The Coup of Jehoiada and the Fall of Athaliah: the Discourses and Textual Production of 2 Kings 11
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The Coup of Jehoiada and the Fall of Athaliah: The Discourses and Textual Production of 2 Kings 11 By Clayton Hale Bench A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Religious Studies University of Alberta © Clayton Hale Bench, 2014 Abstract The general purpose of this study is to explore the discourses that guided and constrained the textual production and reproduction of 2 Kings 11, the report of Jehoiada’s coup and Athaliah’s execution. The specific aim of this study is to determine how and why Athaliah’s execution was not incorporated into the Deuteronomistic History the same way that other Ahabite death reports were incorporated into it. In 1 Kings 14-2 Kings 10, there is a fairly consistent literary framework composed of prophetic oracles against Israelite kings, conspiracy/coup reports, and oracle fulfillment reports. However, in 2 Kings 11, Athaliah’s execution is not reported along with an oracle fulfillment report as was the case with other Ahabite death reports. Approaching 2 Kings 11 from a discourse critical perspective shows that the Jehoiada’s coup and Athaliah’s execution were not initially a part of the Deuteronomistic History; rather, 2 Kings 11 was initially produced as a basic coup report. As can be seen from an analysis of the interdiscursivity and intertextuality of 2 Kings 11, once this text was finally incorporated into the deuteronomist’s historical framework, 2 Kings 11 was successively redacted and reproduced in Late Monarchic Judah and Persian Period Yehud. The discourses that guided and constrained this process of production and reproduction were concerned with Joash’s dynastic legitimacy and the legitimacy of the Jerusalem-centered Yahweh cult. As a result, Athaliah’s Israelite heritage and her short period of rule in Jerusalem had to be delegitimized. Those producing and reproducing the text within this discursive framework attempted to mystify Athaliah’s genealogy. They also reported her reign outside of the normal formulaic regnal structure so as to skip and delegitimize her reign. In doing so, the connection between Ahaziah and his son, Joash, was strengthened creating a sense of continuity between the two, an important element of Davidic royal ideology. This study shows that the discourses that influenced the production and reproduction of 2 Kings 11 ii were Judahite-centered discourses concerned with retelling Judah’s history within an oracular framework. Nathan’s oracle to David (2 Samuel 7) and the prophetic oracles against Israelite kings in 1 Kings 14-2 Kings 10 played a central role in determining how Jehoiada’s coup and Athaliah’s execution would be reported as compared to other coups and death reports in 1 Kings 14-2 Kings 10. iii Dedication For my Mother, Martha Mary Hale For my Father, Leslie Edwin Bench iv Acknowledgments Writing a Ph.D. dissertation is an incredibly time consuming task. While devoting myself to research, writing, and teaching, I have received guidance, instruction, and support from many different people. I am extremely grateful and indebted to my supervisor, Dr Felice Lifshitz, who graciously offered her support throughout the writing of this dissertation. I am also indebted to Dr. Ehud Ben Zvi, Janey Kennedy, and Barb Heagle who arranged for me to spend the first year of my Ph.D. studying at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich Germany. I am also grateful to the Office of Interdisciplinary Studies/Religious studies at the University of Alberta for providing assistantships and teaching opportunities throughout my stay in Alberta, these provisions were an essential element of my studies and growth. The departmental administrators were exceptionally helpful and offered their support through several challenging situations. For this I am extremely grateful. I would also like to thank the other members of my supervisory committee, Dr David R. Seely and Dr Willi Braun. I would like to thank David Seely for agreeing to guide the dissertation’s specialization in the study of the Hebrew Bible. I would like to thank Will Braun for his guidance in matters of theory and method. Many of the theorists that Willi introduced to me have had a profound impact on the direction of my research. I would also like to thank Dr. Andrew Gow for his support and guidance during my time at the University of Alberta. Finally, I would like to thank my wife, Nolene, and my children, Amelia, Emmett, and Keene, for patiently supporting and encouraging me throughout my studies. You are precious to me. v Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................... ii Dedication .................................................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................................................... v Contents ....................................................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures and Illustrations .................................................................................................................... ix Abbreviations ................................................................................................................................................ x Chapter 1: The Challenges of 2 Kings 11 and Some Answers through Critical Discourse Analysis .............. 1 Introduction: 2 Kings 11 – An Enigma and a Crux ..................................................................................... 1 Discourse Analysis ..................................................................................................................................... 3 Doing Discourse Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 7 Discourse Practice: Intertextuality ............................................................................................................ 8 Discourse Practice: Interdiscursivity ......................................................................................................... 9 Textual Analysis ......................................................................................................................................... 9 Social Practice ......................................................................................................................................... 10 Challenges/Conclusions .......................................................................................................................... 11 Discourse Analysis and 2 Kings 11 .......................................................................................................... 12 Chapter 2: Review of Literature .................................................................................................................. 14 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 14 The Two Source Theory .......................................................................................................................... 15 Wellhausen on 2 Kings 11:6 – Trebolle-Barrera on 2 Kings 11:9-10 ....................................................... 19 Form Critical Issues ................................................................................................................................. 30 Genre Critical Issues: 2 Kings 11 as Saga, Historical Narrative or Historiography .................................. 35 2 Kings 11 as Propaganda ....................................................................................................................... 36 Redaction Critical Issues ......................................................................................................................... 41 Recent Redaction Critical Analyses ......................................................................................................... 44 Gender Critical Issues .............................................................................................................................. 47 Historical Issues ....................................................................................................................................... 51 Hypotheses about Royal Inscriptions and the Coup of Jehoiada/Enthronement of Joash .................... 53 External Sources that Have Implications for Understanding the Oracle Traditions Associated with Ahabites .................................................................................................................................................. 56 vi The Kurkh Monolith: An Inscription of Shalmaneser III, 853-845 BCE ................................................... 56 The Tel Dan Inscription/Stele of Hazael .................................................................................................. 60 Conclusion: The Relationship Between Historical Analyses and the Consensus View in Literary Analyses .................................................................................................................................................. 66 Source Critical Conclusions ....................................................................................................................