DISSERTATION / DOCTORAL THESIS Titel der Dissertation /Title of the Doctoral Thesis „Conflict and Reconciliation in the First Chosen Family: A Study on Genesis 12-50“ verfasst von / submitted by Sahaya Thatheus Thomas angestrebter akademischer Grad / in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doktor der Theologie (Dr. theol.) Vienna, 2016 Studienkennzahl lt. Studienblatt / A 780 011 degree programme code as it appears on the student record sheet: Dissertationsgebiet lt. Studienblatt / Katholische Theologie field of study as it appears on the student record sheet: Betreut von / Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ludger Schwienhorst-Schönberger Conflict and Reconciliation in the First Chosen Family: A Study on Gen 12-50 Mag. theol. Thomas Sahaya Thatheus Abstract: Reconciliation is one of theimportant themes in the Bible. While acknowledging the reality of conflict in the patriarchs' interactions with different individuals, the patriarchal narratives emphasise the importance of reconciliation. Interestingly, these narratives are not mainly intended to be the stories or biographies of individual persons; rather they are meant to narrate the national history of Israel and Israel's interaction with her surrounding nations. Since family was the basic social unit in ancient Israel, family-story-telling technique was used in the patriarchal narratives to tell the history of Israel - her relation with the surrounding nations, and the relationship among the twelve tribes of Israel. That would mean that the patriarchs' conflicts with heads/patriarchs of other nations are Israel's conflicts with other nations, and the conflict among the sons of Jacob (Gen 37-50) is the conflict between Israel and Judah. Therefore, these narratives need to be investigated at two levels: micro and macro. At micro level this project investigates the question: what do these narratives say about the individual in his/her own rights, and what insights do they contribute to the theme? At macro level it investigates the question: what do these stories say about Israel and her relation to the surrounding nations. While investigating these questions, this project tries to show the human and divine dimension in a true reconciliation process - that human relationship keeps evolving to its maturity through an on-going process of reconciliation; and behind this process there is the hidden hand of God, which uses both the evil and the good deeds of men in a mysterious way, in order to chasten the human characters and to enable them to work out a process of reconciliation, and to redefine their relationship in a way that would foster peace, harmony and growth. Konflikt und Versöhnung in der Erstelternserzählungen: eine Studie über Genesis 12-50 Mag. theol. Thomas Sahaya Thatheus Abstrakt Versöhnung ist eines der wichtigsten Themen in der Bibel. Anerkennend die Realität des Konflikts, betonen die Erstelternserzählungen der Wichtigkeit von Versöhnung. Interessanterweise sind diese Erzählungen nicht die Geschichten oder Biographien der einzelnen Personen zu sein; sie sind viel mehr die Geschichte Israels, in dem erzählen sie Israels Beziehung mit ihren umliegenden Völker. Da Familie die grundlegende soziale Einheit im alten Israel war, wurde in dieser Erzählungen die Familien-Erzähl-Technik verwendet, um die Geschichte von Israel zu erzählen. Das heißt, die Erstelternskonflikte mit den Leitern oder mit den Väter der anderen Völkern sind, sind Israels Konflikt mit diesen Völkern; und der Konflikt unter den Söhnen Jakobs (Gen 37-50) ist, ist der Konflikt zwischen Israel und Judah. Daher müssen diese Erzählungen auf zwei Ebenen untersucht werden: Mikro und Makro. Auf der Mikroebene untersucht dieses Projekt die Frage: Was sagen diese Erzählungen über das Einzelnen, und welche Erkenntnisse tragen sie zu dem Thema? Auf der Makroebene untersucht das Projekt die Frage: Was diese Geschichten über Israel und Israels Beziehung mit umlegenden Völkern sagen. Zusammen mit diesen Fragenbeweist dieses Projekt die menschliche und göttliche Dimension in Versöhnungsprozeß. Es zeigt, daß die menschliche Beziehung sich entwickelt durch ein Prozeß der Versöhnung; und hinter diesem Prozeß gibt es die verborgene Hand Gottes, die guten und bösen Taten der Menschen auf mysteriöse Weise, um die menschlichen Charaktere zu züchtigen und zu ermöglichen, einen Prozeß der Versöhnung zu arbeiten, das pflegen Frieden, Harmonie und Wachstum in menschliche Beziehung. Declaration I declare that this thesis embodies the result of my own work that it has been composed by me and that it does not include work that has been presented for a degree by others in this or any other university, except pp. 91-114, which is a summary of my own Master thesis, "Wrestling with God: Atonement and Reconciliation (Gen 32-33)." All quotations and