Dismal Depictions of Jerusalem and Her Transformation in the Book of Isaiah

Zurich Open Repository and Archive University of Zurich Main Library Strickhofstrasse 39 CH-8057 Zurich www.zora.uzh.ch Year: 2016 Dismal depictions of Jerusalem and her transformation in the Book of Isaiah Mohammad, Zafer Posted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich ZORA URL: https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-204724 Dissertation Published Version Originally published at: Mohammad, Zafer. Dismal depictions of Jerusalem and her transformation in the Book of Isaiah. 2016, University of Zurich, Faculty of Theology. Dismal Depictions of Jerusalem and Her Transformation in the Book of Isaiah INAUGURAL – DISSERTATION zur Erlangung der Doktorwürde der Theologischen Fakultät der Universität Zürich in Theologie vorgelegt von Zafer Mohammed aus Palästina August 2016 Die Theologische Fakultät genehmigt auf Antrag von Prof. Dr. Konrad Schmid die vorliegende Dissertation, ohne damit zu den darin ausgesprochenen Anschauungen Stellung zu nehmen. Zürich, den 16. Dezember 2016 Der Dekan: Prof. Dr. Jörg Frey Contents Foreword……………………………………………………………………………..……………1 Chapter 1. Introduction 1.1 Background……………………………………………………………………………………3 1.2 Review of Scholarship…………………………………………..……..…...............................7 1.3 Purpose and Summary of the Chapters………...…..…………………….………………......13 1.4 Notes about the Methodology …………………………………………...…………………..14 2. Jerusalem and Her Dismal Portraits 2.1 Background…………………………………………………….…………………………….18 2.2 Jerusalem as a Prophetic Vision………………………………...…………………...............23 2.3 Zion Tradition in the Book of Isaiah………………….………………….…………………..31 2.4 Major Motifs of Jerusalem in Her Former Times……………………………………....……58 2.5 Dismal Depictions of Jerusalem………………………………………...…………………...63 2.5.1 Daughter Zion: Isolated and Besieged…………………………………………………65 2.5.2 Jerusalem‘s and Her Links to Sodom and Gomorrah………………………………...105 2.5.3 Jerusalem and Her Whoredom………………………………………………..............129 2.5.4 The Emptying of Jerusalem………..………………………………………………....143 2.5.5 Haughty Daughters of Jerusalem…………………………….……..………………...152 2.5.6 Lamenting Gates of Jerusalem……………………………..………............................160 2.5.7 Descending of Jerusalem‘s Populace to Sheol………………………..……………....167 2.5.8 Yahweh as Zion‘s Adversary ………………………………….……..………………176 2.5.9 Confronting the Idols of Jerusalem……………………………………..…………….184 2.5.10 Jerusalem, the City of Chaos……………………………………..……………..…..190 2.5.11 Jerusalem‘s Rulers and the Covenant with Death…………………….……….…….203 2.5.12 Sorrow and Mourning in Jerusalem………………………………….…….………..213 2.5.13 Fearful Sinners in Jerusalem……………………………………………….….…….224 2.5.14 Destruction of Jerusalem and Her Holy Temple………………………………..……236 3. Jerusalem’s Transformation 3:1 Background……………………………………………………….…………………….….244 3.2 Features of the Restored Jerusalem………………………………………………………...245 3.3. Dialogue between the Former and New Times of Jerusalem……………….…………….247 3.3.1 From Isolation to Life, Fragility to Strength in Jerusalem……………………………247 3.3.2 Temple of Jerusalem: From Destruction to Rebuilding…………………..…………..255 3.3.3 Leadership‘s Transformation in Jerusalem………………………….………..………270 3.3.4 Jerusalem: From Abhorrent Names to New Ones………………….……...…………275 3.3.5 Zion: From Deportation to Return…………………………………….…….………. 287 3.3.6 Desolate Gates Become Vigorous Ones in Jerusalem…………………….……….....293 3.3.7 End of Divine Resentment; Prevalence of Reconciliation in Zion……….……..……296 3.3.8 Yahweh: From Distressing Jerusalem to Protecting Her………………….…….........302 of Yahweh in Zion………….………..………......307 ‖פְדויֵי― become the ‖חַחָאִים― Zion‘s 3.3.9 3.3.10 Zion: From Threats to Yahweh‘s Deliverance…………………………..…….….…310 4. Conclusion…………………………………….…………………………...…..……………316 Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………...……….334 Foreword Inspired by Jerusalem‘s enticing appeal and splendid magic, Mark Twain writes in The Innocents Abroad: ―The sights are too many. They swarm about you at every step; no single foot of ground in all Jerusalem or within its neighborhood seems to be without a stirring and important history of its own.