The aggression of the biblical God named Yhwh is notorious. Students of theology, the Bible, and the Ancient Near East know that the Hebrew Bible describes Yhwh acting destructively against his client country, Israel, and against its kings. But is Yhwh uniquely vengeful, or was he just one among other, similarly ferocious patron gods? To answer this question, Collin Cornell compares royal biblical psalms with memorial inscriptions. He finds that the Bible shares deep theological and literary commonalities with comparable texts from Israel's ancient neighbours. The centrepiece of both traditions is the intense mutual loyalty of gods and kings. In the event that the king's monument and legacy comes to harm, gods avenge their individual royal protégé. In the face of political inexpedience, kings honour their individual divine benefactor.
Format: Hardback
CONTRIBUTORS: Collin Cornell
EAN: 9781108842679
COUNTRY: United Kingdom
PAGES:
WEIGHT: 420 g
HEIGHT: 230 cm
PUBLISHED BY: Cambridge University Press
DATE PUBLISHED: 2020-10-15
CITY:
GENRE: RELIGION / Biblical Studies / Old Testament / General
WIDTH: 153 cm
SPINE:
Book Themes:
Middle Eastern history, Judaism, Judaism: sacred texts and revered writings, Christianity, Criticism and exegesis of sacred texts, Theology
Collin Cornell is Visiting Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies for the School of Theology at The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee and editor of Divine Doppelgängers: YHWH's Ancient Look-Alikes (2020).
