The Animalising Affliction of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4
Reading Across the Human-Animal Boundary
Seiten
2023
T.& T.Clark Ltd (Verlag)
978-0-567-70619-5 (ISBN)
T.& T.Clark Ltd (Verlag)
978-0-567-70619-5 (ISBN)
This is a detailed investigation into the nature of Nebuchadnezzar's animalising affliction in Daniel 4 and the degree to which he is depicted as actually becoming an animal. PeterAtkins examines two predominant lines of interpretation: either Nebuchadnezzar undergoes a physical metamorphosis of some kind into an animal form; or diverse other readings that specifically preclude or deny an animal transformation of the king. By providing an extensive study of these interpretative opinions, alongside innovative assessments of ancient Mesopotamian divine-human-animal boundaries, Atkins ultimately demonstrates how neither of these traditional interpretations best reflect the narrative events.
While there have been numerous metamorphic interpretations of Daniel 4, these are largely reliant upon later developments within the textual tradition and are not present in the earliest edition of Nebuchadnezzar’s animalising affliction. Atkins' study displays that when Daniel 4 is read in the context of Mesopotamian texts, which appear to conceive of the human-animal boundary as being indicated primarily in relation to possession or lack of the divine characteristic of wisdom, the affliction represents a far more significant categorical change from human to animal than has hitherto been identified.
While there have been numerous metamorphic interpretations of Daniel 4, these are largely reliant upon later developments within the textual tradition and are not present in the earliest edition of Nebuchadnezzar’s animalising affliction. Atkins' study displays that when Daniel 4 is read in the context of Mesopotamian texts, which appear to conceive of the human-animal boundary as being indicated primarily in relation to possession or lack of the divine characteristic of wisdom, the affliction represents a far more significant categorical change from human to animal than has hitherto been identified.
Peter Joshua Atkins is Teaching Fellow in Old Testament and Hebrew Bible at the University of Edinburgh, UK. He is also the co-founder and co-chair of the 'Animals and the Bible' research group for the European Association of Biblical Studies.
Acknowledgements
List of Figures
Abbreviations
Introduction
1.The Issue of an Animal Metamorphosis: Interpretations of Daniel 4
2. The Question of Metamorphosis in the Texts of Daniel 4
3. The Human-Animal Boundary in the Ancient Near East
4. Reassessing the Human-Animal Boundary in Daniel 4
5. Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
Appendix A: Table of Primary Daniel Manuscripts
Appendix B: Synopsis of Editions of Daniel 4
| Erscheinungsdatum | 11.01.2023 |
|---|---|
| Reihe/Serie | The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies |
| Verlagsort | Edinburgh |
| Sprache | englisch |
| Maße | 156 x 234 mm |
| Themenwelt | Religion / Theologie ► Christentum ► Bibelausgaben / Bibelkommentare |
| Sozialwissenschaften ► Soziologie | |
| ISBN-10 | 0-567-70619-2 / 0567706192 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0-567-70619-5 / 9780567706195 |
| Zustand | Neuware |
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