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Petter the Book of Ezekiel and Mesopotamian City Laments ORBIS BIBLICUS ET ORIENTALIS

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Petter the Book of Ezekiel and Mesopotamian City Laments ORBIS BIBLICUS ET ORIENTALIS Zurich Open Repository and Archive University of Zurich Main Library Strickhofstrasse 39 CH-8057 Zurich www.zora.uzh.ch Year: 2011 The Book of Ezekiel and Mesopotamian City Laments Petter, Donna Lee Abstract: This study is a comparison of the book of Ezekiel with the well-known city lament genre of an- cient Mesopotamia. Nine shared features are analyzed and explained. These features derive from the work of F.W. Dobbs-Allsopp and his comparison of biblical Lamentations with city laments of Mesopotamia. This material provides a fruitful point of comparison, one that is more than coincidental given Ezekiel’s geographical location in Nippur (the provenience of one of the five historical city laments). Compelling comparative evidence reveals that the lament genre is reflected in the book of Ezekiel and was usedasa matrix for its compilation. Ezekiel’s usage of the city lament genre is, perhaps, the key to understanding the organizational structure of much of the book along with its various themes. Posted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich ZORA URL: https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-135679 Monograph Published Version Originally published at: Petter, Donna Lee (2011). The Book of Ezekiel and Mesopotamian City Laments. Fribourg / Göttingen: Academic Press / Vandenhoeck Ruprecht. Petter The Book of Ezekiel and Mesopotamian City Laments ORBIS BIBLICUS ET ORIENTALIS Published on behalf of the BIBLE+ORIENT Foundation in co-operation with the Department of Biblical Studies, University of Fribourg (Switzerland), the Egyptological Institute, University of Basel, the Institute of Archaeology, Near Eastern Section, University of Berne, the Institute of Biblical Research, University of Lausanne, the Department of Religious Studies, University of Zurich, and the Swiss Society for Ancient Near Eastern Studies by Susanne Bickel, Othmar Keel, Thomas C. Römer, Bernd U. Schipper, Daniel Schwemer and Christoph Uehlinger Author Donna Lee Petter was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1963. She studied Biblical Studies at the University of the Nations in Kona, Hawaii (BA 1994), before earning MA degrees in Old Testament and Religion (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachu- setts, 1997), and ancient Near Eastern studies (at the University of To- ronto, 1998), respectively. She received her Ph.D. in Biblical Hebrew Language and Literature from the University of Toronto in 2009. Donna Petter is currently Assistant Professor of Old Testament and the Director of the Hebrew Language Program at Gordon-Conwell Theological Semi- nary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis 246 Donna Lee Petter The Book of Ezekiel and Mesopotamian City Laments Academic Press Fribourg Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht Göttingen Publication subsidized by the Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences Internet general catalogue: Academic Press Fribourg: www.paulusedition.ch Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen: www.v-r.de Camera-ready text submitted by the author © 2011 by Academic Press Fribourg, Fribourg Switzerland Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht Göttingen ISBN: 978-3-7278-1690-1 (Academic Press Fribourg) ISBN: 978-3-525-543xx-x (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht) ISSN: 1015-1850 (Orb. biblicus orient.) Table of Contents PREFACE XI ABBREVIATIONS XIII INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER ONE: CITY LAMENTS IN MESOPOTAMIA 7 Introduction 7 The Texts: Historical City Laments 7 Ritual Use of the Historical City Laments 10 Eremmas (2nd and 1st Millennium B.C.) 11 Balags (2nd and 1st Millennium B.C.) 11 Ritual use of Eremmas and Balags 12 Standard Features of the Texts 13 Illustration of the Standard Features of the City Lament 15 Feature #1 Subject and Mood 15 Feature #2 Structure and Poetic Techniques 16 Poetic Techniques 16 Feature #3 Divine Abandonment 18 Feature #4 Assignment of Responsibility 22 Feature #5 Divine Agent(s) of Destruction 23 Feature #6 Description of Destruction 25 Feature #7 The Weeping Goddess 27 Feature #8 Lamentation 28 Feature #9 Restoration of the City and Return of the Gods 29 Restoration in General 29 Restoration of the City 29 Return of the Gods 31 Summary 33 CHAPTER TWO: CITY LAMENTS IN ISRAEL 34 Introduction 34 City Lament Features in Lamentations 34 Ritual Use/Cultic Setting of Lamentations 37 VI THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL City Lament Features in the Oracles against the Nations (and Israel and Judah) 39 Ritual Use/Cultic Setting of Laments in the Oracles against the Nations 41 City Lament Features in Psalms 42 Ritual Use/Cultic Setting of Communal Lament Psalms 44 City Lament Features in Prophetic Literature 44 The Book of Micah 44 Jeremiah 25:30–38 46 Summary 47 CHAPTER