SODOMY A HISTORY OF A CHRISTIAN BIBLICAL MYTH BibleWorld Series Editor: Philip R. Davies, University of Shefeld BibleWorld shares the fruits of modern (and postmodern) biblical scholarship not only among practitioners and students, but also with anyone interested in what academic study of the Bible means in the twenty-rst century. It explores our ever-increasing knowledge and understanding of the social world that produced the biblical texts, but also analyses aspects of the bible’s role in the history of our civilization and the many perspectives – not just religious and theological, but also cultural, political and aesthetic – which drive modern biblical scholarship. Forthcoming in the series: Yours Faithfully: Virtual Letters from the Bible Edited by: Philip R. Davies Israel’s History and the History of Israel Mario Liverani The Apostle Paul and His Letters Edwin D. Freed The Morality of Paul’s Converts Edwin D. Freed The Origins of the ‘Second’ Temple: Persian Imperial Policy and the Rebuilding of Jerusalem Diana Edelman An Introduction to the Bible (Revised edition) John Rogerson SODOMY A HISTORY OF A CHRISTIAN BIBLICAL MYTH MICHAEL CARDEN Published by Equinox Publishing Ltd. UK: Unit 6, The Village, 101 Amies St., London, SW11 2JW USA: DBBC, 28 Main Street, Oakville, CT 06779 www.equinoxpub.com First published 2004 © Michael Carden 2004 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Carden, Michael, 1952- Sodomy : a history of a Christian biblical myth / Michael Carden.--1st ed. p. cm. -- (Bibleworld) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-904768-29-6 (hardcover) -- ISBN 1-904768-30-X (pbk.) 1. Bible. O.T. Genesis XIX--Criticism, interpretation, etc.--History. 2. Bible. O.T. Judges XIX-XXI--Criticism, interpretation, etc.--History. 3. Homosexuality--Religious aspects--Christianity--History of doctrines. 4. Homosexuality--Religious aspects--Judaism--History of doctrines. I. Title. II. Bible world (London, England) BS1238.H66C37 2004 222'.1106--dc22 ISBN-10 1-9047-6829-6 (hardback) ISBN 1-9047-6830-X (paperback) ISBN-13 978-1-90476-829-6 (hardback) ISBN 978-1-90476-830-2 (paperback) Typeset by CA Typesetting, www.sheffieldtypesetting.com Printed and bound in Great Britain by Lightning Source UK Ltd., Milton Keynes and Lightning Source Inc., La Vergne, TN eISBN: 1845534751 Sodomy, fellatio, cunnilingus, pederasty Father! why do these words sound so nasty? ‘Sodomy’, from the musical, Hair There are two crimes that would merit death – murder and sodomy. For either of these crimes I would wish to confine the criminal till an oppor- tunity offered to deliver him as a prisoner to the natives of New Zealand, and let them eat him. The dread of this will operate much stronger than the fear of death. Arthur Phillip, first governor of the convict colony at Sydney Cove 1788–92 [cited Johnston and Johnston, 1988: 87] CONTENTS Acknowledgements ix Abbreviations xi Chapter 1 INTRODUCING SODOM/OLOG/Y: A HOMOSEXUAL READING HETERO-TEXTUALITY 1 1. Motivation: Suicide, Biblical Studies and Social Control 1 2. Reception, Intertextuality, Readers and Politics 2 3. Introducing Sodom and Gibeah 5 4. Assumptions and Objectives 9 5. In Closing 12 Chapter 2 READING SODOM AND GIBEAH 14 1. Disaster, Civil War and Rape 14 2. A Tale of Two Cities 15 3. Further Exploring Rape, Homophobia and the Sin of Sodom 29 4. Conclusion 39 Chapter 3 A SHARED HERITAGE – SODOM AND GIBEAH IN TEMPLE TIMES 42 1. A Prior World of Temples and Texts 42 2. Scriptural Reflections on Sodom and Gibeah 43 3. Philosophy, History and Commentary 61 4. Conclusion 76 Chapter 4 BUT THE MEN OF SODOM WERE WORSE THAN THE MEN OF GIBEAH FOR THE MEN OF GIBEAH ONLY WANTED SEX: SODOM THE CRUEL, GIBEAH AND RABBINIC JUDAISM 79 1. Of Deltas and Backwaters 79 2. In Those Days When There Was No King in Israel 81 viii Sodomy: A History of a Christian Biblical Myth 3. The Men of Sodom Have No Portion in the World to Come 86 4. Conclusion 113 Chapter 5 TOWARDS SODOMY: SODOM AND GIBEAH IN THE CHRISTIAN ECUMEN 116 1. Rehearsing Sodomy 116 2. The Evil City, Strange House Guests, Spiritual Models 116 3. Sodom the Sexual City, Developing Sodomy 123 4. From Inhospitality to Homoeroticism 128 5. And Gibeah? 