Rewriting biblical history : essays on Chronicles and Ben Sira in honour of Pancratius C. Beentjes de Gruyter

## Preface vii Rehoboam in Kings and Chronicles in light of Machiavellian politics. Whereas Kings is remote from a Machiavellian approach because Rehoboam's cruelty leads to disaster, Chronicles exhibits a Machiavellian perspective because the king's harshness leads not to disaster but to security for Judah. In very different ways, the following two essays discuss how Ben Sira presents two of Israel's great prophets. Bart Koet considers the postexilic portrayal of Elijah as the end-time reconciler of father and son, according to the last verse of Malachi (echoed in Ben Sira). This role is in sharp contrast with Hiel's sacrificing of his two sons to build Jericho, in the last verse before the narrative introduction of Elijah in 1 Kings. Then, moving beyond mere questions of quotation or allusion, Archibald van Wieringen employs a readeroriented perspective to examine how Ben Sira's picture of Hezekiah and Isaiah offers a creative re-reading of the Book of Isaiah. The next three essays deal with the Chronicler's portrayals of three of Judah's kings from the century leading up to the Babylonian exile. First, Gary Knoppers demonstrates how, by contrast with the Book of Kings, the infamous king Manasseh is transformed within the Chronicler's narrative into a model penitent, though his reforms are incomplete and his successor Amon follows his former bad ways. Second, Renate Egger-Wenzel begins with the Chronicler's portrait of Josiah before surveying Ben Sira's depiction of that king, observing that both texts connect Josiah with the prophet Jeremiah. Sirach 49 moves from Josiah's sickness through to the healing of the exilic destruction under Nehemiah, and states that the Twelve Prophets allowed Jacob to become strong again. Third, Bob Becking examines the Chronicler's description of Zedekiah, viewed as more than just a pawn in the game of superpower politics, and suggests that the Chronicler reshaped tradition about Zedekiah on the basis of the Bagoses incident in 408-401 BCE (known to us from Josephus). Otto Mulder's essay focuses on the figure of the high priest Simon, who appears at the end of Ben Sira's Praise of the Ancestors. According to Mulder, Rosh Hashanah is the liturgical background to Sirach 50, while the reservoir construction (= Bethesda) shows the particular high priest to be Simon II, a collaborator with the Seleucid monarch Antiochus III. The next two essays deal with the presence or absence of women in both rewritings of biblical history. Willien van Wieringen notes that, contrary to some assertions, the Chronicler's genealogies do give a significant place to women (such as Abraham's concubine Keturah and Judah's daughter-in-law Tamar), and that some seeming references to "sons" may actually be to "children," that is, daughters as well as sons. Then Núria Calduch-Benages investigates the absence of named women from Ben Sira's Praise of the Ancestors, attributable to an androcentric collective memory in that society. Whereas some Hellenistic encomia celebrate female characters, many Second viii Preface Temple Jewish lists of personages do not name women, though Ben Sira 44-50 does refer to some anonymous women. In the final essay in the volume, Maurice Gilbert compares Ben Sira's Praise of the Ancestors with the review of history in the latter chapters of the Book of Wisdom. While observing the literary differences in context, genre, and structure, Gilbert recognizes the similarities in the sapiential approach to biblical history and the apologetic purpose. Overall, this volume traces a long trajectory through biblical history, illustrating some of the diverse ways in which it has been rewritten and reinterpreted in the Second Temple period. Both the Chronicler and Ben Sira sought to find new theological messages for their audience out of Israel's ancient tradition, as Panc Beentjes has often demonstrated. Panc, we dedicate this Festschrift to you in grateful thanks for your many years of scholarship on these two great texts, and wish you everything good for the future. Chronicles and Ben Sira : questions of genre / Christine Mitchell Aaron's polyvalent role according to Ben Sira / Friedrich V. Reiterer Canonical assimilation in Ben Sira's portrayal of Joshua and Samuel / Jeremy Corley The warrior-poet of Israel : the significance of David's battles in Chronicles and Ben Sira / Bradley C. Gregory 1 Chronicles 16 : the chronicler's psalm and its view of history / Harm van Grol The temple in Samuel-Kings and Chronicles / Steven J. Schweitzer Solomon in Chronicles and Ben Sira : a study in contrasts / Benjamin G. Wright III Rehoboam meets Machiavelli / Roland Boer Elijah as reconciler of father and son : from 1 Kings 16:34 and Malachi 3:22-24 to Ben Sira 48:1-11 and Luke 1:13-17 / Bart J. Koet Sirach 48:17-25 and the Isaiah-book : Hezekiah and Isaiah in the book of Sirach and the reader-oriented perspective of the Isaiah-book / Archibald L.H.M. van Wieringen Saint or sinner? : Manasseh in Chronicles / Gary Knoppers Josiah and his prophet(s) in Chronicles and Ben Sira : an intertextual comparison / Renate Egger-Wenzel More than a pawn in their game : Zedekiah and the fall of Jerusalem in 2 Chronicles 36:11-21 / Bob Becking New elements in Ben Sira's portrait of the High Priest Simon in Sirach 50 / Otto Mulder Why some women were included in the genealogies of 1 Chronicles 1-9 / Willien van Wieringen The absence of named women from Ben Sira's praise of the ancestors / Núria Calduch-Benages The review of history in Ben Sira 44-50 and Wisdom 10-19 / Maurice Gilbert. Preface 5 Appreciation of Pancratius C. Beentjes 11 Contents 13 Abbreviations 15 Chronicles and Ben Sira: Questions of Genre 21 Aaron’s Polyvalent Role according to Ben Sira 47 Canonical Assimilation in Ben Sira’s Portrayal of Joshua and Samuel 77 The Warrior-Poet of Israel: The Significance of David’s Battles in Chronicles and Ben Sira 99 1 Chronicles 16: The Chronicler’s Psalm and Its View of History 117 The Temple in Samuel–Kings and Chronicles 143 Solomon in Chronicles and Ben Sira: A Study in Contrasts 159 Rehoboam Meets Machiavelli 179 Elijah as Reconciler of Father and Son: From 1 Kings 16:34 and Malachi 3:22-24 to Ben Sira 48:1-11 and Luke 1:13-17 193 Sirach 48:17-25 and the Isaiah-Book: Hezekiah and Isaiah in the Book of Sirach and the Reader-Oriented Perspective of the Isaiah-Book 211 Saint or Sinner? Manasseh in Chronicles 231 Josiah and His Prophet(s) in Chronicles and Ben Sira: An Intertextual Comparison 251 More than a Pawn in their Game: Zedekiah and the Fall of Jerusalem in 2 Chronicles 36:11-21 277 New Elements in Ben Sira’s Portrait of the High Priest Simon in Sirach 50 293 Why Some Women Were Included in the Genealogies of 1 Chronicles 1–9 311 The Absence of Named Women from Ben Sira’s Praise of the Ancestors 321 The Review of History in Ben Sira 44–50 and Wisdom 10–19 339 Bibliography of Pancratius C. Beentjes 1974–2011 355 List of Contributors 379 Index of Ancient Sources 381 Index of Modern Authors 397 Index of Subjects 403 The Books of Chronicles and Ben Sira 44-50 both rewrite previous biblical history in different ways. While the postexilic Books of Chronicles rewrite earlier narratives from Samuel and Kings, Ben Sira's Praise of the Ancestors offers a new presentation of biblical history from the Genesis patriarchs to Nehemiah, prior to the praise of the high priest Simon. Whereas older scholarship regarded the historiography of Chronicles and Ben Sira as secondary and derivative, today there is renewed interest in these works as significant theological and cultural documents. Both Chronicles and Ben Sira present a theological message that involves the creation of a national identity centered on temple piety. The essays in this volume investigate how both works rewrite their source materials on particular biblical characters and themes. Some chapters consider the portrayal of kings like David, Rehoboam, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Josiah, and Zedekiah. Other chapters deal with prophets like Samuel and Elijah, while further essays offer perspectives on Ben Sira's Praise of the Ancestors as a whole. This Festschrift honors Professor Pancratius C. Beentjes, who has made a significant contribution to scholarly research into the Books of Chronicles and Ben Sira.