the work and opinions of others have been acknowledged in the main text or footnotes. i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This project would not have been possible without the support and the help of many people. First and foremost, I am grateful to God for His blessing. I thank very specially Univ. Prof. Dr. Ludger Schwienhorst-Schönberger for his guidance and for his supervision of the project for its successful completion. I thank Mrs. Glenda Turkowitsch for taking her valuable time for correcting the spellings and the grammatical errors. I thank the Archdiocese of Vienna and the team of ARGE AAG, especially Mag. Alexander Kraljic. for being the funding body for my studies. I also remember the two parishes, Schwechat and Retz, where I had the privilege of doing some pastoral ministry and at the same time do my studies, both my diploma and my doctorate. Thanks to all those who encouraged me through their prayer and encouragement! ii ABBREVIATIONS AAR American Academy of Religion BA Biblical Archaeologist BAIAS Bulletin of the Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society Bib. Biblica BN Biblische Notizen BR Biblical Research BSac Biblotheca Sacra BTB Biblical Theology Bulletin BW The Bible World BZ Biblische Zeitschrift CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly CCC Catechism of the Catholic Church CJ Conservative Judaism ETL Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses HBT Horizons of Biblical Theology HTR Harvard Theological Review ICC International Critical Commentary Int Interpretation JAOS Journal of the American Oriental Society JBC The Jerome Biblical Commentary iii JBL Journal of Biblical Literature JBQ The Jewish Biblical Quarterly JJS Journal of Jewish Studies JNES Journal of Near Eastern Studies JOT Journal of the Old Testament JSOT Journal for the Study of the Old Testament JSOTSup Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement JSS Journal of Semitic Studies MS Mission Studies NCCHS A New Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture NIB The New Interpreter’s Bible NIDOTTE New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis OTE Old Testament Essays ÖB Ökumenische Bibelwoche PRS Perspectives in Religious Studies RQ Restoration Quarterly SEA Svensk Exegetisk Arsbok ThWAT Theologisches Wörterbuch zum Alten Testament VT Vetus Testamentum WTJ Westminster Theological Journal ZThK Zeitschrift für Theologie und Kirche ZAW Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft. CONTENTS Acknowledgments i Abbreviations ii Introduction 1 1. Abraham and His Interaction with the Surrounding Nations 7 1.1. Abram’s Interaction with Pharaoh 8 1.1.1. Abram and the Famine 9 1.1.1.1. Abram’s Reaction to the Famine 9 1.1.1.2. Abram’s Fear and His Plan 11 1.1.1.3. Egypt’s Reaction to Sarai's Beauty 14 1.1.2. Pharaoh Suffers Plague and Confronts Abram 15 1.1.2.1. Yahweh’s Intervention 16 1.1.2.2. Pharaoh Confronts Abram 18 1.1.2.3. The Expulsion of Abram from Egypt 19 1.1.3. Gen 12:10-20 Foreshadows Israel’s Story in Egypt 20 1.1.4. Additional Motives of the Story in Gen 12:10-20 22 1.2. Abram’s Interaction with Lot, the Patriarch of Moab and Ammon 24 1.2.1. The Dispute and the Separation of Lot from Abram 25 1.2.2. Renewal of the Promise, and Abram’s Settlement in Mamre 28 1.2.3. Lot and his Family Rescued 29 1.2.3.1. Abram Rescues Lot and his Household 30 1.2.3.2. Abram’s Intercession for Lot and for His Family 31 1.2.4. Lot as the Patriarch of Moab and Ammon 32 1.2.4.1. The Birth of Moab and Ammon 34 1.2.4.2. Israel’s Relationship with Moab 34 1.2.4.3. Israel’s Relationship with Ammon 36 1.3. Abraham and Abimelech, Israel and Philistine 38 1.3.1. Sarah in Abimelech's Harem 39 1.3.2. Divine Intervention and the Warning to Abimelech 41 1.3.3. Abimelech’s Response to the Divine Warning 44 1.3.4. The Covenant between Abraham and Abimelech 48 1.3.5. The Abraham-Abimelech Episode as an Allegory to David’s Relationship with the Philistine 50 1.3.5.1. Resemblances between Gen 20 and 1 Sam 25 51 1.3.5.2. The Abraham-Abimelech’s Treaty as an Apology for David’s Pact with the Philistines 53 1.4. Sarah’s Rivalry with Hagar and Ishmael 54 1.4.1. Hagar’s Flight and Ishmael’s Birth 55 1.4.1.1. Hagar’s Flight into the Wilderness 55 1.4.1.2. Hagar Is Sent Back to her Mistress 61 1.4.1.3. The Birth of Ishmael 65 1.4.2. Hagar and Ishmael Are Cast out from Abraham's House 66 1.4.2.1. The Expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael 66 1.4.3. Hagar’s Second Encounter with the Deity in the Wilderness 70 1.4.4. Parallels to Hagar-Ishmael’s Stories in Exodus 72 2. Conflict and Reconciliation in the Jacob Narrative 77 2.1. Interaction between Jacob and Esau, and Israel and Edom 78 2.1.1. Development of Conflict between Jacob and Esau 79 2.1.1.1. The Birth of Two Nations in the Birth of Two Sons 79 2.1.1.2.