Language:
English
Year of publication:
2022
Titel der Quelle:
Vetus Testamentum
Angaben zur Quelle:
72,3 (2022) 404-430
Keywords:
Bible. Comparative studies
;
Bible. Criticism, interpretation, etc.
;
Witchcraft
;
Assyro-Babylonian literature Relation to the Bible
Abstract:
In chapter 47 of the Book of Isaiah the fall of Babylon is described in metaphorical language: the arrogant queen Babylon is condemned for having practiced witchcraft since her youth. The evil which she inflicted on her victims will befall herself, and her downfall will be swift and without warning. Her dire fate follows that of her fellow sorcerers, who have perished in fire and flames. This article compares the portrayal of Babylon and her demise in Isa 47 with the Mesopotamian anti-witchcraft series Maqlû and discusses the shared terminology and the striking similarity of themes, such as the indictment of the witch, the gender-stereotype, the reversal of fate, and the condemnation to death by burning. The thematic, and sometimes lexical, overlap may indicate that Deutero-Isaiah incorporated Mesopotamian ideas about (counter-)witchcraft in his own composition, being exposed to local magico-religious thought whilst maintaining a critical stance towards it.
DOI:
10.1163/15685330-bja10063
URL:
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