Chastised Rulers in the Ancient Near East
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Chastised Rulers in the Ancient Near East Dissertation Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree doctor of philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By J. H. Price, M.A., B.A. Graduate Program in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures The Ohio State University 2015 Dissertation Committee: Samuel A. Meier, Advisor Daniel Frank Carolina López-Ruiz Bill T. Arnold Copyright by J. H. Price 2015 Abstract In the ancient world, kings were a common subject of literary activity, as they played significant social, economic, and religious roles in the ancient Near East. Unsurprisingly, the praiseworthy deeds of kings were often memorialized in ancient literature. However, in some texts kings were remembered for criminal acts that brought punishment from the god(s). From these documents, which date from the second to the first millennium BCE, we learn that royal acts of sacrilege were believed to have altered the fate of the offending king, his people, or his nation. These chastised rulers are the subject of this this dissertation. In the pages that follow, the violations committed by these rulers are collected, explained, and compared, as are the divine punishments that resulted from royal sacrilege. Though attestations are concentrated in the Hebrew Bible and Mesopotamian literature, the very fact that the chastised ruler type also surfaces in Ugaritic, Hittite, and Northwest Semitic texts suggests that the concept was an integral part of ancient near eastern kingship ideologies. Thus, this dissertation will also explain the relationship between kings and gods and the unifying aspect of kingship that gave rise to the chastised ruler concept across the ancient Near East. ii Dedication To my parents τὸν κοπιῶντα γεωργὸν δεῖ πρῶτον τῶν καρπῶν μεταλαμβάνειν iii Acknowledgments I would like to express my gratitude to my committee members, whose names grace the title page of this dissertation. I am particularly indebted to my advisor, Sam Meier, not only for his careful reading of my dissertation, but also for his valuable mentorship. My other committee members, Daniel Frank, Carolina López-Ruiz, and Bill T. Arnold, have offered valuable input that has greatly improved this project. My discussions with Tyler Yoder have also enhanced the focus of this study. I must extend my appreciation to the Melton Center for Jewish Studies for the financial support they granted me during my time at Ohio State. I owe many thanks to my family for their support on this long road towards a Ph.D. My wife, Kayla, has made this journey possible through her unwavering support and unseen sacrifices. This journey is as much hers as it is mine. My son, Jackson, and daughter, Aubrey, have kept life in perspective. I hope they grow to appreciate what we have done. Finally, I am thankful for the support of my parents. This journey started when they planted a Bible in my hands many years ago. My fascination with the Bible sprouted immediately, and has continued to grow since. It has not waned. iv Vita 2004................................................................B.A., Criminology, The Ohio State University 2007................................................................M.A., Biblical Studies (Hebrew Bible emphasis), Ashland Theological Seminary 2008 to present ..............................................Graduate Teaching Associate, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Culture, The Ohio State University Publications “The Biblical Hebrew Feminine Singular Qal Participle: A Historical Reconstruction.” Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 14 (2014): no. 9. Fields of Study Major Field: Near Eastern Languages and Cultures Hebrew Bible Ancient Near Eastern Studies v Table of Contents Abstract................................................................................................................................ii Dedication...........................................................................................................................iii Acknowledgments..............................................................................................................iv Vita.......................................................................................................................................v List of Tables.....................................................................................................................xii Abbreviations....................................................................................................................xiv Part I: Orientation................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1: Introduction, Definitions, Scope and Structure..................................................2 1.1 Introduction...............................................................................................................2 1.2 Definition: the Chastised ruler..................................................................................3 1.3 Scope and structure.................................................................................................12 Chapter 2: Distinguishing Chastised from Unfortunate Rulers.........................................14 Chapter 3: Distinguishing Chastised from Sinful Rulers...................................................23 Chapter 4: Conclusions......................................................................................................29 Part II: Complex Chastised Rulers.....................................................................................33 Chapter 5: Complex Chastised Rulers – Analysis.............................................................34 5.1 Saul..........................................................................................................................34 5.1.1 1 Samuel..........................................................................................................35 vi 5.1.2 Chronicles........................................................................................................51 5.2 David.......................................................................................................................59 5.2.1 Samuel.............................................................................................................59 5.2.2 Chronicles........................................................................................................69 5.3 Solomon (Kings).....................................................................................................72 5.4 Jeroboam (Kings)....................................................................................................76 5.5 Ahab (Kings)...........................................................................................................82 5.6 Manasseh (Kings)..................................................................................................105 Chapter 6: Complex Chastised Rulers – Conclusions.....................................................112 Part III: Offenses that Precipitate Divine Punishment.....................................................117 Chapter 7: Crimes Directly Implicating the Gods...........................................................118 7.1 Failure to heed messages derived from special knowledge..................................118 7.1.1 Mesopotamian literature................................................................................119 7.1.2 Hebrew Bible.................................................................................................121 7.2 Cultic violations....................................................................................................124 7.2.1 Mesopotamian literature................................................................................125 7.2.2 Hebrew Bible.................................................................................................136 7.2.3 Hittite literature.............................................................................................140 7.3 Broken oaths, vows and alliances ........................................................................144 7.3.1 Mesopotamian Literature ..............................................................................144 7.3.2 Hittite literature ............................................................................................147 7.3.3 Ugaritic literature...........................................................................................149 vii 7.3.4 Hebrew Bible.................................................................................................150 Chapter 8: Violations of the Cosmic Order .....................................................................154 8.1 Moral/ethical offenses...........................................................................................154 8.1.1 Adultery (Hebrew Bible)...............................................................................154 8.1.2 Perversion of royal duty (Mesopotamia).......................................................155 8.1.3 Violence.........................................................................................................158 8.1.3.1 Mesopotamia..........................................................................................158 8.1.3.2 Hebrew Bible.........................................................................................159 8.2 Hubris (Hebrew Bible)..........................................................................................162