POSSIBLE ALLUSIONS TO ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN SOLAR MYTHOLOGY IN QOHELET A COMPREHENSIVE ENQUIRY

Transcription

1 POSSIBLE ALLUSIONS TO ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN SOLAR MYTHOLOGY IN QOHELET A COMPREHENSIVE ENQUIRY BY JACOBUS WILHELM GERICKE A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE DOCTOR OF LITERATURE (DLlTT) IN SEMITIC LANGUAGES AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ANCIENT LANGUAGES IN THE FACULTY OF HUMANITIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA SUPERVISOR: PROFESSOR G.T.M. PRINSLOO PRETORIA OCTOBER 2002 University of Pretoria

2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Countless individuals have crossed my path and have contributed in some way to the development of my academic career. Unfortunately, not everyone can be given recognition here. While I am grateful to everyone, I dedicate this study to he following people: My father, George. You were always willing to encourage and assist me in my attempts to come to terms with this phenomenon we call "life". Without your love and support I would never have made it this far. Thank you for everything. My mother, Ezette. Thank you for all those little things one fails to appreciate until they are no longer available. Thank you for all you have done to make this journey through life a little more bearable. My supervisor, Professor Gert Prinsloo. Thank you for being there, for caring, for listening, for guidance and for allowing me to study under your supervision. Thank you for making my final years as a(n) (official) student of yours a memory that I shall always cherish. The last nine years (since BA I!) have been long and both of us have had our share of obstacles to overcome. I am honoured and thankful to have shared them with you. For what it is worth, your love for the Old Testament and Semitics have terminally infected me. The withdrawal symptoms have started already. Professor James Crenshaw. Though we have never met, I have been a "fan" of your publications since I was first introduced to OT wisdom literature during undergraduate studies. The way your own personal spirituality is expressed amidst your impeccable research has been a great source of inspiration for me. I for one shall think of you as the foremost scholar in the field of OT wisdom during the 20 th century. Gratitude is mixed with awe and maybe a little jealousy. Thank you for finding the time to act as an external when I am sure you could have declined for very good reasons. I hope you won't be disappointed. Professor (Sakkie) Spangenberg, Thank you for agreeing to act as an external. Your expertise on Qohelet has impressed me since I first became acquainted with studies on this fascinating OT text. For what it's worth, your contributions in educating the general public on the findings of biblical criticism are much appreciated. My fellow students, Bennie du Toit and Gerda de Villiers. Good luck with your own dissertations. God, the Creator. Thank you, for the gift of life.

3 CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREViATIONS......,...,," "... ""... ""... 1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 IDENTIFICATION OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM:... " Repetition and significance of the sun imagery in Qohelet The problem of ambiguity TRADITIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE FUNCTION OF THE PHRASE "W~W:'T 1'1"1'1" IN QOHELET..., Introduction... "... "... " ,2.2 The conservative interpretation: restrictive and apologetical The critical interpretation: inclusive and geographical! existential PROBLEMS WITH POPULAR CONTEMPORARY INTERPRETATIONS OF THE PHRASE "W~W:'T 1'1"1'1" IN QOHELET... " The conservative interpretation The critical interpretation Summary of the research problem...,..,..., THE HyPOTHESiS......,..., METHODOLOGy...,..., OBJECTiVES..., FINAL INTRODUCTORY REMARKS PART I CHAPTER 2 METATEXTUAL JUSTIFICATION I 2.1 OBSERVATIONS ON THE LACK OF CONSENSUS REGARDING SOME BASIC INTERPRETATIVE ISSUES IN QOHELET.....,...,..., Authorship... "... "... "... " Location...,...,..,.. "...,..,,"... 17

4 2.1.3 Date Language Genre Composition I Unity Structure Prose I Poetry?...! Message POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS FOR THE LACK OF CONSENSUS Theology Methodology... '" Tradition Knowledge Psychology Textuality CONCLUSiONS CHAPTER 3 INTRATEXTUAL JUSTIFICATION I 3.1 INTRODUCTION THE FREQUENCY OF S.1. IN QOHELET Introduction The distribution of 0.S.I A concordance of O.S.I IMPLICIT SUN IMAGERY (I.S.I.) POSSIBLE FUNCTIONS OF REPETITION AS MANIFESTED IN Q.S.I To remind To emphasise To include To focus attention To indicate significance To establish themes I motifs To designate ambiguity To imply allusion To signal wordplay To provide qualification To assist in contextualisation To elucidate other literary devices To link main topics and disparate ideas To facilitate structural markers... 50

