Limit search to available items
Book Cover
E-book
Author Levtow, Nathaniel B

Title Images of others : iconic politics in ancient Israel / Nathaniel B. Levtow
Published Winona Lake, Ind. : Eisenbrauns, 2008

Copies

Description 1 online resource (xii, 211 pages)
Series Biblical and Judaic studies from the University of California, San Diego ; v. 11
Biblical and Judaic studies ; v. 11.
Contents Introduction. Interpretive traditions : idolatry, dualism, monotheism, aniconism ; Redescribing Israelite parodies of iconic cult -- Rites and writing in ancient Israel. Ritual and power ; Classification ; Social formation -- Israelite icon parodies. An innovative genre of the exilic age ; Jeremiah 10:1-16 -- The icon parodies of Second Isaiah ; Psalms 115 and 135 ; Literary history, social history, and interpretive power ; Classification and social formation ; Mesopotamian iconic ritual. The Mesopotamian cult image : ancient evidence and modern interpretations ; The induction of the cult image in Mesopotamia : the mīs pî ritual ; Iconic aspects of Mesopotamian warfare and historiography ; The enthronement of the supreme deity ; Mesopotamian iconic politics and Israelite icon parodies -- Iconic politics in ancient Israel. Iconic traditions in the Hebrew Bible ; The Ark Narrative ; Deuteronomistic iconic political discourse ; Ezekiel and the departure of Yahweh ; Israelite aniconism or Israelite iconic politics? -- Conclusion. Classification and cult
Summary In this volume, Nathaniel Levtow articulately interacts with Mesopotamian and Israelite iconoclastic traditions, locating Israelite polemics against cult images among a spectrum of ancient West Asian literary genres and ritual practices that target the embodied deities of political opponents. Levtow argues that Israelite parodies of Mesopotamian iconic cult were not unique expressions of aniconic monotheism but assertions of Israelite political potency during and shortly after the Babylonian Exile. By interpreting Israelite icon parodies in this context, Levtow rejects the idea of "idolatry" as a static, native Israelite descriptive category and highlights the ability of Israelite writers to compose authoritative classifications of cult that profoundly influenced ancient and modern understandings of iconic worship practices. He concludes that biblical representations of iconic cult reveal dynamic acts of Israelite social formation and exemplify the enduring power of the cult image in ancient West Asian societies
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 173-193) and indexes
Notes English
Print version record
SUBJECT Bible. Old Testament -- Criticism, interpretation, etc
Bible. Old Testament fast
Subject Idols and images -- Biblical teaching.
Idols and images -- Worship -- History
BODY, MIND & SPIRIT -- Gaia & Earth Energies.
RELIGION -- Christianity -- General.
RELIGION -- Theology.
Civilization
Idols and images -- Biblical teaching
Idols and images -- Worship
Religion
image -- religion israelite -- religion mesopotamienne.
Dieu -- image -- polemique -- "Bible. AT"
SUBJECT Iraq -- Religion
Iraq -- Civilization -- To 634. http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85067938
Subject Iraq
Genre/Form Criticism, interpretation, etc.
History
Form Electronic book
ISBN 9781575065915
1575065916