Sources for the Study of the So-Called 'Restoration' Period 96 4. Collaborative Scholarship 97 5. The Torah 98 6. New Emphases and Approaches 101 7. Conclusions 102 Bibliography 103 5. Deirdre N. Fulton: Jeshua’s 'High Priestly' Lineage? A Reassessment of Nehemiah 12.10-11 107 1. Introduction 107 2. Jeshua's Genealogy: The History of the Debate 109 3. The Composition of Jeshua's Genealogy within Nehemiah 116 4. 1 Chronicles 5.27-41 : Another Supposed 'High Priestly' Genealogy 120 5. Conclusion 123 6. Bibliography 125 6. Lester L. Grabbe: ‘They Shall Come Rejoicing to Zion' - or Did They? The Settlement of Yehud in the Early Persian Period 129 1. Is There any Credible Reason for Reassessing the Dating? 130 2. Hints at the Date of the First Settlement 130 a. Cyrus' Decree 131 b. The Dating of Zechariah 1-8 131 c. The Sheshhazzar Tradition 133 d. The Shephelah and Negev 133 e. The Memorial of Nehemiah 134 f. The Generations 135 3. Conclusions 137 Bibliography 138 7. Lester L. Grabbe: Was Jerusalem a Persian Fortress? 141 1. Garrisons and Fortresses in the Persian Empire 141 2. The Biblical Texts 143 3. Analysis 146 4. Conclusions 147 Bibliography 149 8. Vadim S. Jigoulov: Administration of Achaemenid Phoenicia: A Case for Managed Autonomy 151 1. Achaemenid Phoenicia in Classical Sources 152 2. Achaemenid Phoenicia in Epigraphic Sources 154 3. Achaemenid Phoenicia and the Material Remains 157 4. Administration of Achaemenid Phoenicia: Some Proposals 158 Bibliography 160 9. Reinhard G. Kratz: The Relation between History and Thought: Reflections on the Subtitle of Peter Ackroyd’s Exil and Restoration 165 1. Introductory Remarks 165 2. History and Historiography 167 3. The Bible and Extra-Biblical Sources 169 4. Dating Biblical Texts 172 5. Bibliography 175 10. Eric M. Meyers: Exile and Restoration in Light of Recent Archaeology and Demographic Studies 179 Bibliography 185 11. Jill A. Middlemas: Going beyond ihe Myth of the Empty Land: A Reassessment of the Early Persian Period 187 1. Introduction 187 2. Terminology and Chronology 187 3. Continuity 190 4. Social integration 191 5. Return to Zion (Not Just a Metaphor) 196 6. Implications 198 Bibliography 202 12. Kenneth A. Ristau: Rebuilding Jerusalem: Zechariah’s Vision within Visions 208 1. Introduction 208 2. The First Vision (1.8-17) 208 3. The Second Vision (2.1-4) 211 3. The Third Vision (2.5-9) and the First Set of Exhortations (2.10-17) 213 4. The Fourth Vision (3.1-10) 216 5. Jerusalem in Zechariah 7.1-8.23 217 6. Conclusion 222 7. Bibliography 223 Index of References 227 Index of Authors 234 Exile and Restoration Revisited: Essays on the Babylonian and Persian Periods in Memory of Peter R. Ackroyd......Page 4 Contents......Page 6 List of Abbrhviations......Page 8 List of Contributors......Page 12 Lester L. Grabbe and Gary N. Knoppers: Introduction......Page 14 1. Summaries of Papers......Page 16 a. Terminology......Page 29 b. New Sources......Page 30 c. Historiography......Page 31 d. Jerusalem and the Persian Relationship with the Provinces......Page 33 e. Community Strife and the Intermarriage Issue......Page 36 f. The Question of Literacy......Page 37 3. Conclusions......Page 38 Bibliography......Page 39 b. Text-Internal Motivation......Page 44 c. Text-External Motivations......Page 46 2. Indications for Mixed Ethnicity in the Persian Period?......Page 47 a. The List of Ezra 2 // Nehemiah 7......Page 48 b. Tell al-Mazār Ostracon VII......Page 49 c. Samaria Papyri......Page 51 d. The Polytheistic Religion of Ancient Maqqēdāh......Page 52 3. Competing Temples......Page 54 4. Stereotyping the Other......Page 55 5. The Identity of the Strange Women in Ezra 9-10......Page 56 Bibliography......Page 57 2. John S. Bergsma: The Persian Period as Penitential Era: The 'Exegetical Logic' of Daniel 9.1-27......Page 63 a. Daniel Understands that Jeremiah Meant '70 Years'......Page 64 b. Daniel's Prayer is not a Request for Exegetical Insight......Page 66 c. Gabriel does not Interpret Jeremiah’s Oracle......Page 67 3. The Exegetical Logic of Daniel 9......Page 68 4. The Starting Point for the 70 Weeks of Years......Page 71 5. Daniel's Theological Perspective on the Persian Period......Page 73 Bibliography......Page 75 3. Joseph Blenkinsopp: The Mystery of the Missing 'Sons of Aaron'......Page 78 Bibliography......Page 88 4. Tamara Cohn Eskenazi: From Exile and Restoration to Exile and Reconstruction......Page 91 1. Archaeology......Page 93 2. Close Analysis of Biblical Texts......Page 95 3. Sources for the Study of the So-Called 'Restoration' Period......Page 96 4. Collaborative Scholarship......Page 97 5. The Torah......Page 98 6. New Emphases and Approaches......Page 101 7. Conclusions......Page 102 Bibliography......Page 103 1. Introduction......Page 107 2. Jeshua's Genealogy: The History of the Debate......Page 109 3. The Composition of Jeshua's Genealogy within Nehemiah......Page 116 4. 