The Development of the Jeremiah Figure: From Destruction To Restoration by Bo Yeon Briana Lee A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Knox College and the Biblical Department of the Toronto School of Theology In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Theology awarded by the University of St. Michael’s College © Copyright by Bo Yeon Briana Lee 2017 The Development of the Jeremiah Figure: From Destruction To Restoration Bo Yeon Briana Lee Doctor of Philosophy University of St. Michael’s College 2017 Abstract Jeremiah scholars agree that what we find in the book of Jeremiah is a literary tradition of Jeremiah that grew over time through the traditioning process of scribal reading, interpreting, composing, redacting and transmitting Jeremiah materials. Hence, they also acknowledge that the textually-presented Jeremiah is not a faithful portrayal of the historical prophet but a literary-theological character developed in keeping with the growth of the tradition. However, there has been little discussion of how Jeremiah’s historical and theological significance was constructed and promoted through the ongoing development and expansion of the Jeremiah tradition across and beyond the Second Temple period. Hence, Jeremiah was often reduced to stereotypical images associated with destruction, suffering and exile. In this dissertation, I consider the Jeremiah tradition, that is, literary traditions tied to the prophet Jeremiah that participated in the continued development of the Jeremiah figure. And I argue that Jeremiah developed as the major prophet of exile and restoration with a strong pro-Jerusalem and pro-Temple Tendenz. Literary evidence shows that Jeremiah and his legacy played an important role in the ongoing Jewish reflections on, and interpretations of, the changing fate of God’s people, city and Temple, and that Jeremiah’s significance for the unfolding fate of Jerusalem and the Temple continued to be acknowledged and affirmed in the ii ongoing Jewish conceptualizations of exile and restoration. Although Jeremiah’s historical association with the destruction and exile was an essential part of the people’s memory and perception of this ancient figure, Jewish authors turned to Jeremiah, not merely to account for their experiences and ideas of ‘exile,’ but also to articulate those of ‘restoration’ centred on the city and Temple of Jerusalem. The expanding traditions of Jeremiah thus testify to Jeremiah’s enduring significance and relevance for the unfolding history of the people paradigmatically understood as the history of exile and restoration. By examining the ways in which the memory and perception of Jeremiah were shaped, reshaped and reinforced over time, we may be able to see that an afterlife of a ‘biblical’ figure is crucial to an understanding of how the tradition associated with that figure became a living tradition and why. iii Acknowledgments I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who has supported me all these years as I pursued this project — especially, my dissertation supervisor, Dr. Judith H. Newman, who always graciously offered me her guidance, support, and encouragement. I would also like to extend my appreciation to the other members of the committee — Terry Donaldson, Marion Taylor, Brian Irwin and Matthias Henze — who reviewed my dissertation and provided me with their insightful comments and suggestions. I would not have been able to complete this dissertation without their kind support and inspiration. I wish to also thank my parents, Jae-won Lee and Sung-sook Chung, and my sister, Bo- sook Lee, and my nephew, Daniel, for always being there for me. Their unconditional love and encouragement sustained me through all of the challenges that I faced throughout the course of my academic journey, and for that I am very grateful. Special thanks to Mrs. Lorna Hutchinson, who served as my proofreader for many years. I have had the privilege of receiving not only her service but also her friendship and generous hospitality. Lastly, praise be to my Savior, Lord Jesus. He transformed my life and instilled a sense of what it truly means to follow Him. My work, my wisdom and my life are all Yours, Lord. iv Table of Contents Abstract . ii Acknowledgments . iv List of Abbreviations . viii Chapter I. Introduction . 1 1.1 Why Jeremiah? . 3 1.2 The Development of the Jeremiah Figure . 7 1.2.1 The Growth of the “book” of Jeremiah . 7 1.2.2 JerLXX and JerMT . 13 1.2.3 Jeremiah in Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha . 16 1.3 Plans for the Study . 21 II. Jeremiah as a Literary-Theological Figure in the Book of Jeremiah . 23 2.1 The Comparison between JerLXX and JerMT . 24 2.1.1 Summary . 42 2.2 Jeremiah as a “Pro-Society” Prophet . 42 2.2.1 Summary . 