When Gods Were Men: The Embodied God in Biblical and Near Eastern Literature (Beihefte zur Zeitschrift fur die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft): 384

In the texts of Genesis 18 and 32, God appears to a patriarch in person and is referred to by the narrator as a man, both times by the Hebrew word īsh. In both texts, God as īsh is described in graphically human terms. This type of divine appearance is identified here as the "īsh theophany". The phenomenon of God appearing in concrete human form is first distinguished from several other types of anthropomorphism, such as divine appearance in dreams. The ī

In the texts of Genesis 18 and 32, God appears to a patriarch in person and is referred to by the narrator as a man, both times by the Hebrew word īsh. In both texts, God as īsh is described in graphically human terms. This type of divine appearance is identified here as the"īsh theophany". The phenomenon of God appearing in concrete human form is first distinguished from several other types of anthropomorphism, such as divine appearance in dreams. The īsh theophany is viewed in relation to appearances of angels and other divine beings in the Bible, and in relation to anthropomorphic appearances of deities in Near Eastern literature. The īsh theophany has implications for our understanding of Israelite concepts of divine-human contact and communication, and for the relationship to Ugaritic literature in particular. The book also includes discussion of philosophical approaches to anthropomorphism. The development of philosophical opposition to anthropomorphism can be traced from Greek philosophy and early Jewish and Christian writings through Avicenna, Averroes, Maimonides and Aquinas, and into the work of later philosophers such as Hume and Kant. However, the work of others can be applied fruitfully to the problem of divine anthropomorphism, such as Wittgenstein's language games.

Introduction : The 'îš Theophany. The Theophany Of Genesis 18:1-15 ; The Theophany Of Genesis 32:23-33 -- Varieties Of Anthropomorphism. Varieties Of Physical Anthropomorphism ; A Mixed Tradition -- Philosophical Approaches To Anthropomorphism. The Development Of Opposition To Anthropomorphism ; Alternative Approaches ; Interpretation -- Anthropomorphic Realism. The Text Of Genesis 18:1-15 ; Israelite Anthropomorphic Realism And Its Relation To Canaan ; The Text Of Genesis 32:23-33 ; Anthropomorphic Realism In Genesis 32 -- The 'îš Theophany And Divine Society. Mal 'āḵîm ; The Divine World ; The 'îš Theophany And Divine Society -- Anthropomorphic Realism And The Ancient Near East. Anthropomorphism In Mesopotamian Mythology ; Anthropomorphism In Ugaritic Mythology ; Anthropomorphism In Egyptian Mythology ; Anthropomorphism In Hittite Mythology -- Conclusion : The Embodied God. Esther J. Hamori. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [156]-173) And Indexes. In der Reihe Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft (BZAW) erscheinen Arbeiten zu sämtlichen Gebieten der alttestamentlichen Wissenschaft. Im Zentrum steht die Hebräische Bibel, ihr Vor- und Nachleben im antiken Judentum sowie ihre vielfache Verzweigung in die benachbarten Kulturen der altorientalischen und hellenistisch-römischen Welt. Die BZAW akzeptiert Manuskriptvorschläge, die einen innovativen und signifikanten Beitrag zu Erforschung des Alten Testaments und seiner Umwelt leisten, sich intensiv mit der bestehenden Forschungsliteratur auseinandersetzen, stringent aufgebaut und flüssig geschrieben sind. In the texts of Genesis 18 and 32, God appears to a patriarch in person and is referred to by the narrator as a man, both times by the Hebrew word ish. In both texts, God as ish is described in graphically human terms. This type of divine appearance is identified here as the"ish theophany". The phenomenon of God appearing in concrete human form is first distinguished from several other types of anthropomorphism, such as divine appearance in dreams. The ish theophany is viewed in relation to appearances of angels and other divine beings in the Bible, and in relation to anthropomorphi Review text: "Die interessante Arbeit, die die Exegese biblischer Texte in den Kontext der altorientalischen Literatur stellt und zudem mit religionsphilosophischen Fragen verbindet, schließt mit einem ausführlichen Literaturverzeichnis sowie mit verschiedenen Indizes."B. Ego in: Zeitschrift für Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 122/2010 "[.]well-researched and often humoroulsy written monograph"L.-S. Tiemeyer in: Book List - Society for Old Testament Study 2009 Frontmatter 1 Table of Contents 9 1. Introduction: The 'îš Theophany 17 2. Varieties of Anthropomorphism 42 3. Philosophical Approaches to Anthropomorphism 51 4. Anthropomorphic Realism 81 5. The 'îš Theophany and Divine Society 120 6. Anthropomorphic Realism and the Ancient Near East 145 7. Conclusions: The Embodied God 166 Backmatter 172