The Persuasive Portrayal of Solomon in 1 Kings 1-11 (Europäische Hochschulschriften / European University Studies / Publications Universitaires Européennes)

In recent years, most academic studies of the books of Kings have concentrated on how they were written. Most scholars analyse the way in which the character of Solomon is depicted in 1 Kings 1-11. Some see Solomon as being portrayed favourably at the start but negatively by the end of the opening section of Kings. Based on such an understanding of Solomon, these scholars argue for the Josianic redaction theory which states that Kings was written in the reign of King Josiah (640-609 BC). Others, believing that the author generally disapproves of Solomon, argue that Kings was the work of a single author at the time of the Exile (587-539 BC). Against this background, the main concern of this study is to establish how Solomon really is characterised. The book argues the need for an appropriate methodology to evaluate Solomon adequately, and proposes rhetorical criticism . Applying this to the Solomon story, the study breaks new ground in looking at how the narrative was intended to persuade . From an analysis of how persuasion is used in several aspects of the text – unit, arrangement and style, argument, situation – the book concludes that Solomon is not evaluated simplistically in Kings but rather that his character is described in a variety of different and ambivalent ways. Table of contents Abbreviations Introduction Chapter 1: A Review of Recent Studies on the Book of Kings and the Need for a Rhetorical Approach 1.1 Introduction 1.2 The focus of modern theories on Kings 1.2.1 Kings in the context of the Deuteronomistic History 1.2.2 Deut-Kings as a series of discrete literary units 1.3 The need for a rhetorical approach to Kings 1.3.1 Summary and the questions in Kings 1.3.2 Evaluation focused on the Josianic redaction theory 1.3.3 The need for the communicative perspective 1.3.4 The appropriate focuses of rhetorical analysis for the study of Kings 1.4 Conclusion Chapter 2: Rhetorical criticism and Kings 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Rhetorical criticism and Rhetoric 2.2.1 The introduction and development of ‘rhetorical criticism’ 2.2.2 Rhetoric in the classical tradition 2.2.3 Rhetoric in modern approaches 2.2.4 Author, text, audience and situation in rhetorical criticism 2.2.5 Summary 2.3 Rhetorical criticism for the study of Kings 2.3.1 The rhetorical nature of Kings as historical narrative 2.3.2 Methodological considerations 2.4 Conclusion Chapter 3: Defining the limits of the Solomon narrative as a rhetorical unit 3.1 Introduction 3.2 1 Kgs 1–2 as the beginning of the Solomon narrative 3.2.1 Is 1 Kgs 1–2 the end of the ‘Succession Narrative’? 3.2.2 The distinctions between 2 Sam 9–20 and 1 Kgs 1–2 3.3 1 Kgs 1–2 within 1 Kgs 1–11 as a rhetorical unit 3.4 Conclusion Chapter 4: The rhetorical arrangement and style in 1 Kgs 1–11 4.1 Introduction 4.2 The structuring devices of 1 Kgs 1–11 and the OT, and the reader 4.2.1 Inclusion and the three symmetrical patterns 4.2.2 The stereotyped pattern or formula 4.2.3 Other structural signals in the Old Testament 4.3 A review of previous studies on the structure of 1 Kgs 1–11 4.3.1 The characterisation of Solomon and the structure of 1 Kgs 1–11 4.3.2 Repetitions and the twofold or concentric structure of 1 Kgs 1–11 4.3.3 Repetition and the paratactic structure of 1 Kgs 1–11 4.4 Evaluation, and the structural function of repetition in 1 Kgs 1–11 4.4.1 The divisions of 1 Kgs 1–11 based on structural markers 4.4.2 The function of repetition for the concentric structure of 1 Kgs 1–11 4.4.3 The rhetorical impact of the structure of 1 Kgs 1–11 based on repetition 4.5 The rhetorical arrangement of 1 Kgs 1–11 in the light of classical rhetoric 4.6 Conclusion Chapter 5: Argumentation (inventio) in 1 Kgs 1–11 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Arguments in 1 Kgs 1–11 5.2.1 The means of narration and arguments in 1 Kgs 1–11 5.3 Conclusion Chapter 6: The rhetorical situation and the reader 6.1 Introduction 6.2 The possible rhetorical situations of Kings and 1 Kgs 1–11 in the light of scholars’ observations and other exilic and post-exilic books 6.3 The possible rhetorical situations and 1 Kgs 1–11 6.3.1 1 Kgs 8:46–53 and the possible rhetorical situations 6.3.2 1 Kgs 8 and 9:1–9 in the rhetorical connection of 1 Kgs 1–11 6.3.3 The rhetorical situation reflected in the arrangement and argument of 1 Kgs 1–11 6.4 Conclusion Conclusion Bibliography Jung Ju Kang. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 303-316).