Old Testament texts frequently offer a theological view of history. This is very evident in the Books of Chronicles and in the final section of Ben Sira (Ecclesiasticus). Today there is renewed interest in both these works as significant theological and cultural Jewish documents from the centuries before Jesus. Both Chronicles and Ben Sira aim to recreate a national identity centered on temple piety. Some chapters in this volume consider the portrayal of Israelite kings like David, Hezekiah, and Josiah, while others deal with prophets like Samuel and Elijah.

Old Testament texts frequently offer a theological view of history. This is very evident in the Books of Chronicles and in the final section of Ben Sira (Ecclesiasticus). Today there is renewed interest in both these works as significant theological and cultural Jewish documents from the centuries before Jesus. Both Chronicles and Ben Sira aim to recreate a national identity centered on temple piety. Some chapters in this volume consider the portrayal of Israelite kings like David, Hezekiah, and Josiah, while others deal with prophets like Samuel and Elijah. Jeremy Corley, University of Durham, UK; Harm van Grol, Tilburg University, The Netherlands Old Testament texts frequently offer a theological view of history. This is very evident in the "Books of Chronicles" and in the final section of "Ben Sira". This book aims to recreate a national identity centered on temple piety. It also includes chapters that consider the portrayal of Israelite kings like David, Hezekiah, and Josiah.