Theophany and Chaoskampf: The Interpretation of Theophanic Imagery in the Baal Epic, Isaiah, and the Twelve (Gorgias Ugaritic Studies)

Against the prevailing interpretation of theophanic imagery in Old Testament poetic texts as metaphor for divine power, this book argues that such texts are best interpreted as fully mythic re-applications of the Chaoskampf myth in a Yahwistic context.

The imagery of thunder and lightning, fire and earthquake which attends YHWH's theophany in Old Testament poetic texts has most often been interpreted as a series of metaphors in biblical scholarship. This work applies insights from recent work in metaphor theory and myth theory to argue that this traditional interpretation of poetic theophanic imagery is mistaken, and that these texts make better exegetical sense when understood against the background of the ANE myth of the defeat of chaos.

TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ABBREVIATIONS CHAPTER 1: METAPHOR AND MYTH AS COMPETING FRAMEWORKS FOR INTERPRETING THEOPHANIC IMAGERY CHAPTER 2: THUNDER AND THEOPHANY IN THE BAAL EPIC CHAPTER 3: THEOPHANY AND CHAOSKAMPF IN THE BOOK OF ISAIAH CHAPTER 4: THEOPHANY AND CHAOSKAMPF IN THE BOOK OF THE TWELVE CHAPTER 5: METAPHOR AND MYTH IN THEOPHANY: BORDERLINE CASES CHAPTER 6: SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT AND CONCLUSIONS BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX