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Attitudes Towards Linguistic Diversity in the Hebrew Bible

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Attitudes Towards Linguistic Diversity in the Hebrew Bible Many Peoples of Obscure Speech and Difficult Language: Attitudes towards Linguistic Diversity in the Hebrew Bible The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Power, Cian Joseph. 2015. Many Peoples of Obscure Speech and Difficult Language: Attitudes towards Linguistic Diversity in the Hebrew Bible. Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:23845462 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA MANY PEOPLES OF OBSCURE SPEECH AND DIFFICULT LANGUAGE: ATTITUDES TOWARDS LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY IN THE HEBREW BIBLE A dissertation presented by Cian Joseph Power to The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the subject of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts August 2015 © 2015 Cian Joseph Power All rights reserved. Dissertation Advisor: Professor Peter Machinist Cian Joseph Power MANY PEOPLES OF OBSCURE SPEECH AND DIFFICULT LANGUAGE: ATTITUDES TOWARDS LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY IN THE HEBREW BIBLE Abstract The subject of this dissertation is the awareness of linguistic diversity in the Hebrew Bible—that is, the recognition evident in certain biblical texts that the world’s languages differ from one another. Given the frequent role of language in conceptions of identity, the biblical authors’ reflections on language are important to examine. Of the biblical texts that explicitly address the subject of linguistic diversity, some are specific, as in references to particular languages (e.g., “Aramaic,”), while others refer to linguistic multiplicity generally, as in the Tower of Babel episode (Gen 11:1–9). Linguistic difference is also indicated implicitly, as when the speech of Laban in Gen 29–31 exhibits Aramaic-like features that emphasize his foreignness. Building on previous studies of limited scope, my approach is to collect and analyse the evidence for awareness of linguistic diversity in the biblical books comprehensively. Drawing on concepts from sociolinguistics, including style-switching, code-switching, and language ideology, I categorize such evidence and explain its significance with respect to its literary and historical contexts. I thus contribute to wider debates on the sociolinguistics of ancient Hebrew, the development of the concept of the “holy language” in Judaism, and the topic of linguistic diversity in the broader ancient Near East. I find that the notion of linguistic diversity is used in the Hebrew Bible to set up, and also to challenge, boundaries of various kinds, be they territorial, as in the Shibboleth test iii (Judg 12:5–6), ethnic, as with the Judaean-Ashdodite children (Neh 13:23–4), or theological, as in Jeremiah’s Aramaic oracle against idols (Jer 10:11). My analysis shows that references to linguistic diversity are concentrated in texts of the Achaemenid Persian period and later, reflecting changes in the sociolinguistic circumstances of Judaeans. Yet in all periods Israel and Judah’s encounters with the empires Assyria, Babylonia, and Persia influenced attitudes towards linguistic diversity, whether this influence be manifested in fear (Jer 5:15) or ridicule (Esth 8:9). Overall, linguistic difference is not the primary means by which the biblical authors distinguish Israel from the nations, nor do they attribute a unique religious function to their own language. iv Contents Abstract iii Acknowledgements ix Abbreviations xii Chapter 1: Introduction 1 I. Overview 1 II. History of Research 3 III. Methodological Considerations: Sociolinguistics 8 IV. Contributions 11 A. Sociolinguistics and the Study of the Hebrew Bible 12 B. The Topic of Language across the Ancient Near East 15 C. Hebrew in the Late Second Temple Period and Beyond 18 V. Plan of the Dissertation 22 Chapter 2: The Language of Languages in the Hebrew Bible 27 I. Introduction 27 II. Words Meaning “a Language” in the Hebrew Bible 28 A. (Heb.) , “Tongue; Speech, Talk; a Language” 28 B. (Aram.), “Linguistic Community” 42 C. (Heb.), “Lip; Speech; Language” 43 D. Words for Languages: Summary 48 III. Naming Languages: Glottonymy in the Hebrew Bible 49 A. Sociolinguistic Considerations 49 B. The Glottonyms of the Hebrew Bible 50 1. Glottonyms with Suffix –ît: Form and Syntax 51 2. Glottonyms of the Form “Language of X” 58 3. Synthesis: Language and People; Language and Dialect 64 IV. Expressing Foreign Language: , “Speaking Unintelligibly” (Ps 114) 65 V. Chapter Summary 78 v Chapter 3: The Past and Future of Linguistic Diversity 80 I. Introduction 80 II. The Origins of Linguistic Diversity: 81 A. The Table of Nations (Gen 10): Language, Clan, Land, and Nation 81 B. The Tower of Babel Episode (Gen 11:1–9) 87 “The Spell of Nudimmud”: A Sumerian Parallel to Gen 11:1–9? 