Zurich Open Repository and Archive University of Zurich Main Library Strickhofstrasse 39 CH-8057 Zurich www.zora.uzh.ch Year: 2015 Critical spatiality in Genesis 1-11 Jiang, Zhenshuai Posted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich ZORA URL: https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-204526 Dissertation Published Version Originally published at: Jiang, Zhenshuai. Critical spatiality in Genesis 1-11. 2015, University of Zurich, Faculty of Theology. Critical Spatiality in Genesis 1-11 INAUGURAL – DISSERTATION zur Erlangung der Doktorwürde der Theologischen Fakultät der Universität Zürich in Theologie vorgelegt von Zhenshuai JIANG aus China 2015 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 11. Dezember 2015 Der Dekan: Prof. Dr. Thomas Schlag CONTENTS Part A Introduction……………………………………………………….…...…...…...….….……...1 I. The Study of Space from Plato to the Present…………………….....................................16 1. Classical Thoughts on Space………………………………………....………..……….16 2. Critical Spatiality in the 20th Century……..……………………….……....…..………27 3. Narrative Space…………………………….............................………..….…................32 Part B I. Space in the Priestly Texts................................................................................................37 1. Structure of the Priestly Texts.........................................................................................37 2. Important Concepts Reflected in the Priestly Texts……………….……..….....………41 3. Composition Date of the Priestly Texts and their Social Locus.…….…........................43 4. Narrative Space in the Priestly Texts……………..…………………….……...…..…...47 4.1. God’s Space ………………...………………………….……....….…...…..…48 4.2. The Space of Humanity……………………………………….….........….…..50 I 4.3. Natural Space……………………………………...…..………...….…...……55 II. Physical Space in Genesis 1 and Genesis 6-9..………………………..…...…….….…...57 1. Genesis 1 and Physical Space……………………….…………………….….………...57 1.1. Physical Space in Genesis 1……………………………….….…...…………58 1.2. God’s Physical Space in Genesis 1…………………………….………...…..60 1.3. Humanity’s Physical Space in Genesis 1……………………......…....….…..61 1.4. Natural Physical Space in Genesis 1….……………….................…..………62 2. Genesis 6-9 and Physical Space………………………………..........................…..….64 2.1. Physical Space in Genesis 6-9…..……………….……………….…..……….64 2.2. God’s Physical Space in Genesis 6-9……….….….……………..….......……65 2.3. Humanity’s Physical Space in Genesis 6-9…………..………………....…….66 2.4. Natural Physical Space in Genesis 6-9………………...……………..….……68 III. Conceptual Space in Genesis 1 and Genesis 6-9……………..…....……….…..…….......70 1. Genesis 1 and Conceptual Space……………………………………..….………...…....70 1.1. The Ordered and Well-Structured Cosmos in Genesis 1……….…….......….....71 1.2. Genesis 1 and Universalism…………………………………............…….…....73 1.3. Mythical and Less Mythical Visions of Space………………….............…........76 2. Genesis 6-9 and Conceptual Space……………………….................................................79 2.1. Vertical Cosmic View……………………………….…..……..........................80 2.2. Mythical Space and Less Mythical Space………………..….…….…..….…....81 2.3. Fluid Zone between God and Human Realm…………….…............…..……...87 IV. Symbolic Space in Genesis 1 and Genesis 6-9…………………………………….……..91 1. Symbolic Space in Genesis 1.………………………………..…..…….…….....……….93 1.1. Historical Settings and Priestly Authors …………...…..…..…..……….....……93 1.2. Sociological Location and Symbolic Space…………………….…….…..……..95 II 1.3. The Appropriation of Space………..………………….……….……......………97 1.3.1. Genesis 1 and Genesis 2-3……………………………….….…...…..…….97 1.3.2. Genesis 1 and Psalms………………..…………………….……..….……..98 2. Symbolic Space in Genesis 6-9…………………………..……….…...…...…………..100 2.1. The Aura of the Bow…………………………….……………………….…….100 2.2. Symbolic Practice…………………………………….………………..….…...102 2.3. The Symbolic Space after the Flood……………………………...……...…….104 Part C I. Space in the Non-Priestly Texts of Genesis 1-11………………………………….……...107 1. Structure of Genesis 2-3, 6-9 and Gen 11:1-9……………….………………....…...…107 2. Important Concepts Reflected in Genesis 2-3, 6-9 and Gen 11:1-9.………………..…110 3. Composition Date of Genesis 2-3, 6-9 and Gen 11:1-9………………….………..…..111 4. Narrative Space in Genesis 2-3, 6-9 and Gen 11:1-9…………………….….……...…117 4.1. God’s Space………………………………………………….…….....……….117 4.1.1. God’s Space in Heaven……………………………….………..………..117 4.1.2. God’s Space on Earth……………………………………….…..….……118 4.2. The Space of Humanity………………………………………………..………119 4.3. Natural Space………………………………………………………..….……..121 II. Physical Space in Genesis 2-3, 6-9 and Gen 11:1-9……………………………..……….123 1. Genesis 2-3 and Physical Space……………………………………………..