Abstract
The theodicy for the destruction of Jerusalem, though extensively developed in Ezekiel 1–24, remains obscure. This situation results from the gathering in the pool of sinners of the exile, of those remaining in Jerusalem, and of the previous generations. This latter group even encompasses the religious elite who promoted the Josiah reform. The present study argues that Ezekiel identifies this collective and transgenerational sin with the replacement, from the reign of Ahaz, of the copper altar by a stone altar for the performance of burnt-offerings in the Jerusalem temple. This premise emerges from an analysis of Ezekiel 8–9, and especially from the significance of the item designated as, and its implications concerning the way the copper altar conditions the divine presence in the temple. This interpretation is introduced by the content of Ezekiel 1, where the nature of the celestial domain is exposed. It is confirmed by the metaphor exposed in Ezekiel 24, whose content reveals that the successive religious reforms (Ahaz, Hezekiah, Josiah) prevented the Jerusalem temple from fulfilling its cosmic functions. This original explanation enables Ezekiel to elaborate a theodicy combining an ethic of responsibility with the expression of divine justice.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 525-545 |
Number of pages | 21 |
Journal | Revue Biblique |
Volume | 128 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1 Jan 2021 |
Keywords
- Ahaz altar
- Ezekiel
- Josiah reform
- Zion theology
- pre-Israelite Yahwism
- theodicy of Jerusalem fall
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Archaeology
- History
- Religious studies
- Archaeology