Ezekiel, Law, and Judahite Identity: A Case for Identity in Ezekiel 1-33 (Forschungen Zum Alten Testament 2.reihe)

The consistent presence of juridical diction, legal metaphors, and courtroom imagery reveals that Ezekiel 1-33 is set within a precise juridical framework. In this study, Joel B. Kemp argues that focusing upon these legal elements has two primary benefits for our understanding of the book. First, the juridical framework provides greater clarity and coherence to some passages within Ezekiel 1-33. Second, the book (especially Ezekiel 16) uses its legal elements to articulate a version of Judahite identity under Neo-Babylonian hegemony. To connect these legal elements to identity development, the author uses some insights from the works of Erik Erikson and Urie Bronfenbrenner. According to his analysis, Ezekiel 16 equates the legal status of the city with Judahite identity to prove that the experiences of Neo-Babylonian domination did not nullify or rescind the legal agreement (ברית) between the deity and Judahites. Rather, the punishment this chapter describes demonstrates the continuing validity of the contract and the version of Judahite identity rooted in it. Consequently, the Judahites' acceptance of the legal appropriateness of Neo-Babylonian domination is the sine qua non for remaining in the legal relationship that defines Judahite identity. -- Publisher's description Cover Title Acknowledgements Table of Contents List of Abbreviations Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 The Scope of This Study 1.1.1 Ezekiel 1–33 1.1.2 The Need for a Case: Rival Prophets and Obstinate Audiences 1.1.3 Historicity of the Babylonian Deportation 1.2 The Organization of This Study Chapter 2: The Book of Ezekiel in Historical Perspective 2.1 Authorship, Unity, and Provenance 2.1.1 Authorship and Unity 2.1.2 The Historical Ezekiel? 2.1.3 Provenance 2.2 Priestly Source, Holiness Code, and Ezekiel 2.2.1 Exilic or Post-Exilic P and Ezekiel 2.2.2 Pre-Exilic P and Ezekiel 2.2.3 Overview of H and Ezekiel 2.3 Feminist Scholarship Overview 2.3.1 Prophetic Metaphors 2.3.2 The Contextual Nature of Ezekiel 16 2.3.3 Justification of Mysogyny? 2.4 The Framework for the Present Study Chapter 3: Ezekiel, Identity Development, and Psychological Studies 3.1 The Bible, Ezekiel, and Psychology 3.2 Judahite Identity and Psychological Methodologies 3.2.1 Shaye Cohen: The Origins of Jewishness 3.2.2 Dalit Rom-Shiloni: Ezekiel and Constructing Judahite Identity 3.3 The Erikson–Bronfenbrenner Model and Legal Elements 3.4 Conclusions Chapter 4: The Accuser’s Indictment 4.1 Judahite and Neo-Babylonian Legal Procedures 4.1.1 Overview of Neo-Babylonian Court Procedure 4.1.2 Overview of Judahite Legal Procedures 4.2 Forensic Character of Ezekiel 4.2.1 Legal Precedents 4.2.2 Juridical Content 4.3 YHWH’s Judicial Disposition 4.3.1 Accusation of Defendant 4.3.2 Prophetic Sign Acts 4.3.3 Prohibition of Prophetic Advocacy 4.3.4 The Defendant’s Silence 4.3.5 Repeal of Prophetic Restrictions 4.3.6 The Absence of Innocence 4.3.7 Inquiring of YHWH 4.4 Conclusion Chapter 5: Counterclaims and Challenges to the Accuser 5.1 Renunciation, Negligent Supervision, and Divine Abandonment 5.2 Erroneous Punishment and Judicial Misconduct 5.3 A Legal Proposal: The Death of the Prophet’s Wife 5.4 Conclusion Chapter 6: Ezekiel 16: A Case Study 6.1 Legal Elements and Ezekiel 6.1.1 Abandonment, Adoption, and Marriage 6.1.2 Indictment, Punishment, and Ratification (16:15–63) 6.2 Judahite Identity 6.2.1 Abandonment and Identity 6.2.2 Adoption, Marriage, and Identity 6.2.3 Punishment and Identity 6.2.4 The Defendant’s Silence and Judahite Identity 6.3 Conclusion Bibliography Index of References Index of Modern Authors Index of Subjects La 4e de couverture indique : "In this study, Joel B. Kemp reveals that by focusing on legal imagery and juridical diction in Ezekiel 1-33, additional clarity for the meaning, function, and internal logic of several passages emerges. He also shows that the authors of Ezekiel use legal elements to describe Judahite identity post-Babylonian conquest"