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Divine Corporeality: Remembering Yhwh's Different Body Parts In DIVINE CORPOREALITY: REMEMBERING YHWH’S DIFFERENT BODY PARTS IN LATE PERSIAN/EARLY HELLENISTIC YEHUD/JUDAH By Rachael Heffernan A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Religious Studies University of Alberta © Rachael Heffernan, 2017 Abstract In an effort to contribute to the rich and ongoing conversation on divine anthropomorphism(s), this work examines references to Yhwh’s various body parts in Late Persian/Early Hellenistic period texts of (what is now known in scholarly circles as) the Hebrew Bible from the perspective of social memory. The divine body is studied through an examination of the memories, encoded in the texts, of Yhwh’s various body parts, their interactions with each other, and their presentation in comparison to human bodies. It is argued that though Yhwh was conceptualized as having a complete and intact body by the Persian-period literati, certain parts were remembered more often and thus received more mindshare by the community, while other parts were not highlighted very often or even at all. A divine part’s prominence in memory generally depended upon 1) its breadth of symbolic connotations, and (relatedly), 2) its ability to fit into or somehow contribute to the larger mnemonic landscape of the deity found within the Late Persian/Early Hellenistic-period texts. For the literati of the community, remembering Yhwh’s body parts meant remembering a body both like and unlike those of human beings. It is important to note, though, that even Yhwh’s described physical differences work within the existing framework of bodily symbolism presented in the texts; Yhwh’s body and bodily abilities are hyperbolized, or are described as having normally impossible features or capacities. While this study is not exhaustive, it does include chapters exploring memories of ,(לב) Yhwh’s hands, arms, and fingers, his eyes, his ears, his nose, his mouth, his face, his heart and his feet. In every examination, it is clear that conceptualizations of the deity’s body parts primarily contribute to and are shaped by understandings of his divine kingship. Each organ contributes to Yhwh’s various kingly motifs (such as justice, creative acts, warrior ability, and so ii on) through their own particular figurative associations (and, relatedly, physiological realities), while simultaneously linking different aspects of the deity’s kingship through their all being a part of Yhwh’s (whole) anthropomorphic body iii Acknowledgements I am incredibly privileged to have had the opportunity to pursue this Master’s thesis and to have had a great deal of support through its completion. Firstly, I owe a great deal of thanks to my supervisor, Dr. Ehud Ben Zvi, for his seemingly endless energy in providing insightful feedback on my work. His attention to detail and persistent pursuit of excellence has made a huge difference in my abilities as a student of religion, and has greatly impacted how I conduct myself as an educator. I am immensely grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from him. I am incredibly grateful to the University of Alberta Religious Studies Graduate Program Committee, through which I was granted a two-year Graduate Assistantship without which I would not have been able to pursue my studies with the same level of dedication. I also hugely benefitted from and greatly appreciate the Government of Alberta’s assistance in funding my final year through the Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship - Master’s Level. I would like to thank Dr. Francis Landy for his role as Chair of my defense and especially for his insightful comments which contributed greatly to the completion of the final draft. I would also like to recognize the contribution of Dr. Marguerite Haagsman, whose comments and questions in the defense allowed me the benefit of a different disciplinary perspective when putting the finishing touches on my work. I am grateful for the help of Dr. Ian Wilson, who graciously agreed to read through my introduction and offer constructive criticism. Dr. Wilson has consistently been a support iv throughout my pursuit of my Master’s degree, and to have had another learned perspective on a sizable portion of my thesis was incredibly helpful. I owe special thanks to Dr. Harvey White of Bishop’s University for his level encouragement of my pursuing graduate studies. I am also grateful to Dr. Michele Murray, also of Bishop’s University, who, in addition to contributing hugely to my study of religions in my undergraduate degree, recommended I contact Dr. Willi Braun of the University of Alberta. Dr. Braun promptly introduced me to Dr. Ben Zvi; without this introduction, I would not have been at the University in September. I am eternally grateful to my family and friends, who