‖1 Twain‘s words make the reader imagine Jerusalem like an eternal vessel which contains so many pivotal parts of humanity‘s expanded history. This history has been a witness on different occasions either to an astounding emergence or a staggering decline of cities or nations. Challenging any circumstances which might lead to evanescence and demise, there are just a few cities or nations which have continued to retain their viability, visibility, and perpetuity for an expanded period of time. This success in retaining a sense of ―earthly eternity‖ could be perfectly related to the experience of the holy city of Jerusalem. In this context, Jerusalem can be rightly considered an extraordinary city because she has continued to maintain her abundant religious, theological, political, and social magnitude and appeal for more than three millennia. Astoundingly, Jerusalem‘s significance has continued and even increased throughout the centuries - despite changing contexts, events, and milieus. Even when the city was laid in ruins or when she was far removed from the locus of political gravity or economic affluence, she has impressively retained her conspicuous prominence throughout the numerous utterances about her in the biblical narratives. These narratives which describe the holy city‘s histories, comment on her unique stature, mourn her sheer destruction, and rejoice her new life all have perpetuated the the memory of Jerusalem and its passionate history and importance over time. The biblical narratives and narrations have kept alive over the years, through the millennia, a concern for her plight as well as burning yearning for her imminent deliverance and restoration. They appear to have immortalized the name of Jerusalem so that it has been kept with a grand reverence in the niche of eternity. Many of these biblical references, especially the ones in the book of Isaiah, do not seem to be mainly interested in providing a mere account of the city‘s former histories or the stories of her walls and kings. However, these references appear to expose foundational elements which are related to the expansive and the complex theological experience of biblical Israel and her longstanding relationship and encounter with Yahweh. Thus, they create sufficient spaces for contemplations on biblical Israel‘s progressing conversation/dialogue with Yahweh by which Jerusalem enjoys such a pivotal position in this covenantal relationship. In the book of Isaiah, for instance, Yahweh is strongly connected to Jerusalem because he has laid a firm foundation in 1 Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad (New York: Oxford University Press, 1996), 582. 1 Zion (28:16). A new creation and a new cosmic order shall emerge out of the sorrows of the former Jerusalem (2:3 and 51:3). Similar perspectives also appear in the Psalms. Psalm 78:68-69 speaks about Yahweh who chose Mount Zion, and he built his sanctuary there ―like the high heavens, like the earth, which he established forever.‖ Yahweh himself resides and dwells in the holy city according to Psalm 78:68 and 132:13. It is no wonder then that Jerusalem occupies such a pivotal position in this constant dialogue between the abodes of heaven and the realms of earth. This concern for Jerusalem pervades the chapters of the book of Isaiah and so the book is considered a major proponent of the biblical tradition known as Zion tradition which is celebrating Jerusalem‘s prominence, eminence, and centrality. This study endeavors to conduct an exegetical engagement with the images/portraits of Jerusalem found in the book of Isaiah in order to bring into high relief her significance, centrality, the foundations of her theology, and the development of her references throughout the time. The study basically addresses the question: why and how has Jerusalem been so central in the book of Isaiah? To thoroughly respond to this question, the study exegetically examines and investigates the dismal and promising images of Jerusalem (i.e. her former and new times) with a special eye on the city‘s transformation from the abodes of a dire past to the habitations of a new future throughout the chapters of Isaiah. The implications of Jerusalem‘s transformation as well as its correlations with other topics in the book of Isaiah shall be lucidly discerned and explicated. 2 Chapter ONE Introduction What makes Jerusalem unique is the heady mix in one place of centuries of passion and gossip, kingdom-threatening wars and petty squabbles, architectural magnificence and bizarre relics, spiritual longing and political nastiness. Simon Goldhill, Jerusalem: City of Longing2 1:1 Background For Seitz, the book of Isaiah grew out of a concern to understand and then disclose Zion‘s final destiny.3 The articulations and the presentations of this concern are manifested in the book of Isaiah through the production of numerous literary portraits about Jerusalem which exhibit altogether the city‘s promising future as well as her dire past. Subsequently, these many and sometimes conflicting depictions capture different threads of Jerusalem‘s multifaceted presence in Isaiah. For example, in her most dismal times, Jerusalem has been called a ―whore‖ (1:21), the vulnerable and besieged city (1:8), the ruined city (3:26), and the city of chaos (24:10). Moreover, Jerusalem had devoted herself in vain to her collections of idols (57:13). Corruption was prevalent in the milieu of the holy city (1:22-23). To judge her, Yahweh had besieged and distressed her (29-1-3).

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