5 3.5 THE RELATION OF Q.S'!. TO IMPORTANT THEMES IN THE BOOK... "." Introduction The intratextual relation The mtertextual relation THE RELATION OF Q.S,!. TO THE CLAIM THAT ALL IS ;:::"T THE RELATION OF Q.S.I. TO THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK THE REFERENCE AND MEANING OF THE PHRASE "lr11:1lr1:"t nm, Alleged parallels to the phrase "lr11:1lr1:"t nnn" Parallels to "lr11:1lr1:"t Mn- in Oohelet Alleged parallels to the phrase "lr1~lr1:"t nnn" elsewhere in the Old Testament Alleged extra Biblical parallels to the phrase "lr1~lr1:"t 1'Inn Alleged parallels to "lr11:1lr1:"t 1'1"1'1" in contemporary speech Unconsidered altemative referential possibilities to O.S.I The problem of possible ambiguity SUMMARY AND CONCLUSiONS CHAPTER 4 METATEXTUAL JUSTIFICATION II 4.1 PURPOSE OF THIS CHAPTER READING THE OT TODAy THE PROBLEM OF COMMON KNOWLEDGE REFERENTIAL POSSiBILITIES BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE ASSOCIATIVE MEANING... " RECOGNISING ALLUSiONS RECOGNISING POLEMiCS RECOGNISING AMBIGUiTY POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS OF THESE METATEXTUAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE INTERPRETATION OF Q.S.!... "

6 4.11 CONCLUSION: THE LEGITIMACY OF EXPLORING ALTERNATIVE REFERENTIAL POSSIBILITIES FOR Q.S.I CHAPTERS INTERTEXTUAL JUSTIFICATION I 5.1 INTRODUCTION QOHELET AND THE ANE BACKGROUND - ANOTHER CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE POSSIBLE MESOPOTAMIAN INFLUENCE Mesopotamian solar mythology A POSSIBLE EGYPTIAN INFLUENCE Egyptian solar mythology POSSIBLE GREEK INFLUENCE Greek solar mythology SUN WORSHIP IN PERSiA SUN WORSHIP IN CANAAN SOLAR MYTHOLOGY AND WISDOM - UNRECOGNISED COMMON INTERESTS SOLAR MYTHOLOGY VS. SOLAR SYMBOLlSM THE QUESTION OF INTENTIONALITY CONCLUSiONS CHAPTER 6 INTERTEXTUAL JUSTIFICATION II 6.1 INTRODUCTION ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE INDICATIVE OF OT PEOPLE'S FAMILIARITY WITH SOLAR MyTHOLOGy Physical artefacts The solar orientation of cultic structures... 99

7 6.2.3 Yahwistic personal names with possible solar elements from epigraphic sources BIBLICAL EVIDENCE INDICATIVE OF OT PEOPLE'S FAMILIARITY WITH SOLAR MYTHOLOGy Personal names with solar elements Place names with solar elements A discussion of selected texts possibly indicative of solar elements Genesis 1 :3-5; The sun, creation and time Exodus 20:2 The first commandment and sun worship Deuteronomy 4:19 A prohibition against sun worship Deuteronomy 17:3 The death penalty for sun worship Joshua 10:12-14 Joshua addressing the sun god? Judges 1 :33-35 Living amongst sun worshipers Samuel 12:11-12 The all-seeing sun who demands justice Kings 8 Solomon and solar theology Kings 23:12 Sun worship during the latter days of the Judean monarchy Jeremiah 8:1-3 More polemics against sun worship Ezekiel 8:16-18 Mesopotamian solar mythology in the cult of yahweh Malachi 3:20 The sun of righteousness with healing in its wings Psalm 19 The sun and the law Scholars' recognition of allusions to solar mythology in Ecclesiastes 1: Other solar elements in the Old Testament SUMMARY AND CONCLUSiONS PART 1 SUMMARy PART 2 CHAPTER 7 INTRATEXTUAL JUSTIFICATION /I 7.1 INTRODUCTION A SELECTION OF THEMES COMBINED WITH Q.S.I. WHICH POSSIBLY ALLUDE TO ANE SOLAR MYTHOLOGY I SYMBOLlSM The motto and thematic statement of the book in 1:

