Language:
English
Year of publication:
2022
Titel der Quelle:
Biblica
Angaben zur Quelle:
103,2 (2022) 165-185
Keywords:
Benjamin
;
Bible. Criticism, interpretation, etc.
;
Bible. Geography
;
Birth in the Bible
;
Archaeological site location
;
Bethlehem (West Bank)
Abstract:
Observing historical (or historiographical) and geographical features, this paper demonstrates that Gen 35,16-21 is composed of an original story in vv. 16-19a.20-21 and a later insertion in v. 19b. Synthesizing textual analysis and archaeological observations of the occupation profiles of the pertinent sites leads to the conclusion that the sixth-century story in Gen 35,16-19a.20-21 locates Benjamin’s nativity and Rachel’s sepulcher within the Benjamin area and refers to Migdar-‘eder rather than to Jerusalem because the land of Benjamin had flourished while Jerusalem was greatly diminished. The article also argues that verse 19b echoes the mid-Persian period setting when Jerusalem was only a small cultic center, whereas Ramat-Rachel continued to thrive instead of Mizpah, and the Benjaminites resettled in Yehud.
DOI:
10.2143/BIB.103.2.3290910
URL:
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