91 “Language” in Gen 11:1–9: Terminology 94 i. : Unity and Diversity of Language 94 ii. 98 iii. Mixing () and Scattering () in Gen 11:1–9 111 The Ills of Linguistic Unity 115 The Ills of Human Linguistic Diversity 118 C. Relationship between Gen 10 and Gen 11:1–9 124 III. The Future of Language: The Religious Community of Yahweh 128 A. “Purified Speech”: Zeph 3:9 128 B. The Language of Canaan in Five Cities of Egypt: Isa 19:18 135 C. Ten Men from All the Linguistic Communities: Zech 8:23 139 IV. A Divine Language? The Unknown Speech of Ps 81:6 142 V. Chapter Summary 154 Chapter 4: The Representation of Foreignness through Style- Switching 155 I. Introduction 155 II. Style and Switching in Sociolinguistics 155 III. Style-Switching in the Hebrew Bible to Represent Foreignness 159 A. Methodological Difficulties 162 B. Procedural Controls 168 IV. Case Studies 184 A. Genesis 31 184 B. Exodus 18 189 C. Judges 12:6 193 D. Isaiah 21:11–12 201 E. Ruth 203 V. Style-Switching and the Conceptualization of Linguistic Diversity 210 A. Recognizing the Mechanics of Linguistic Diversity 210 B. Increasing Our Understanding of Israel’s Linguistic Map 216 C. Israelite Distinctiveness 218 VI. Chapter Summary 226 vi Chapter 5: Code-Switching: Jeremiah’s Message to the Idolaters and the Rabshakeh Episode 227 I. Introduction 227 II. Jeremiah 10:11: An Aramaic Message for Idolaters 228 Code-Switching in Jer 10:1–16 234 III. Aramaic and Judaean in the Speech of the Rabshakeh (2 Kgs 18//Isa 36) 239 The Officials’ Request to Code-Switch, and the Rabshakeh’s Refusal 243 The Rabshakeh’s Knowledge of Judaean 250 IV. Sennacherib’s Message in 2 Chronicles 32 258 V. Chapter Summary 262 Chapter 6: The Invasion of the Alloglot Nation 264 I. Introduction 264 II. Jer 5:15 264 III. Deut 28:49 269 IV. Isa 28:11 277 V. Isa 33:19 284 VI. Ezek 3:5–6 289 VI. The Alloglot Invader Theme in Narrative? The Case of the Rabshakeh 298 VII. Dynamics of the Alloglot Invader Theme 300 VIII. History of the Tradition 303 IX. Barbarity 306 X. Chapter Summary 310 Chapter 7: Translation, Bilingualism, and Linguistic Nationalism in the Books of Esther, Daniel, and Ezra-Nehemiah 312 I. Introduction 312 II. High Relative Level of Awareness of Linguistic Diversity 313 III. Translation and Interpretation 315 A. Gen 42:23 316 B. Translation and the Royal Edicts in the Book of Esther 327 C. Translation in Ezra 4:7 333 D. The Interpretation of the Book of the Law of God (Neh 8:8) 339 E. Translation in these Texts 343 IV. Bilingualism in Daniel and Ezra 344 A. Dan 1:3–4 344 B. The Bilingual Book of Daniel 352 vii C. The Bilingual Book of Ezra 355 D. The Linguistic Situation of the Judaeans in the Persian Period 358 V. Linguistic Nationalism 361 A. Synecdoche in the Use of and 361 B. Potential Indications of Linguistic Nationalism in Esther 363 C. Linguistic Nationalism in Neh 13 369 D. Summary of Linguistic Nationalism 377 VI. Chapter Summary 377 Chapter 8: Conclusion 379 I. Review 379 II. Diachronic Considerations 380 III. The Encounter with Empire 382 IV. The Biblical Authors’ Understanding of Their Own Language 384 V. The (In?)Significance of Linguistic Diversity in the Hebrew Bible 387 VI. Avenues for Future Research 390 Bibliography 392 viii Acknowledgements I owe an enormous amount to the advisors, colleagues, friends and family who have encouraged and supported me during the preparation of this dissertation. Without them I cannot imagine having completed this journey. To Professor Peter Machinist, I wish to express my sincerest gratitude. Professor Machinist’s assistance, from guiding me in developing the broad contours of this project to attending diligently to the smallest details of the work, has been invaluable. But I have benefitted just as much from the great breadth of his knowledge and the keenness of his judgement, as from his abundant wisdom, patience, and kindness. Thanks to him, I have felt welcome ever since I arrived in Boston in 2009. I am certain that I could not have asked for more in a Doktorvater, and I hope to pass on the lessons he has taught me. This dissertation has improved significantly through the insight and attention of Professors Jon Levenson and Andrew Teeter. I am grateful to them for their time in meeting with me and reading my work and for provoking me to examine my topic more deeply. All faults and shortcomings in this dissertation are mine alone. In writing this dissertation, I have been able to rely upon the expertise, advice, and fellowship of colleagues in NELC and Harvard Divinity School.
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