Language:
English
Year of publication:
2022
Titel der Quelle:
Catholic Biblical Quarterly
Angaben zur Quelle:
84,1 (2022) 39-60
Keywords:
Abraham
;
Bible. Criticism, interpretation, etc.
;
Promises Biblical teaching
;
Eretz Israel In the Bible
Abstract:
This article examines the intertwined roles of Abraham and the promise of the land in Neh 9:6–37. I argue that Israel's ownership of the land is the thematic axis that binds the two parts of the prayer in Nehemiah 9: the historical survey (vv. 6–31) and the description of the current generation (vv. 32–37). The discussion of this confessional prayer underscores the strong connection between Abraham and the land and shows how its author rewrites history in order to create a continuous connection between the people and the land. Although Abraham is central in other exilic- and restoration-generation texts, and in the dispute over the land between the locals and the returnees, his role in Nehemiah 9 differs. There Abraham represents the aspiration of a circle among the returnees for restored hegemony over the land, in opposition to the prevailing ideology of Ezra-Nehemiah, which supported the Persian regime.
DOI:
10.1353/cbq.2022.0002
URL:
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