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Inclusio in the Hebrew Bible a Historical-Developmental Approach

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Inclusio in the Hebrew Bible a Historical-Developmental Approach BEN GURION UNIVERSITY OF THE NEGEV THE FACULTY OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT OF BIBLE, ARCHEOLOGY AND ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN STUDIES INCLUSIO IN THE HEBREW BIBLE A HISTORICAL-DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE BY ANTHONY CHAPMAN UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF DR. SHAMIR YONA OCTOBER 2013 BEN GURION UNIVERSITY OF THE NEGEV THE FACULTY OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT OF BIBLE, ARCHEOLOGY AND ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN STUDIES INCLUSIO IN THE HEBREW BIBLE A HISTORICAL-DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE BY ANTHONY CHAPMAN UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF DR. SHAMIR YONA Signature of Student: ______________________________ Date: ________ Signature of Supervisor: ____________________________ Date: ________ Signature of Chairperson of the Committee for Graduate Students: _____________________________ Date: ________ OCTOBER 2013 Abstract: A historical neglect and mis-appropriation of the inclusio rhetorical figure has led to misunderstandings regarding the structure of many Biblical passages. A comprehensive re-appropriation and in-depth historical study of inclusio is useful in understanding the structure and design of many Biblical texts, thereby restoring correct interpretation, as well as appreciation of the intended beauty, technical design, and artistic nuance present in the Hebrew Scriptures. Our analysis takes place in five stages: First, beginning in its origins in classical rhetoric, the study of inclusio is outlined all the way up through the 19th century, during which period inclusio was primarily known as epanalepsis. Definitions by rhetoricians, Christian scholars, and Jewish rabbis are examined, together with many relevant examples of inclusio. Second, the conflicting definitions of inclusio in present day Biblical scholarship are contrasted and evaluated, showing both the strengths and weaknesses of modern Biblical scholarship in comparison with the classical approach. Third, the information gleaned from our historical survey is used to rebuild a clear and accurate definition of inclusio for use in Biblical scholarship: Inclusio is the intentional repetition of clearly recognizable elements at the beginning and end of a composition or one of its parts. Fourth, inclusio “strength” is discussed, and criteria are developed for appraising the rhetorical strength of an inclusio. All inclusios are not created equal, and each should be judged on its own merit. Fifth and finally, a number of examples of inclusio are examined according to our definition and criteria, both in short segments and in longer sections. Priority is given to prose examples, to show that inclusio is not primarily a “poetic” phenomenon, as some scholars have suggested. i Thanks תודות Without the following people, this project would not have been possible: Irene – every day that begins and ends next to you is a day worth living (even if I don’t make it to bed till 3 am ) Shamir – when you first introduced me to inclusio several years ago, I had no idea it would take over my life! Your understanding and appreciation of ancient Hebrew poetry have been inspirational, instrumental, and indispensable along this journey. Dad and Mom – my love for the Bible and for its Author is due to you My 4 Little Monsters – who prayed every night for their Daddy to finish his thesis ii Common sense is not so common. ~ Voltaire iii Contents Thesis Statement: ................................................................................................. 1 I. Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1 II. Inclusio Through the Centuries ......................................................................... 3 A. Classical and Christian Definitions ................................................................ 3 1. Inclusio and Epanadiplosis ......................................................................... 3 2. Epanalepsis ................................................................................................ 6 3. Summary of Classical Definitions ............................................................. 20 B. Rabbinical Definitions .................................................................................. 21 1. Joḥanan Ben Nappaḥa ............................................................................. 21 2. Moses Ibn Ezra ........................................................................................ 22 3. RaMḤaL ................................................................................................... 26 C. Scholarly Definitions .................................................................................... 27 1. Early Biblical Scholarship ......................................................................... 27 2. Modern Biblical Scholarship ..................................................................... 48 D. The Cultural Background of Inclusio ........................................................... 59 III. A Clearer Definition ........................................................................................ 68 A. Terminology ................................................................................................ 68 B. Definition ..................................................................................................... 71 C. Criteria for Evaluation: Inclusio Strength ..................................................... 73 1. Primary Criteria ........................................................................................ 74 2. Secondary Criteria .................................................................................... 78 IV. Practical Examples of Inclusio Evaluation ..................................................... 80 A. Inclusio in Short Segments .......................................................................... 80 B. Inclusio in Longer Units ............................................................................. 101 Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 119 Bibliography ...................................................................................................... 120 iv Bible Versions Referenced in this Work ASV - American Standard Version ESV - English Standard Version JPS - Jewish Publication Society Version, 1917 KJV - King James Version LEB - Lexham English Bible LXX - Septuagint MT - Hebrew Masoretic Text NASB - New American Standard Bible NET - New English Translation NIV2011 - New International Version, 2011 NRSV - New Revised Standard Version RSV - Revised Standard Version SBLGNT - Society of Biblical Literature Greek New Testament All quotes from MT were taken from the digital Westminster Leningrad Codex as found at www.tanach.us, and all quotes from the Greek New Testament were taken from SBLGNT as found at www.biblegateway.com. JPS was accessed through www.mechon-mamre.org, and LXX was accessed through Accordance Bible Software. All other versions were accessed through www.biblegateway.com. v Thesis Statement: A historical neglect and mis-appropriation of the inclusio rhetorical figure has led to misunderstandings regarding the structure of many Biblical passages. A comprehensive re-appropriation and in-depth historical study of inclusio is useful in understanding the structure and design of many Biblical texts, thereby restoring correct interpretation, as well as appreciation of the intended beauty, technical design, and artistic nuance present in the Hebrew Scriptures. I. Introduction What is inclusio? Simply put, inclusio is repeating the beginning at the end. This rhetorical device has been referred to by both classical and Biblical scholars by many different names, but the most prevalent term used by scholars in the Biblical field has been inclusio.1 Inclusio is a Latin noun derived from the verb includo, “to shut up, shut in, confine, enclose, imprison, keep in.”2 Therefore, the word inclusio could be translated literally as “a shutting up, confinement,”3 and it is used to mean “inclusion” in the well-known Latin legal phrase, “inclusio unius est exclusio alterius” (The inclusion of one is the exclusion of another).4 In the discussion 1 Additional terminology and reasons for inclusio as the preferable term will be discussed below. 2 Lewis and Short, “in-clūdo,” n.p. 3 Lewis and Short, “inclūsĭo,” n.p. 4 Bouvier, “Inclusio,” 2:2139. Google lists over 181,000 instances of this exact phrase. Google Search, “inclusio unius…,” n.p. 1 presented here, the term inclusio will be used to describe the intentional repetition of clearly recognizable elements at the beginning and end of a composition or one of its parts. The term includitur will be used to describe the enclosed material within the inclusio. In this quote from Paul Harvey,5 for example: Thus, the repetition of “times like these” creates an inclusio around the includitur. The goals of this paper are fivefold: . First, to trace the historical development of the study of inclusio, from the time of classical rhetoric till today; . Second, to analyze and contrast conflicting definitions of inclusio found in present day Biblical scholarship; . Third, to clearly define inclusio for use in Biblical scholarship; . Fourth, to provide a clear framework for evaluating the rhetorical strength of an inclusio; . Fifth, to analyze examples of different
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