The Catholic Biblical Quarterly Monograph Series 45 BBosworthosworth CC.indd.indd i 11/7/2009/7/2009 11:05:45:05:45 PPMM EDITORIAL BOARD Mark S. Smith, Chairperson Lawrence E. Boadt, C.S.P. Richard J. Clifford, S.J. John J. Collins Frederick W. Danker Robert A. Di Vito Daniel J. Harrington, S.J. Ralph W. Klein Léo Laberge, O.M.I. Bruce J. Malina Pheme Perkins Eugene C. Ulrich Ronald D. Witherup, S.S. BBosworthosworth CC.indd.indd iiii 11/7/2009/7/2009 11:06:07:06:07 PPMM The Story within a Story in Biblical Hebrew Narrative BY David A. Bosworth The Catholic Biblical Quarterly Monograph Series 45 BBosworthosworth CC.indd.indd iiiiii 11/7/2009/7/2009 11:06:07:06:07 PPMM © 2008 The Catholic Biblical Association of America, Washington, DC 20064 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the Catholic Biblical Association of America. Produced in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Bosworth, David Alan, 1972- The story within a story in biblical Hebrew narrative / by David A. Bosworth. — 1st ed. p. cm. — (The Catholic Biblical quarterly monograph series ; 45) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-915170-44-2 (alk. paper) 1. Narration in the Bible. 2. Mise en abyme (Narration) 3. Bible. O.T. Genesis XXXVIII—Criticism, interpretation, etc. 4. Bible. O.T. Samuel, 1st, XXV—Criticism, interpretation, etc. 5. Bible. O.T. Kings, 1st, XIII—Criticism, interpretation, etc. I. Title. II. Series. BS521.7.B67 2008 221.6'6—dc22 BBosworthosworth CC.indd.indd iivv 11/7/2009/7/2009 11:06:07:06:07 PPMM Contents PREFACE • vii 1. THE MISE-EN-ABYME • 1 Defi nition, Types, and Criteria • 3 Non-examples: What is not a Mise-en-abyme • 17 The Mise-en-abyme at Work: Examples in Detail • 20 Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians • 21 William Shakespeare’s Hamlet • 23 Homer’s Iliad • 28 Apuleius’ Golden Ass • 32 Conclusion • 35 2. GENESIS 38 • 37 The Problem • 38 Genesis 38 in Context: Toward the Mise-en-abyme • 44 Genesis 38 as Mise-en-abyme • 48 Problem • 51 Crime • 53 Deception • 56 Recognition of Deception • 58 Confession and Resolution • 60 Mise-en-abyme: Pattern of Repetition • 62 Conclusion • 66 3. 1 SAMUEL 25 • 70 1 Samuel 25 in Context: Toward the Mise-en-abyme • 72 1 Samuel 25 as Mise-en-abyme • 83 David Does Good • 88 v BBosworthosworth CC.indd.indd v 11/7/2009/7/2009 11:06:07:06:07 PPMM vi · Contents David Receives Evil • 92 David Declines Vengeance • 102 Yhwh Vindicates David • 106 Mise-en-abyme: Pattern of Repetition • 109 Conclusion • 112 4. 1 KINGS 13 • 118 1 Kings 13 in Context: Toward the Mise-en-abyme • 119 1 Kings 13 as Mise-en-abyme • 130 Mutual Hostility • 133 Friendship and Alliance • 137 Reversal • 143 Resumption of Hostility • 145 Southern Partner Saves Northern One • 147 Mise-en-abyme: Pattern of Repetition • 149 Conclusion • 151 5. CONCLUSION • 158 The Biblical Mises-en-abyme • 158 Typology • 158 Criteria • 160 BIBLIOGRAPHY • 166 INDEX OF SCRIPTURE • 187 INDEX OF NON-BIBLICAL SOURCES • 195 INDEX OF MODERN AUTHORS • 197 BBosworthosworth CC.indd.indd vvii 11/7/2009/7/2009 11:06:07:06:07 PPMM Preface Biblical narrative frequently employs various kinds of repetition and narrative analogy. The present work concerns a specifi c kind of nar- rative analogy or repetition involving a story within a story called the mise-en-abyme. The mise-en-abyme is a device in which a part redu- plicates the whole. The most famous example is the play within the play in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The embedded play duplicates the main aspects of the drama in which it occurs (regicide, the murderer seduces the queen, the regicide will be avenged). Certain biblical passages also duplicate the larger narratives in which they occur. I will discuss Genesis 38, 1 Samuel 25, and 1 Kings 13 as stories within stories, more specifi cally as mises-en-abyme. All three chapters have presented commentators with the diffi culty that they appear to be interruptions of the larger narratives that envelope them. The fi rst chapter will discuss the mise-en-abyme (what it is, how to recognize it). The next three chapters will show how each of the three biblical passages noted above are mises-en-abyme within their contexts and indicate some consequences for this interpretation. The conclusion will relate the biblical examples of the device to the wider discussion of the theory of the mise-en-abyme. This work is a dramatic revision and rewriting of my doctoral disser- tation originally completed under the