LITERARY AND LINGUISTIC STUDIES IN SEFER BIL vAM (NUMBERS 22–24) A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Cornell University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Clinton John Moyer August 2009 © 2009 Clinton John Moyer LITERARY AND LINGUISTIC STUDIES IN SEFER BIL vAM (NUMBERS 22–24) Clinton John Moyer, Ph.D. Cornell University 2009 This dissertation’s holistic approach to Sefer Bil vam , applied in the course of its philological and literary treatments of the text, yields significant new observations that stand in dialogue with the lengthy established discourse on this pericope. In the first portion of the study, a considerable number of individual linguistic peculiarities receive close attention, and contribute collectively toward a demonstration of style- switching and setting-switching as devices operative in the text. The study’s second part moves beyond these features, first treating the minutiae of the pericope’s literary mechanics, and then turning to the larger tropes and patterns operative not only within this text, but also between it and other portions of the biblical corpus. Ultimately, this research highlights the richness, complexity, and subtlety of Sefer Bil vam as a sophisticated literary unit, and demonstrates that literary and linguistic approaches are crucial for accessing the totality of such material’s intrinsic meaning. In addition, however, it re-engages prior discourse by providing a new perspective from which to evaluate longstanding questions about this pericope’s date of composition and historical context. Specifically, it points to the conclusion that this is a Judahite text from the 8th century BCE, whose content draws on Gileadite Balaam traditions that penetrated into Judah as a consequence of Assyrian incursions into the region under Tiglath-Pileser III (744–727 BCE). BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Clinton John Moyer completed his undergraduate study in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Washington in 2000. As an undergraduate, he was a Dorot Fellow and a two-time Mary Gates Fellow. An excerpt from his senior thesis, entitled “An Examination of the Ugaritic Evidence for Cultural Exchange with Egypt, with an Emphasis on the Linguistic Evidence,” was awarded Second Place (Undergraduate) in the 2001 Society of Biblical Literature Northwest Region Student Paper Competition. His graduate work in Hebrew Bible at Cornell University began in 2002. Upon achieving the degree of Master of Arts in 2005 en route to the completion of his doctorate, he relocated to Chicago to complete his dissertation. He currently works as Senior Imaging Technician for the Persepolis Fortification Archive Project at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, and he and his wife serve as Resident Heads in the university’s Undergraduate Housing System. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My involvement in this field of study owes a great deal to Scott B. Noegel of the University of Washington. His enthusiasm and passion for the material were a profound inspiration to me as an undergraduate, and his nurturing of my interests played a key role in my decision to pursue a graduate career. I always will appreciate his continuing encouragement and support, which remain undiminished. Any postbaccalaureate work would have been a literal impossibility for me if not for the tremendously magnanimous offer of sustained support I received from Cornell University, which enabled me to focus on my studies entirely free of monetary or other concerns. I am sincerely grateful to the institution as a whole, for its overwhelming generosity and for the warm welcome that is has extended to me throughout my time here, and regard every aspect of my connection to it with the utmost affection. It fills me with unspeakable pride to have completed my doctoral work at this peerless institution. The Department of Near Eastern Studies at Cornell is a truly unique environment in which I have been privy not only to world-class scholarship and instruction in all the various disciplines housed there, but also to freely accessible individual attention from every person, on a daily basis throughout my entire course of study. In particular, I am grateful for the opportunities I have had to study with two remarkable scholars, Aicha Rahmouni and Esperanza Alfonso, whose generosity and personal interest in my work have been exemplary from the beginning, and whose continued friendship I treasure. My engagement in the department as a whole also owes much to the warmth of Shawkat Toorawa, who served as Director of Graduate Studies during my coursework, and who frequently made a point of seeking me out and inquiring about both my studies and my overall experience at Cornell. The iv departmental office staff, especially Chris Capalongo, have had a hand in every detail of my graduate study, since without their tireless, cheerful, and expert support the work of the department surely would grind to a shuddering halt. And I have been exceptionally fortunate to serve as a teaching assistant to two truly gifted instructors, Esther J. Hamori and Tamir Sorek, both of whom have conveyed a tremendous wealth of illuminating insights into the education process, and have ceaselessly encouraged me in my own work. Above all, it is to the members of my doctoral committee that I am most profoundly grateful. I am deeply indebted first and foremost to Gary A. Rendsburg, whose tremendous personal investment in my success as his student, evident in the hundreds of hours he has devoted to training and working with me one-on-one, may be the single force most responsible for my academic success. I am honored to regard him, with great pleasure and heartfelt sincerity, as both mentor and friend. Likewise, it has been a true privilege to study under David I. Owen, who has instilled in me a hunger and excitement for the continual infusion of new data into my consideration of the topics at hand, whatever they may be, and whose fathomless knowledge and expertise have been indispensible resources during my time as his student. My countless meetings with Kimberley J. Haines-Eitzen have served collectively as the impetus for some of my greatest intellectual growth, and her undivided attention during those conversations has never failed to inspire in me the sense that my own learning and academic pursuits are of tremendous value and import not just for me, but for her as well. And Ross Brann’s ability to engage his students with a phenomenal level of intellectual sophistication and attention to detail is matched only by his gift for reminding them of their talents and successes, and for providing critical guidance, whether corrective or of any other kind, that is not only thoughtful but also supportive. To these four teachers, whom I view as representative of the best in their respective v fields, I am indescribably grateful for their instruction, friendship, patience, and belief in my ability. They are to be credited in large part for any positive reception my work may encounter in the academic community (though of course I alone am responsible for its deficiencies). This dissertation has benefited greatly from numerous stimulating and enlightening exchanges with Katherine S. D. Brink, Anne K. Knafl, Eudora Struble, and Courtney Fitzsimmons. John and Cindy Moyer and Harold and Cathy Pace have been, and continue to be, inexhaustible sources of unwavering support, of the kind unique to the best parents. Throughout the writing process, the countless weekly reprieves provided by Jay Munsch have been instrumental both in bolstering my psychological fortitude and in warding off starvation. I also am grateful to the Persepolis Fortification Archive Project, directed by Matthew Stolper, for a work environment that has been both enjoyable and conducive to multitasking, hence invaluable to my forward progress. For their friendship and support, both professional and personal, I thank Thaddeus S. Brink, John Walton-Burnight, Edward Stratford, and Annalisa Azzoni. The challenges of my final year of writing would have been considerably more pronounced if not for the inspiration of the residents of Breckinridge House. And the exuberant joie de vivre displayed every day by our beloved Penny has been an indispensable contributor to my sanity and well-being over the course of my work. Finally, I can never repay the debt of gratitude that I owe Leann Pace, of whose unshakable confidence I strive always to be worthy, and without whom I simply would not have achieved the academic and personal successes I now enjoy. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Biographical Sketch .......................................................................................................iii Acknowledgments ..........................................................................................................iv Table of Contents ..........................................................................................................vii List of Tables ................................................................................................................xii List of Abbreviations ....................................................................................................xiii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................1 Statement of Goals .....................................................................................................1 Primary Concerns of Prior Scholarship