THREE: UNDERSTANDING EZEKIEL’S ROLE IN LIGHT OF THE GENRE OF THE MCL: THE SCROLL INCIDENT 50 Introduction 50 The Scroll Incident (Ezekiel 2:8–3:3) m”gillat s’per 51 The Scroll’s Threefold Description 52 Its Fixed Nature 52 Its Content 52 Its Edible Nature 54 Ezekiel’s Reaction to the Scroll Incident 56 Ezekiel Laments: Ezekiel 3:14–15 56 Ezekiel’s emotional demeanor in Ezekiel 3:14 (mar/’m) 56 His physical posture described in Ezekiel 3:15 59 The verb: w’’b “And I sat” 59 The duration of time: ibat ymm “seven days” 60 Ezekiel’s Lament Gestures: Ezekiel 5: Shaving hair 62 Ezekiel 6:11–12: clapping hands, stomping feet, and saying alas! 63 Ezekiel 21:17: smite your thigh 65 Summary of Ezekiel’s Response to the Scroll Incident 66 Evidence beyond the Scroll Incident that Indicates Ezekiel is a Mourner and at Times is Characterized like the City Goddess (apart from Formal City Lament Features) 66 Yahweh Makes Ezekiel Watchman (Ezek 3:16–21) 66 TABLE OF CONTENTS VII Yahweh Extends Ezekiel’s Mourning Period (Ezek 3:22– 27; 24:17): Understanding Ezekiel’s Confinement and Speechlessness 69 Yahweh places Ezekiel under siege (4:1–5:17) 73 Summary 75 CHAPTER FOUR: UNDERSTANDING YAHWEH’S ANGER AND ABANDONMENT OF JERUSALEM IN LIGHT OF THE MCL 76 Introduction 76 Assignment of Responsibility: Yahweh Assumes some Responsibility for Jerusalem’s Destruction 77 Yahweh’s Unchangeable Word: Prophetic Formulae in Ezekiel 78 Yahweh’s Gaze 81 Summary 81 Yahweh Assigns Responsibility to Israel for Jerusalem’s Destruction 82 The use of wfln and t’bflt 82 The use of yaan … lk’n 83 The use of historical retrospect 85 Chapter 16 85 Chapter 20 86 Chapter 23 86 Summary 87 Divine Abandonment 89 Ezekiel 8–11: The Literary Framework 89 Ezekiel 8:1–6 Introduction to the True Temple Owner 92 Ezekiel 8:7–18 Introduction to Violations in Yahweh’s Temple and his Anger 94 Ezekiel 9–11: The Temple Owner’s Response–Divine Abandonment 96 Ezekiel 9 96 Ezekiel 10–11: The Nature of Yahweh’s Departure 97 Summary 103 VIII THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL CHAPTER FIVE: UNDERSTANDING SIN AND JUDGMENT IN EZEKIEL IN LIGHT OF TWO FEATURES OF THE MCL 105 Introduction 105 Yahweh’s Agents of Destruction 106 Agent #1: Yahweh’s Storm 106 Ezekiel 1 106 ra s”r 106 –pn 107 l 108 Ezekiel 13:11, 13 109 Agent #2: Enemy Invasion 112 Ezekiel 21:1–23 112 Agent #1 and Agent #2 Merge: Storm and Enemy Invasion 114 Ezekiel 38 114 Agent #3: Yahweh’s Fire 115 Agent #4: Yahweh’s package of destructive agents 116 Descriptions of Destruction in Ezekiel 117 Descriptions of Destruction on the City, Environs, and Temple 117 Destruction on the Temple 120 Descriptions of Destruction on the People 122 Human Slaughter 122 Famine and Hunger 123 Exile 124 Descriptions of Destruction on Israelite Social, Religious and Political Customs 125 Summary 126 CHAPTER SIX: UNDERSTANDING RESTORATION IN EZEKIEL IN LIGHT OF THE MCL 128 Introduction 128 Restoration in Ezekiel 129 Anticipating Restoration: Ezekiel 24:15–24; 25–27 Transitioning from Death to Life 129 Restoration and the Oracles against the Nations (Ezekiel 25–32) 130 TABLE OF CONTENTS IX Restoration and the Fall of Jerusalem: Ezekiel 33:21–22 132 Program of Restoration: Ezekiel 34–48 133 Ezekiel 34 and its Content 134 Ezekiel 34:11–16: A Change in Yahweh’s Disposition 134 Ezekiel 34:23–24: The Servant-Shepherd David 135 Ezekiel 34:25–31: The Covenant of Peace 136 The Ultimate Purpose of Restoration: Exaltation of Yahweh 138 Summary 139 CHAPTER SEVEN: CONCLUSIONS 142 APPENDIX 1 149 APPENDIX 2 151 APPENDIX 3 153 APPENDIX 4 157 APPENDIX 5 163 BIBLIOGRAPHY 165 INDEX 183 PREFACE The present monograph is a slightly modified version of my doctoral dis- sertation originally submitted to the faculty of Arts and Sciences at the University of Toronto (2009). I would like to express my gratitude to the people who have contributed to this research and who have helped me see it published. First, I am thankful for my wonderful years of study at the University of Toronto, but especially to my original supervisor, Brian Peckham, who died shortly before the completion of this project. He was a constant source of encouragement about my ideas. His contribution cannot be measured by typical standards of being a great proof reader or insightful and careful about details. Al- though he was all of these things and more, his contribution lay with the immeasurable ability to motivate, inspire, and develop confidence in his students, the mark of a great teacher. Simply put, without him this work would not have been possible. I would like also to thank Glen Taylor who stepped in as supervisor at “the final hour.” Indeed, the risk of not completing in a timely fashion loomed large with the loss of Brian Peckham. However, Glen remained a steady voice of assurance. I was deeply touched by his commitment to me which translated into the completion of this work. Even on vacation he was willing to phone me and discuss my chapters at great length! As a result of his unexpected yet valuable input, he helped my argument to coalesce and become even stronger.
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