…………123 1.1. The Garden in Eden as Spatial Setting…………………………………………124 1.2. God’s Physical Space in Genesis 2-3…………………………………………..125 III 1.3. Humanity’s Physical Space in Genesis 2-3……………………………...…….129 1.4. Natural Physical Space in Genesis 2-3…………………………...……………131 1.5. Spatial Elements in Gen 2:10-15………………………………………………134 2. Genesis 6-9 and Physical Space……………………………………………………….135 2.1. Physical Space and Spatial Settings in Genesis 6-9……………….……………136 2.2. God’s Physical Space in Genesis 6-9……………………………….…………..137 2.3. Humanity’s Physical Space in Genesis 6-9………………………….………….138 2.4. Natural Physical Space in Genesis 6-9…………………………………………140 3. Genesis 11:1-9 and Physical Space……………………….…………………………...142 3.1. Physical Space in Gen 11:1-9………………………………………………….143 3.2. God’s Physical Space…………………………………………….…...………..145 3.3. Humanity’s Physical Space…………………………………………………….149 3.4. Natural Physical Space………………………………………………..…..……153 III. Conceptual Space in Genesis 2-3, 6-9 and Gen 11:1-9……….................................……156 1. Genesis 2-3 and Conceptual Space…………………………………………….………156 1.1. Horizontal and Vertical Views of the Cosmos……………………….……..…157 1.2. Spatial Relations about the Garden in Eden………………………….………..159 1.2.1. The Relation between the Garden in Eden and the Earthly World…….159 1.2.2. The Relation between God, Humanity and the Garden in Eden….……161 1.3. The Garden in Eden as an “Other” Space…………………………………….161 1.4. Speech and Distance between God and Humanity……………………...……165 1.5. The Spatial Continuity of Genesis 2-3 and Genesis 4………………….…….171 2. Genesis 6-9 and Conceptual Space……………………………………...……………172 2.1. The Structure of the Cosmos………………………………………………….173 2.2. The Scale of the “Earth”………………………………………………….......174 IV 2.3. Earth as a Spatial Focus………………………………………………………176 3. Gen 11:1-9 and Conceptual Space………………..……………………………...……179 3.1. The Tension between God’s Space and Humanity’s Space………….………179 3.2. The Tension between Locative Place and Universal Space…………….……183 3.3. The Tension between City, Tower and the Whole Earth……………….…….185 IV. Symbolic Space in Genesis 2-3, 6-9 and Gen 11:1-9……………………..….….….…187 1. Genesis 2-3 and Symbolic Space…………………………………………….….……188 1.1. The Four Rivers in the Garden (Gen 2:10-14) and Jerusalem…………...….…188 1.1.1. The Four Rivers in Gen 2:10-14……………………………………...…..188 1.1.1.1. Pishon……………………………………………….………….190 1.1.1.2. Gihon……………………………………………...……………190 1.1.1.3. Tigris and Euphrates…………………………….……..………192 1.1.2. The Juxtaposition of Geographical and Non-Geographical Dimension.…193 1.2. Cherubim and Sacred Space………………………………………………...……195 1.3. Garden in Eden and Rebuilding the Temple………………………….……..……197 2. Genesis 6-9 and Symbolic Space……………………………………..….….…..……199 2.1. Symbolic Meanings of Spatial Settings in Gen 7:1-5……………...…..……199 2.2. The Ark as the Center of the World…………………………….….…..……203 2.3. Noah’s Altar and its Symbolic Meaning…………………………….....……206 3. Gen 11:1-9 and Symbolic Space………………………………………………..……209 3.1. The Appropriation of Cities in Genesis 1-11………………………...………210 3.2. The Function of the Tower………………………………………….….……215 3.3. The Diversity of Language and the Diversity of Humanity………....………218 V Part D I. Comparison between Space in Priestly Texts and Space in Non-Priestly Texts of Genesis 1- 11……...…………………………………………………………………………….……....222 1. Genesis 1 and Genesis 2-3………………………………………...………….…………222 1.1. Physical Space…………………………………………………………….…..222 1.2. Conceptual Space……………………………………………………....……...224 1.3. Symbolic Space……………………………………………………….…...…..226 2. The Priestly and Non-Priestly Flood Narrative of Genesis 6-9……….…….….....…….227 2.1. Physical Space………………………………………………………....………227 2.2. Conceptual Space………………………………………………………………229 2.3. Symbolic Space………………………………………………………………...231 2.4. The Spatial Construction in the Final Text of Genesis 6-9…………………….233 3. Genesis 1 and the Non-Priestly Flood Narrative of Genesis 6-9…………..……………235 3.1. Physical Space…………………………………………………………………..235 3.2. Conceptual Space……………………………………………………………….236 3.3. Symbolic Space…………………………………………………………………237 4. The Priestly Flood Narrative of Genesis 6-9 and Gen 11:1-9……………….….………..238 4.1. Physical Space…………………………………………………………………..238 4.2. Conceptual Space……………………………………………………………….239 4.3. Symbolic Space…………………………………………………………………240 5. Genesis 2-3 and the Priestly Flood Narrative of Genesis 6-9……………...…………….242 5.1. Physical Space……………………...……………………………………………242 5.2. Conceptual Space………………………………………………………………..243 VI 5.3. Symbolic Space……………………………………………………………….....244 6. Genesis 1 and Gen 11:1-9………………………………………..……………………….244 6.1. Physical Space…………………………………………………………………...244 6.2. Conceptual Space………………………………………………………………..245 6.3. Symbolic Space………………………………………………………………….246