Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / This dissertation examines the roles Edom played in the Hebrew Bible. The oracles against the nations included in the prophetic books anticipate the complete destruction of the Edomites by Yahweh and connect that destruction to the divine plan for the restoration of Israel. The goal of the dissertation is to determine how Edom became cast in this role.
The approach of this study is first to review the archaeological data that have been used to recreate Edom's history. Early research was biased by a desire to fit the results to the Hebrew Bible. Evaluation of the data shows the close development of these two nations. It also reveals an Edomite presence in the Negev late in the monarchy and during the restoration after exile.
The place of Edom in the biblical "histories" is analyzed. I then show how the oracles against Edom transform motifs introduced in the histories, such as the theophany from Sier. Edom was held responsible for participating in the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon in 587 B. C. E. This event created a theological crisis since Edom was spared and Israel was destroyed. This crisis was dealt with in the oracles against Edom by anticipating that Edom will be eliminated.
I conclude that Edom is remembered by Israel as unique amongst the nations. The postexilic period produces oracles against Edom to assist the community to deal with the difficulties of restoration. As the oracles move toward the apocalyptic, the divine plan includes the destruction of Edom. / 2031-01-01
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/37118 |
| Date | January 1994 |
| Creators | Beach, Maxine C. |
| Publisher | Boston University |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
Page generated in 0.0033 seconds