48 2.3 Jeremiah as a Prophet of Exile and Restoration . 49 2.3.1 The Land vs. The City . 49 2.3.2 The Temple . 52 2.3.3 Seventy Years . 55 2.3.4 Summary . 61 2.4 Conclusion . 62 III. The Babylonian Crisis and the Reconstruction under Persian Rule . 64 3.1 The Laments in Jeremiah 4–10 . 66 3.1.1 The Figures of Jeremiah and Jerusalem . 66 3.1.2 Summary . 72 3.2 The Book of Lamentations . 72 3.2.1 The Jeremianic Lamenter for the Suffering of Jerusalem . 75 v 3.2.2 The Jeremianic Narrator for the Consolation of Jerusalem . 77 3.2.3 The Jeremianic Prophet for the Restoration of Jerusalem . 80 3.2.4 Summary . 82 3.3 2 Chronicles . 83 3.3.1 Jeremiah as a Royal Lamenter and Advisor . 84 3.3.2 Jeremiah as the Last of Yahweh’s Prophets Persistently Sent to the People . 88 3.3.3 Jeremiah the Prophet of ‘Seventy Years’ . 92 3.3.4 Summary . 95 3.4 Conclusion . 96 IV. The Seleucid Crisis and the Maccabean Restoration . 98 4.1 Daniel 9 . 100 4.1.1 ‘Seventy Weeks’ for Jerusalem . 103 4.1.2 The Decreed End of the Desolator . 106 4.1.3 ‘Continuing Exile’ and the Development of Jeremiah . 111 4.1.4 Summary . 117 4.2 2 Maccabees 15 . 119 4.2.1 Jeremiah and Reversal of Fate . 120 4.2.2 Jeremiah as the Prophet of the Maccabean Restoration . 125 4.2.3 Summary . 128 4.3 2 Maccabees 2:1–8 . 129 4.3.1 Jeremiah’s Instruction to the Deportees to Babylon . 130 4.3.2 Jeremiah’s Hiding of the Temple Vessels . 133 4.3.3 Summary . 139 4.4 Conclusion . 140 V. The Roman Crisis and the Future of Jerusalem and the Temple . 142 5.1 2 Baruch . 143 5.1.1 The Marginalization of Jeremiah . 144 5.1.2 Jeremiah’s Disassociation from Jerusalem and the Temple . 149 5.1.2.1 Jeremiah in Jerusalem . 149 5.1.2.2 Jeremiah in Babylon . 152 vi 5.1.3 Summary . 155 5.2 4 Baruch (Paraleipomena Jeremiou) . 155 5.2.1 The Jewish Narrative of 4 Baruch (1:1–9:9) . 160 5.2.1.1 Jeremiah in Jerusalem . 161 5.2.1.2 Jeremiah in Babylon . 165 5.2.1.3 Jeremiah’s Return to Jerusalem . 171 5.2.2 The Transformation of the Jewish Narrative . 176 5.2.2.1 Abimelech’s Words in 4 Bar 5:34 . 178 5.2.2.2 Baruch’s Prayer in 4 Bar 6:3–7 . 181 5.2.2.3 Jeremiah’s Words in 4 Bar 8:9 and 9:5 . 183 5.2.3 The Earthly Jerusalem vs. The Heavenly Jerusalem . 186 5.2.4 Summary . 190 5.3 Conclusion . 191 VI. Conclusion and Implications . 194 Bibliography . 210 vii List of Abbreviations AB Anchor Bible ABD Anchor Bible Dictionary ANRW Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt AOTC Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries AOAT Alter Orient und Altes Testament ATDA Das Alte Testament Deutsch Apokryphen BETL Bibliotheca ephemeridum theologicarum lovaniensium BIS Biblical Interpretation Series BZAW Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft CBR Currents in Biblical Research CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly CBQMS Catholic Biblical Quarterly Monograph Series CEJL Commentaries on Early Jewish Literature CHJ Cambridge History of Judaism DJD Discoveries in the Judean Desert FAT Forschungen zum Alten Testament FOTL The Forms of Old Testament Literature HBM Hebrew Bible Monographs HCOT Historical Commentary on the Old Testament HCS Hellenistic Culture and Society HeyJ The Heythrop Journal ICC International Critical Commentary IEJ Israel Exploration Journal Int Interpretation JBL Journal of Biblical Literature JJS Journal of Jewish Studies JNSL Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages JR Journal of Religion JSHRZ Jüdische Schriften aus hellenistisch-römischer Zeit JSJ (Sup) Journal for the Study of Judaism in the Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman Periods viii (Supplement Series) JSOT (Sup) Journal for the Study of the Old Testament (Supplement Series) JSP (Sup) Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha (Supplement Series) JQR Jewish Quarterly Review LXX Septuagint MT Masoretic Text NCBC New Century Bible Commentary NIBC New International Biblical Commentary NSKAT Neuer Stuttgarter Kommentar: Altes Testament OBO Orbis biblicus et orientalis OTL Old Testament Library OTS Oudtestamentische Studiën OTM Old Testament Message OTT Old testament theology PTMS Princeton Theological Monograph Series RB Revue Biblique RevQ Revue de Qumran RHPhR Revue d’histoire et de philosophie religieuses SBLDS Society of Biblical Literature Dissertation Series SBLSymS Society of Biblical Literature Symposium Series SSN Studia Semitica Neerlandica STDJ Studies on the Texts of the Desert of Judah ThBN Themes in Biblical Narrative Jewish and Christian Traditions TSAJ Texte und Studien zum antiken Judentum VT (Sup) Vetus Testamentum (Supplement Series) WBC Word Biblical Commentary ZAW Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft ZNW Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft ix Chapter 1 Introduction In.