1 Chronicles 5.27-41 : Another Supposed 'High Priestly' Genealogy......Page 120 5. Conclusion......Page 123 6. Bibliography......Page 125 6. Lester L. Grabbe: ‘They Shall Come Rejoicing to Zion' - or Did They? The Settlement of Yehud in the Early Persian Period......Page 129 2. Hints at the Date of the First Settlement......Page 130 b. The Dating of Zechariah 1-8......Page 131 d. The Shephelah and Negev......Page 133 e. The Memorial of Nehemiah......Page 134 f. The Generations......Page 135 3. Conclusions......Page 137 Bibliography......Page 138 1. Garrisons and Fortresses in the Persian Empire......Page 141 2. The Biblical Texts......Page 143 3. Analysis......Page 146 4. Conclusions......Page 147 Bibliography......Page 149 8. Vadim S. Jigoulov: Administration of Achaemenid Phoenicia: A Case for Managed Autonomy......Page 151 1. Achaemenid Phoenicia in Classical Sources......Page 152 2. Achaemenid Phoenicia in Epigraphic Sources......Page 154 3. Achaemenid Phoenicia and the Material Remains......Page 157 4. Administration of Achaemenid Phoenicia: Some Proposals......Page 158 Bibliography......Page 160 1. Introductory Remarks......Page 165 2. History and Historiography......Page 167 3. The Bible and Extra-Biblical Sources......Page 169 4. Dating Biblical Texts......Page 172 5. Bibliography......Page 175 10. Eric M. Meyers: Exile and Restoration in Light of Recent Archaeology and Demographic Studies......Page 179 Bibliography......Page 185 2. Terminology and Chronology......Page 187 3. Continuity......Page 190 4. Social integration......Page 191 5. Return to Zion (Not Just a Metaphor)......Page 196 6. Implications......Page 198 Bibliography......Page 202 2. The First Vision (1.8-17)......Page 208 3. The Second Vision (2.1-4)......Page 211 3. The Third Vision (2.5-9) and the First Set of Exhortations (2.10-17)......Page 213 4. The Fourth Vision (3.1-10)......Page 216 5. Jerusalem in Zechariah 7.1-8.23......Page 217 6. Conclusion......Page 222 7. Bibliography......Page 223 Index of References......Page 227 Index of Authors......Page 234 This volume had its origins in a session presented to the Society of Biblical Literature in Washington in 2006 in order to examine the legacy of Peter Ackroyd to the field of biblical studies. Ackroyd's work stretched over a wide range of topics within Biblical Studies, notably study of prophetic literature and work on exile and restoration. This volume particularly focuses upon his work on the latter. Whilst the present work is founded upon the papers given at the session it also includes several essays solicited subsequently which further serve to draw the contributions together into a fitting tribute to a pioneer in his field. The contributions take account of Ackroyd's approach to the theme of exile and restoration, focusing largely upon the study of Ezra-Nehemiah and Chronciles. As a brief flavour, Bob Becking examines the epigraphic evidence concerning the mixed marriage crisis Ezra-Nehemiah. Joe Blenkinsopp seeks to find the ‘Sons of Aaron' before the 5th Century in a fascinating essay focusing which picks up the work of R.H. Kennett over a century ago. Among the other distinguished contributors are John Bergsma, Eric Myers and Jill Middlemass. This volume had its origins in a session presented to the Society of Biblical Literature in Washington in 2006 in order to examine the legacy of Peter Ackroyd to the field of biblical studies. Ackroyd's work stretched over a wide range of topics within Biblical Studies, notably study of prophetic literature and work on exile and restoration. This volume particularly focuses upon his work on the latter. Whilst the present work is founded upon the papers given at the session it also includes several essays solicited subsequently which further serve to draw the contributions together into a fitting tribute to a pioneer in his field. The contributions take account of Ackroyd's approach to the theme of exile and restoration, focusing largely upon the study of Ezra-Nehemiah and Chronicles. As a brief flavour, Bob Becking examines the epigraphic evidence concerning the mixed marriage crisis Ezra-Nehemiah. Joe Blenkinsopp seeks to find the 'Sons of Aaron' before the 5th Century in a fascinating essay focusing which picks up the work of R.H. Kennett over a century ago. Among the other distinguished contributors are John Bergsma, Eric Myers and Jill Middlemass On the identity of the the 'foreign' women in Ezra 9-10 / Bob Becking The Persian period as a penitential era : the 'exegetical logic' of Daniel 9.1-27 / John S. Bergma The mystery of the missing 'sons of Aaron' / Joseph Blenkinsopp From exile and restoration to exile and reconstruction / Tamara Cohn Eskenazi Jeshua's 'high priestly' lineage? : a reassessment of Nehemiah 12.10-11 / Deidre N. Fulton 'They shall come rejoicing to Zion', or did they? : the settlement of Yehud in the early Persian period / Lester L. Grabbe Was Jerusalem a Persian fortress? / Lester L. Grabbe Administration of Achaemenid Phoenicia : a case for managed autonomy / Vadim S. Jigoulov The relation between history and thought : reflections on the subtitle of Peter Ackroyd's Exile and restoration / Reinhard G. Kratz Exile and restoration in light of recent archaeology and demographic studies / Eric M. Meyers Going beyond the myth of the empty land : a reassessment of the early Persian period / Jill A. Middlemas Rebuilding Jerusalem : Zechariah's vision within visions / Kenneth A. Ristau.