8 7.2.2 References to "W~W" apart from the phrase "w~w:-r 1'1"1'1" w~w:-r in 1: w~w in 6: w~w:-r in 7: w~w:-r in 11: w~w:-r in 12: The denial of justice "W~W:-r 1'1"1'1" Denial of the possibility of divination and esoteric knowledge of the cosmic order "w~w:-r 1'1"1'1" Royal wisdom, dissatisfaction and folly "w~w:-r 1'1"1'1" Death and the destruction of life "w~w:-r 1'1"1'1" "t:l':-r~n:-r" and "W~W:-r" - Polemics and syncretism in Qohelet's theology A "vapour"... w~w:-r 1'1"1'1 - the pinnacle of absurdity "~~:-r" as pejorative term for idols and idolatry - is this polemical sense of the concept in some indirect sense included in Qohelet's use of ~~:-r? "Shepherding the wind" and the incompetent "Shepherd" AppOinted times "w~w:-r 1'1"1'1" Evil ("ll'''), "w~w:-r 1'1"1'1" To "see" everything "w~w:-r 1'1"1'1.' Other possible allusions to solar mythology "Toiling" "w~w:-r 1'1"1'1" Breaking oaths "W~W:-r 1'1"1'1' The "lord of wings" Snake charming The "one shepherd" Races, battles, sages and wise men Mourning and funerary rites The dead lion Winter, the collapse of the cosmic and social order and the death of the sun god Numerological oddities possibly alluding to solar mythology POSSIBLE FUNCTIONS OF Q.S.I Function 1: Ambiguity and allusion Function 2: Polemics Function 3: Irony Function 4: Deconstruction Function 5: Syncretism THE STRUCTURAL RELATION OF Q.S.1. TO INTRATEXTUAL AND INTERTEXTUAL THEMES POSSIBLY ALLUDING TO SOLAR MYTHOLOGy A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF THE ARGUMENTS PRESENTED IN THIS CHAPTER

9 7.6 CONCLUSiONS CHAPTER 8 POSSIBLE METATEXTUAL IMPLICATIONS 8.1 INTRODUCTION SPECULATION ON SOME HISTORICAL ISSUES The Solomon connection The real author The date of origin THE GENRE OF THE BOOK THE CUL TIC SETTING THE ANE BACKGROUND THE MESSAGE OF THE BOOK THE HEURISTIC VALUE OF THE HYPOTHESIS ANTICIPATING POSSIBLE OBJECTIONS AGAINST THE HYPOTHESIS AND THE ARGUMENTS USED TO JUSTIFY IT CONCLUSiON PART 2 SUMMARy BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES SUMMARy OPSOMMING KEYWORDS SLEUTELWOORDE... '

10 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Figure Figure Figure "... '" Figure '... '... '" Figure Figure Figure '... '" Figure Figure Figure ,... ' Figure ,... ' Figure ' '" Figure Figure Figure '...,... '" '"."... " Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure 8.L

11 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ABC ABO AEL ANE ANET ANRW AOAT ATANT AV BA BA BARev BASOR BBCOT BHS BH BZAW CBQ DDDOT DG OM EA EAEHL ER GKC HBD HTR HUCA IB ICC lob IDBSup IS BE JAOS JARCE JBL JEA JETS JNES JNSL JPSV JSOT JSOTSSup JSS KAR KTU Anchor Bible Commentary Anchor Bible Dictionary Ancient Egyptian Literature Ancient Near East. Ancient Near Eastern Texts, Pritchard (ed) [1955] Aufstieg und Niedergang des romischen Welt Alter Orient und Altes Testament Abhandlungen zur Theologie des Alten und Neuen Testaments Authorised Version Biblical Aramaic Biblical Archaeologist Biblical Archaeology Review Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research Bible Background Commentary of the Old Testament Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia 1978 Biblical Hebrew Beihefte zur Zeitschrift fur die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft Catholic Biblical Quarterly Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Old Testament Dictionary of the Gods Dictionary of Mythology EI - Amarna (followed by tablet number) Encyclodpedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land; M Avi Yonah and EStern (ed) Encyclopedia of Religion. M Eliade (ed) Genesius Hebrew Grammar Harper's Bible Dictionary Harvard Theological Review Hebrew Union College Annual Interpreter's Bible International Critical Commentary International Dictionary of the Bible GA Butrick (ed) lob Supplementary volume International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Journal of the American Oriental SOCiety Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt Journal of Biblical Literature Journal of Egyptian Archaeology Journal of Evangelical Theological Society Journal of Near Eeastern Studies Journal of North West Semitic Languages Jewish Publication Society Version Journal for the Study of the Old Testament JSOT Supplementary volume Journal of Semitic Studies Keilschrifttexte aus Assurs religiosen Inhalts Die keilalphabetischen Texte aus Ugarit. M Dietrich, 0 Loretz and J Sammartin (eds) 1

12 LA LXX MT M NAB NASB NAV NCB NICOT NIV OLA OlP OTE OTl RH RSV SOTSMS Tg. THAT TOOT UF VT VTSup WBC ZA ZAW ZDPV lexicon der Agyptologie Septuaginta Masoretic Text Mishna New American Bible New American Standard Bible Nuwe Afrikaanse Vertaling (1983) New Bible Dictionary New International Commentary on the Old Testament New International Version Orientalia lovaniensia analecta Orientalia lovaniensia periodica Old Testament Essays Old Testament Library Rabbinical Hebrew Revised Standard Version Society for Old Testament Study Monograph Series Targum Theologisches Handbuch zum Alten Testament Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament Ugaritic Forschungen Vetus Testamentum VT Supplements World Biblical Commentary Zeitschrift fur Assyriologie Zeitschrift fur die altestamentliche Wissenschaft Zeitschrift des Deutschen Palastina - Vereins '2