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The Ethics of Amos in Light of Its Ancient Near Eastern Context

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BearWorks MSU Graduate Theses Spring 2012 The Ethics of Amos in Light of Its Ancient Near Eastern Context Mark D. Arnold [email protected] As with any intellectual project, the content and views expressed in this thesis may be considered objectionable by some readers. However, this student-scholar’s work has been judged to have academic value by the student’s thesis committee members trained in the discipline. The content and views expressed in this thesis are those of the student-scholar and are not endorsed by Missouri State University, its Graduate College, or its employees. Follow this and additional works at: https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Ethics in Religion Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Arnold, Mark D., "The Ethics of Amos in Light of Its Ancient Near Eastern Context" (2012). MSU Graduate Theses. 1. https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/1 This article or document was made available through BearWorks, the institutional repository of Missouri State University. The work contained in it may be protected by copyright and require permission of the copyright holder for reuse or redistribution. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE ETHICS OF AMOS IN LIGHT OF ITS ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN CONTEXT A Masters Thesis Presented to The Graduate College of Missouri State University In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts, Religious Studies By Mark D. Arnold May 2012 Copyright 2012 by Mark D. Arnold ii THE ETHICS OF AMOS IN LIGHT OF ITS ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN CONTEXT Religious Studies Missouri State University, May 2012 Master of Arts Mark D. Arnold ABSTRACT The book of Amos, in a fashion almost preternaturally relevant to contemporary conditions, discusses issues of war and welfare. Amos condemns several foreign nations for various war crimes and then turns to Israel, excoriating it for its mistreatment of the poor. Specifically he indicts the wealthy for enacting policies that created new poor while preventing the old poor from regaining their rightful positions in society. Israel’s elite used economic and judicial methods to enrich themselves at the expense of the vast majority of the population. As a result, Amos predicts the destruction of Israel just as he predicted the destruction of the foreign nations. The nature of Amos’ prophecy as well as the crimes with which he indicted Israel may potentially create some consternation to members of modern society. Amos provides no standard by which the nations were judged. Further, the punishments he announces seem suspiciously similar to the actions for which the nations were first condemned. Nor do all of the crimes for which Israel was condemned seem to have any basis in Hebrew law. Yet Amos announces that Israel will share in the punishment of the foreign nations. It is my thesis that the book of Amos can be best understood when read in the light of its ancient Near Eastern context. Three basic Near Eastern concepts help provide clarity: an understanding of international customary law; ancient customary treatment of the poor; and the concept of retributive punishment. Finally, retributive punishment, especially as subsumed under the concept of virtuous vengeance, is applied to the book. KEYWORDS: Hebrew prophesy, book of Amos, eighth century BCE, retributive justice, ancient international law, treatment of the poor, ancient Near Eastern customs, vengeance This abstract is approved as to form and content Dr. Victor Matthews Chairperson, Advisory Committee Missouri State University iii THE ETHICS OF AMOS IN LIGHT OF ITS ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN CONTEXT By Mark D. Arnold A Masters Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College Of Missouri State University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Master of Arts, Religious Studies May 2012 Approved: Dr. Victor Matthews Dr. Leslie Baynes Dr. John Schmalzbauer _______________________________________ Dr. Pawan Kahol, Interim Graduate College Dean iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The members of my thesis committee were an invaluable resource and I want to begin by thanking them for their input. Dr. Leslie Baynes and Dr. John Schmalzbauer provided thoughtful questions and suggestions that vastly improved the final product. I would especially like to thank by advisor, Dr. Victor Matthews, for his extreme patience while shepherding this thesis to completion. It has taken far longer than either of us ever expected. Nevertheless he has always been gentle in his suggestions and quick to offer a relevant reference (and more often than not the use of a resource). I also want to thank my grandkids; Isaiah, Eva, and Noah, for putting up with the frequent Sunday afternoon excursions away from the house while Papa studied. Finally, I would like to acknowledge the influence of my parents, Dallas and Alice Arnold. By training and example, they taught me the importance of justice and the proper treatment of others, regardless of social or economic station. They have also allowed me the freedom to seek my own way while gently (well, most of the time) nudging me in the right direction. I dedicate this thesis to my wife, Leslie Arnold. Our family circumstances changed dramatically over the course of this adventure and, as a result, she has borne the brunt of several years of labor which should have been shared while I chased down another reference or made “one last change” to a paragraph. Yet she has always encouraged me to continue (and threatened me a few times as well). It is perhaps cliché, but it is nevertheless true that I could not have completed this thesis without her support. This endeavor is as much hers as it is mine. Thank you, Leslie, for your love and patience. Now, how many makeup chores did you say I have to do…? v TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................1 I. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE INTERPRETATION OF THE BOOK OF AMOS .........4 II. ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN LAWS PERTAINING TO AMOS ..............................27 International Customary Law ................................................................................27 The Law of the Oppressed .....................................................................................41 The Law of Retribution ..........................................................................................62 III. AMOS AND THE ORACLES AGAINST THE NATIONS ......................................73 The International Situation in Amos’ Day .............................................................75 The Form of the Oracles ........................................................................................77 The Standard of the Oracles ...................................................................................85 The Content of the Oracles ....................................................................................92 IV. AMOS AND SOCIAL INJUSTICE ............................................................................98 Eighth Century Israel .............................................................................................98 A Catalog of Israel’s Crimes................................................................................114 The Identity of the Offenders ...............................................................................149 Summary ..............................................................................................................155 V. CRIME AND PUNISHMENT ...................................................................................159 The Nature of Israel’s Punishment ......................................................................159 The Target of Yahweh’s Punishment ..................................................................172 Summary ..............................................................................................................175 VI. AMOS AND MODERN ETHICS .............................................................................177 Retributive Justice ................................................................................................180 “Wild Justice” ......................................................................................................199 Conclusions ..........................................................................................................211 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................215 vi INTRODUCTION The opening chapters of the book of Amos chronicle the war crimes of six non- Hebrew nations. The Hebrew nations of Judah and Israel fall under Amos’ condemnation as well for various crimes in the domestic sphere. For their wrongs, Yahweh promises punishment by fire, by exile, and/or by extermination. The book continues with a series of oracles and visions which are directed primarily towards Israel (and possibly Judah) while the rest of the nations mainly fade from the scene. Amos describes Israel’s sins more fully, accusing them of economic, judicial, and religious crimes. For its crimes, Amos predicts a punishment that matches in severity that reserved for the foreign nations. In the eyes of Amos, Israel’s wrongs, though of a different nature, were of the same degree as the war crimes of the nations. The nature of Amos’ accusations and his condemnations potentially presents several
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