have been not only fantastic sounding boards and endlessly patient listeners, but of quintessential importance to my happiness and well-being throughout my studies. I am especially grateful to my parents, Janet Heffernan and Catherine Spooner, for supporting even the most eccentric of my schemes. Throughout this degree there have been bouts of upset, laundry days missed, dinners left in the oven, and plenty of sleepless nights. I owe a world of thanks to my partner, Matthew Doucette Pilles, for his continual support, humour, and insight. He is a maker of good days, and for that I cannot say ‘thank you’ enough. v CONTENTS Abstract............................................................................................................................................ii Acknowledgements.........................................................................................................................iv Abbreviations.................................................................................................................................vii Introduction.....................................................................................................................................1 1. Theoretical Approach 2 2. Metaphor Theory 9 3. Anthropomorphisms of Yhwh 15 4. Chapter Overviews 24 Remembering Yhwh’s Hands, Arms, and Fingers and their Involvement in Conceptions of his Divine Kingship..........................................................................................31 A Just King: Examining the Evocative Significance of Yhwh’s Eyes..........................................46 Remembering the Deity’s Ears and their Contributions to Conceptions of the Divine King Yhwh and Divine-Human Relationships............................................................56 “At the Blast of Your Nostrils”: Thinking Of and Through Images of Yhwh’s Nose and Their Kingly Activities..................................................................................................63 Speaking, Exhaling, and Swallowing: Remembering the Interrelated Motifs of Yhwh’s Mouth and their Contributions to Conceptions of his Divine Kingship...........................68 The Face of a King: Memories of the Divine Visage....................................................................77 and its Involvement in his לב The Significance(s) of Remembering Yhwh’s Kingship.........................................................................................................................................89 Imaginings of Yhwh’s Feet and their Significance to Conceptions of Yhwh as a King..............................................................................................................................................102 Conclusions..................................................................................................................................109 Bibliography................................................................................................................................114 vi Abbreviations ABS - Archaeology & Biblical Studies BBR - Bulletin for Biblical Research BETL - Bibliotheca Ephemeridum Theologicarum Lovaniensium Bib - Biblica BibInt - Biblical Interpretation BJSUCSD - Biblical and Judaic Studies from the University of California, San Diego BTB - Biblical Theology Bulletin CBQ - Catholic Biblical Quarterly FAT - Forschungen Zum Alten Testament HSM - Harvard Semitic Monographs HUCA - Hebrew Union College Annual JAAR - Journal of the American Academy of Religion JAOS - Journal of the American Oriental Society JBL - Journal of Biblical Literature JBQ - Jewish Bible Quarterly JCS – Journal of Cuneiform Studies JNSL - Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages JRAS - Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society JSOT - Journal for the Study of the Old Testament JSOTSup - Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series JSQ - Jewish Studies Quarterly LHBOTS - Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies NRSV – New Revised Standard Version Numen - Numen: International Review for the History of Religions OTE - Old Testament Essays OTL – Old Testament Library Proof - Prooftexts: A Journal of Jewish Literary History RBS - Resources for Biblical Study SemeiaSt - Semeia Studies SJOT - Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament StBL - Studies in Biblical Literature TA - Tel Aviv UF - Ugarit-Forschungen VT - Vetus Testamentum VTSup - Supplements to Vetus Testamentum WAWSup - Writings from the Ancient World Supplement Series ZAW - Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft vii Introduction חַי־אָנִי נְאֻם־יְהוָה כִּי אִם־יִהְיֶה כָּנְיָהוּ בֶן־יְהֹויָקִים מֶלְֶך יְהוּדָה חֹותָם עַל־יַד יְמִינִי כִּי מִשָּׁם אֶתְּקֶנְךָּ As I live, says Yhwh, even if King Coniah son of Jehoiakim of Judah
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