direction of Michael O’Connor at The Catholic University of America. Several people made my years of study at CUA possible and profi table. Michael is fi rst among these. Sadly, he died unexpectedly in the summer of 2007 and did not live to see this revision of the fi rst thesis he directed at CUA. Those who knew him know what the world has lost. He excelled in the various dimen- sions of his work. He was a patient pedagogue to students, a fruitful researcher to the academy, a tireless editor to writers, an amicable col- vii BBosworthosworth CC.indd.indd vviiii 11/7/2009/7/2009 11:06:07:06:07 PPMM viii · The Story within a Story in Biblical Hebrew Narrative league to fellow faculty, and an excellent mentor and advisor to those of us fortunate enough to have studied with him. More precious than his professional qualities were his personal virtues. His sincere care and concern for others informed the whole of his life. It made him a good teacher and a good friend. One of my last emails to him asked his advice on a range of issues. I concluded my exhaustive requests with the remark, “I guess you can stop being my mentor when you are dead.” I had no idea that day was so near. He lived to answer every one of my questions. He spent his last days as he spent every day: con- cerned for other people, especially his students. This work is dedicated .(Kgs 13:30 1) ויספדו עליו הוי אחי :to his memory Others also contributed to my studies at Catholic University. I would especially like to acknowledge Alexander A. Di Lella, Francis Gignac, Joseph Fitzmyer, Christopher Begg, Joseph Jensen, Francis Maloney, Sydney Griffi th, and Monica Blanchard. The two reviewers for the CBQ Monograph Series provided helpful feedback on an earlier draft. I also thank Mark Smith for his editorial work on the manuscript. I can think of no higher praise than to say that his editorship of this series is “O’Connoresque.” I also wish to thank my parents, Barry and Nancy Bosworth and especially my wife, Britt Silkey, a woman .(Sam 25:3 1) טובת־ שׂכל ויפת תאר BBosworthosworth CC.indd.indd vviiiiii 11/7/2009/7/2009 11:06:07:06:07 PPMM CHAPTER ONE The Mise-en-Abyme A mise-en-abyme is a device in which a part reduplicates the whole. The term has become current in literary studies since it was introduced by the French novelist and critic André Gide.1 The play within the play in Shakespeare’s Hamlet represents the classic example of the device. Hamlet stages a play that parallels the action of Hamlet. Although the term occasionally surfaces in the discipline, “no full length treatment of the mise en abyme has been conducted within biblical studies.”2 The present work seeks to fi ll this gap. I will argue that biblical Hebrew narrative includes three mises-en-abyme, specifi cally Genesis 38, 1 Samuel 25, and 1 Kings 13. I am not convinced that there are any additional examples. All three of these stories duplicate the larger con- texts in which they occur. In each case, scholars have had diffi culty fi t- ting the stories into their contexts and have not fully appreciated how the stories refl ect their surrounding narratives. The story of Judah and Tamar encapsulates the larger narrative of Joseph and his brothers. Joseph and Tamar are parallel characters. Each is the victim of a crime perpetrated by family members. Each suf- fers alienation from the family and resorts to deception as a means of restoring their circumstances. Genesis 38 therefore emerges as a micro- 1 The phrase literally means “placement in abyss.” The term is normally spelled as given above, but some writers omit the hyphens, and others write abîme for abyme. The fi rst spelling is the more common French spelling of “abyss,” but the second spell- ing, used by Gide, is also permissible. The French term is related to other mise-en-x terms in French, such as mise-en-scène (in the theatrical arts, staging), mise-en-page (in typography, page-setting), and mise-en-place (in the culinary arts, the collection and preparation of ingredients). 2 Joshua A. Berman, Narrative Analogy in the Hebrew Bible: Battle Stories and Their Equivalent Non-battle Narratives (VTSup 103; Leiden: Brill, 2004) 25. 1 BBosworthosworth CC.indd.indd 1 11/7/2009/7/2009 11:06:07:06:07 PPMM 2 · The Story within a Story in Biblical Hebrew Narrative cosm of the larger story of Genesis 37–50 rather than an unrelated interruption in the narrative. The story of David and Nabal in 1 Samuel 25 similarly duplicates its larger context in 1 Sam 13:1–2 Sam 5:3.