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" Zion in Transition: "
Williams, Lindy K.
Swanson, Dwight
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Latin Dissertation
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| Language of Document
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English
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| Record Number
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1112021
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TLpq2513174844
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| Main Entry
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Swanson, Dwight
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Williams, Lindy K.
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| Title & Author
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Zion in Transition:\ Williams, Lindy K.Swanson, Dwight
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| College
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The University of Manchester (United Kingdom)
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| Date
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2020
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| student score
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2020
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| Degree
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Ph.D.
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| Page No
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226
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| Abstract
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This thesis examines the relationship between the Eden Garden and Zion in the book of Ezekiel. Through the lens of both narrative theory and spatial theory, it explores why the Eden Garden appears in the book of Ezekiel more than any other prophet. The overarching dichotomy of 'space' and 'place', where Zion is 'place', is elaborated on through Ezekiel's creative use of narrative. The prophet shifts narratives from Israel/Judah's past to change how Zion is understood, thereby offering explanations for the current 'space' of the Babylonian exile and also offering hope for a return to some kind of future 'place'. Ezekiel protects a future understanding of Zion through a contrast between the mountain and the garden. The mountain becomes a holy location while the garden acts as a border area that can point to the presence of the divine without encroaching into the sacred. In separating them and allowing the garden to encapsulate the profane aspects of pre-exile Zion, namely city, temple, and land, Ezekiel is able to interpret the future Zion using the image of the mountain. The mountain of the future Zion is YHWH's alone, and there are rules of access preventing trespass upon the sacred mountain by the profane elements visible in the garden space. Chapter One explores the theories at work in the overall method, applies the method to a theme in the book, and then offers an outline for the rest of the project. Chapter Two interacts with the foundational issues such as defining Zion, looking at connections between Zion and Eden in wider Hebrew Bible scholarship, and examining similarities and differences between mountains and gardens. Chapter Three argues for a new approach to Oracles Against Foreign Nations (OANs) that recognizes them as a literary device connected to the overall rhetoric of the books in which they appear. This understanding is a critical step towards seeing how oracles about foreign peoples can apply directly to Ezekiel’s audience. Chapters Four–Six engage directly with the explicit Eden Garden references in the book, arguing that mention of the garden in each location challenges a particular aspect of Zion prevalent prior to the exile. Chapter Four argues for a new interpretation of the focus of Ezek 28:11–19 showing that the verses detail the forcible separation of the city of Jerusalem from the holy mountain of YHWH. Chapter Five highlights connections between the chthonic cedar of Ezek 31 and issues of kingship. The destruction of the cedar heralds an untimely end of the Davidic king, and treatment of the downed branches has a difficult message about the longevity of the monarchy. Chapter Six first shows the misappropriation of the land promise and how it factors into the demise of the pre-exile Zion ideal. It goes on to make a connection between an Eden Garden and the 'admat yiśrā'ēl, arguing that Ezekiel shifts the understanding of the land, and how the people use the land to relate to YHWH, through a connection between these ideas. Chapter Seven engages with Ezek 47, a chapter that most scholars accept as echoing an Edenic ideal, in order to highlight that it is not an Edenic reference at all. Rather, it fits within the theology and rhetoric of Ezek 40–48 and focuses solely on the image of the mountain, an image used by Ezekiel for the future of Zion. Chapter Eight offers a summary, suggested contributions to the field, and offers avenues for further research.
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Monographs
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Old Testament
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Theology
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