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The Emptiness of Judah in the Exilic and Early Persian Period

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The Emptiness of Judah in the Exilic and Early Persian Period The Emptiness of Judah in the Exilic and Early Persian Period P.S. Makuwa 22543422 Thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor Philosophiae in Old Testament at the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University Supervisor: Prof H.F. van Rooy April 2013 Acknowledgements I humbly acknowledge the work of God, the almighty, in my academic strife since my sub-a class in 1982 until this far. Without Him I could have not done anything. I could not have done this work without the thorough and qualitative supervision of Prof H. Van Rooy, who was willing to help me even while he was a patient in hospital. I am sincerely grateful for the supervision of Prof H. Van Rooy. The competent and alert language editor, Dr C. Reinecke, has added much value to my work. I am thankful to my wife, Thembekile Makuwa, for her patient support throughout all my post-graduate studies. I shall always remember my daughter’s (Ogona Makuwa) question: ‘What grade are you doing?’ The birth of my son, Oakwa Makuwa, which added a challenge to my study pace, has reminded me that changes happen in life and that adaptability is a virtue for survival. I am thankful for my mother, Mrs S. N. Makuwa, for believing that I can do it like others did it. Of course, my first eldest brother, Sam Makuwa, who always checked my progress and unwittingly made my answers to him a commitment. I am thankful to all other persons that encouraged me to continue studying. i Abstract The Old Testament verbal expression of ‘the exile of Judah’ during the Babylonian exile has led to the perception that the land of Judah was emptied of all Judeans. This biblical expression is not necessarily contradictory to historical facts, but theologically and quality-orientated in nature. The exile of the elite from Jerusalem to Babylon, the execution of some of them and the flight of others to Egypt and other neighbouring states disrupted Jerusalem and rendered the city dysfunctional in every national sphere. The royal and religious services, which were based in Jerusalem, the capital city, were discontinued. The emptiness of Judah was signalled by the emptiness as regards the royal and religious authority wrought on Jerusalem by Babylon. Without their royalty, cult, trade, military and judiciary, Judah was indeed emptied and exiled. However, not all Judeans were exiled, for a remnant remained. There is almost no significant record of revelations by God in Judah during the exile, especially after compatriots that opted to flee to Egypt had forcefully taken Jeremiah with them. In addition to its land being emptied during the exile, Judah lost some of its land. The Judean identity in Judah disintegrated due to the influx of foreigners into the land and their subsequent influence on the remaining Judeans. Those that remained in Judah were unable to establish an exclusive Judean community and identity effectively; in any case, not before the Babylonian exiles returned early in the time of the Persian Empire. The paucity of information about the lifestyle in Judah during the exile attests to the veracity and rectitude of the theological concepts of the exile of Judah from 605 to 539 BCE. Opsomming Die Ou-Testamentiese verbale uitdrukking van ‘die ballingskap van Juda’ tydens die Babiloniese ballingskap het aanleiding gegee tot die persepsie dat die landstreek van Juda leeg was sonder enige inwoners. Die Bybelse uitdrukking is nie noodwendig strydig met die historiese feite nie, maar dit is teologies en kwaliteitsgeoriënteer van aard. Die ballingskap van die elite wat uit Jerusalem na Babel weggevoer is, die teregstelling van sommiges en die vlug van ander na Egipte en ander aangrensende state het Jerusalem ontwrig en die stad disfunksioneel in elke nasionale sfeer gelaat. Die koninklike en godsdienstige dienste, wat in Jerusalem, die hoofstad, ii gesetel was, is gestaak. Die leegheid van Juda word aangedui deur die afwesigheid van die koninklike en godsdienstige gesagsinstansies, ʼn toestand wat deur Babel in sy wraak bewerkstellig is. Sonder sy koninklikes, kultus, handel, leër en regstelsel was Juda inderdaad leeg en in ballingskap. Nietemin, al die Judeërs is nie weggevoer in ballingskap nie, want ʼn paar het agtergebly. Daar bestaan bykans geen betekenisvolle rekord van openbarings van God in Juda tydens die ballingskap nie, veral nadat medelandgenote wat verkies het om na Egipte te vlug, Jeremia gedwing het om saam met hulle te gaan. Afgesien van die leegheid van sy land tydens die ballingskap, het Juda ʼn gedeelte van sy grondgebied verloor. Die Judese identiteit in Juda het gedisintegreer as gevolg van die instroming en invloed van vreemdeling in die land. Die wat in Juda agtergebly het, was nie in staat om ʼn eksklusiewe Judese gemeenskap en identiteit effektief te vestig nie; in elk geval, nie voordat die Babiloniese bannelinge vroeg tydens die Persiese Ryk teruggekeer het nie. Die karige inligting oor die lewenstyl in Juda tydens die ballingskap getuig van die geloofwaardigheid en korrektheid van die teologiese konsepte rakende die ballingskap van Juda van 605 tot 539 v.C. Keywords exile exiles emptiness Yehud Judah theology deportation depopulation history Babylon Persia returnees remnant iii Contents Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................. i Abstract .................................................................................................................................. ii Opsomming ............................................................................................................................ ii Keywords ............................................................................................................................... iii Contents ................................................................................................................................ iv Chapter 1 Introduction ................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction..................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Background and problem statement .............................................................................. 1 1.2.1 The main question.................................................................................................... 5 1.2.2 Subsidiary questions ................................................................................................ 6 1.3 Aims and objectives ........................................................................................................ 6 1.3.1 The aim ..................................................................................................................... 6 1.3.2 The objectives .......................................................................................................... 6 1.4 Central theoretical argument .......................................................................................... 7 1.5 Methodology ................................................................................................................... 7 1.6 Classification into chapters ............................................................................................. 9 Chapter 2 Geographical names and borders of Judah in the exilic and .............................. early post-exilic period .................................................................................. 10 2.1 Introduction................................................................................................................... 10 2.2 The territory of Judah .................................................................................................... 11 2.2.1 Original territory of Judah ...................................................................................... 12 2.2.2 The size ................................................................................................................... 16 2.2.3 Lack of clarity ......................................................................................................... 17 2.2.4 Cities of Judah ........................................................................................................ 20 2.3 Judah through political changes.................................................................................... 22 2.3.1 Conquest and settlement ....................................................................................... 22 2.3.2 The time of the united monarchy .......................................................................... 23 iv 2.3.3 The time of the divided monarchy ......................................................................... 25 2.3.3.1 The division ..................................................................................................... 25 2.3.3.2 Judah and Benjamin ........................................................................................ 26 2.3.3.3 Judah and Simeon ........................................................................................... 27 2.3.3.4 Comparison of the north and the south ......................................................... 27 2.3.3.5 North and south relations ............................................................................... 28 2.3.4 Exilic Judah ............................................................................................................. 29 2.3.4.1 The impact of subjugation .............................................................................
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