154 6. Conclusion 160 Chapter 6 THE SIN THAT ARROGANTLY PROCLAIMS ITSELF: INVENTING SODOMY IN MEDIEVAL CHRISTENDOM 164 1. A Homophobic Project 164 2. A Textual Matrix – Penitentials and Commentaries 165 3. Peter Damian and the Invention of Sodomy 174 4. Peter Cantor and the Sodomitic Vice 180 5. Thomas Aquinas 183 6. Nicholas De Lyra 185 7. Conclusion 192 Chapter 7 CONCLUSION: DETOXIFYING SODOM AND GOMORRAH 194 Bibliography 199 Index of References 218 Index of Authors 224 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This book began as a dissertation for my PhD in the Studies in Religion Department at the University of Queensland and I want first to thank my principal supervisor, Professor Edgar Conrad, for his invaluable support, advice and guidance. Thanks must also go to his partner, Dr Linda Conrad, for her own support and hospitality. I also want to acknowledge my associate supervisor, Professor Philip Almond, now head of the School of History, Philosophy, Religion and Classics and the support of the School that enabled me to transform the dissertation to a book. I am also very grateful to Philip Davies for his editorial assistance and to Equinox for bringing the book to publication. I must also acknowledge the assistance of several faculty colleagues in translation matters. Professor Michael Lattke's translation of a crucial pas- sage in Syriac proved invaluable. David Luckensmeyer confirmed my trans- lation of a fifth-century Christian, Greek-language text. The greater part of untranslated texts with which I worked, however, were medieval Latin texts including the extensive commentaries of Nicholas of Lyra. My work on these texts was dependent on the very generous assistance of Dr Keith Atkinson from the Romance languages department, now retired. Very special thanks must go to Rabbi Z. Cohen, the former Jewish chap- lain at the University of Queensland, for his generosity in introducing me to various aspects of traditional Jewish biblical interpretation. I also want to acknowledge the role of the H-Judaic Jewish Studies email list in helping me clarify various aspects of rabbinic texts, most of which I only access in translation. In particular, thanks must go to Anna Urowitz-Freudenstein, the moderator of the H-Judaic List, together with Ulrich Berzbach, Ben Begleiter, E. Pellow, Yoel Kahn, Admiel Kosman, Israel Sandman and Jonathan Schofer, whose answers to my questions relating to the original Hebrew of texts I worked with in translation and other matters proved most helpful and enlightening. While I have mostly lurked there, I must also acknowledge that the Donmeh West Kabbalah lists of Reb Yakov Leib HaKohain have provided me, a Gentile, with important insights into aspects of Jewish tradition. x Sodomy: A History of a Christian Biblical Myth The time spent completing a dissertation and bringing it to publication often fluctuates between poverty and, if not plenty, then sufficiency. Towards the end it seems like it is mostly poverty that predominates and so it is important to thank many people who helped me through various critical moments. Both my mother, Betty Carden, and my sister, Mary Carden, together with Sue Kentlyn, Majella Franzmann, Ayana Craven, Roland Boer, Marie Porter and Wai Kin Chan, came to the rescue in some crucial times. I also have to thank Jason Parker, Amanda Tink, Geoff Shang, Ann Burlingham, Shayne Wilde, Joseph Nadler, Mark Bahnisch and Gwendolyn Alden Dean. Thanks must also go to Sarah Harward, Benedikte Palings and John Argus for many sanity-saving tea and coffee sessions. I must also thank my housemates Stephen Brown and Colin Griffiths for putting up with me throughout this time. ABBREVIATIONS Except where otherwise indicated all biblical quotations, including the Apocrypha, are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). Hebrew and Greek quotations are from the British and Foreign Bible Society Hebrew Bible, the United Bible Societies Greek New Testament and the Septuagint, the Lancelot Brenton edition (Hendrikson Publishers, 1986). Pseudepigrapha (including Pseudo-Philo) quotes are from Charlesworth's edition (1985) and New Testament Apocrypha quotes from the English translation of Schneemelcher's edition (1974). Quotes from Philo and Josephus are from the Loeb Series editions of their works. Talmudic refer- ences are from the Soncino Press English translation of the Babylonian Talmud. 1 Clem. 1 Clement, First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians 1 Chron. 1 Chronicles 1 Sam. 1 Samuel 2 Pet. 2 Peter 2 Sam. 2 Samuel 3 Macc. 3 Maccabees Asat. The Asatir Abr. De Abrahamo (On Abraham), Philo ARN(A) Abot de Rabbi Nathan, The Fathers According to Rabbi Nathan, Neusner translation of Text A ARN(B) Abot de Rabbi Nathan, The Fathers According to Rabbi Nathan, Version B, Saldarini translation of Text B Ad Fortunatus Exhortation to Martyrdom, to Fortunatus, Cyprian Adv. Haer. Adversus Haereses (Against Heresies), Irenaeus of Lyon Adv. Iud. Adversus Iudaeos (Against the Jews), Tertullian Adv. Marc. Adversus Marcionem (Against Marcion), Tertullian Adv. Oppugn. Adversus oppugnatores vitae monasticae (Against the Opponents of the Monastic Life), John Chrysostom Ant. Antiquitates Judaicae (Jewish Antiquities), Josephus Apoc. Paul Apocalypse of Paul Apost. Const. Constitutions of the Holy Apostles BDB F. Brown, S.R. Driver and C. A. Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1907) xii Sodomy: A History of a Christian Biblical Myth Bieler The Irish Penitentials War De bello Judaico (The Jewish War), Josephus Can.