A Covenant with Death: Death in the Iron Age II and Its Rhetorical Uses in Proto-Isaiah - Softcover

Hays, Christopher B

 
9780802873118: A Covenant with Death: Death in the Iron Age II and Its Rhetorical Uses in Proto-Isaiah
Softcover
ISBN 10: 0802873111 ISBN 13: 9780802873118
Publisher: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2015

Synopsis

Shows how ancient Near Eastern attitudes toward death illumine the Hebrew Bible

Death is one of the major themes of First Isaiah, although it has not generally been recognized as such. In this work Christopher Hays offers fresh interpretations of more than a dozen passages in Isaiah 5-38 in light of ancient beliefs about death. What especially distinguishes Hays's study is its holistic approach, as he brilliantly synthesizes both literary and archaeological evidence, resulting in new insights.

Hays first summarizes what is known about death in the ancient Near East during the Second Iron Age, covering beliefs and practices in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Syria-Palestine, and Judah/Israel. He then shows how select passages in the first part of Isaiah employ the rhetorical imagery of death that was part of their cultural context; further, he identifies ways in which these texts break new creative ground.

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About the Author

Christopher B. Hays is D. Wilson Moore Associate Professor of Ancient Near Eastern Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California. He is also the author of Hidden Riches: A Textbook for the Comparative Study of the Old Testament and the Ancient Near East.

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Publisher
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
Publication date
2015
Language
English
ISBN 10 
0802873111
ISBN 13 
9780802873118
Binding
Paperback
Number of pages
465