Ancient Conquest Accounts: A Study in Ancient Near Eastern and Biblical History Writing (JSOTSup)

383 Pages·1990·3.11 MB·English

by  K. Lawson Younger

JOURNAL FOR THE STUDY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
SUPPLEMENT SERIES
98
Editors
David J.A. Clines
Philip R. Davies
JSOT Press
Sheffield
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ANCIENT
CONQUEST
ACCOUNTS
A Study in Ancient Near Eastern
and Biblical History Writing
K. Lawson Younger, Jr
Journal for the Study of the Old Testament
Supplement Series 98
Copyright © 1990 Sheffield Academic Press
Published by JSOT Press
JSOT Press is an imprint of
Sheffield Academic Press Ltd
The University of Sheffield
343 Fulwood Road
Sheffield S10 3BP
England
Printed in Great Britain
by Billing & Sons Ltd
Worcester
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data available
ISSN 0309-0787
ISBN 1-85075-252-4
TO MY FATHER AND MOTHER:
KENNETH AND DORIS YOUNGER
(Ex. 20:12; Lv. 19:3)
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CONTENTS
Preface 11
List of abbreviations 13
Illustration: Verso of the Narmer Palette 21
INTRODUCTION
"THE UNDERPINNINGS"
Chapter One PRELIMINARY ISSUES
Part I: History: Cultivating an Idea 25
Removing 'Old Roots' 26
Nurturing 'New Shoots' 35
Part II: Ideology—Unmasking of the Concept 47
Part III: Method: Obtaining Comprehension 52
Establishing the Framework 52
Performing the Reading 55
STAGE ONE
ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN CONQUEST ACCOUNTS
Chapter Two ASSYRIAN CONQUEST ACCOUNTS 61
Assyrian Ideology: How Do You Spell Torture' 65
Type and Nature 65
Ideological Patterns: The Enemy 67
Literary Structures: The Stereotyping Department 69
Syntagmic Valency 70
Introduction 70
The Syntagms of the Assyrian Texts 72
Syntagmic Analysis 79
Annalistic Texts 79
Tiglath-Pileser I 79
Ashur-Dan II 90
ASSur-nasir-pal II 94
Shalmaneser III 99
Sennacherib 111
Letters to the God 115
8
Sargon II 115
Summary or Display Texts 120
ASSur-nasir-pal II 120
Adad-nirari III 121
Conclusion 122
Chapter Three HITTITE CONQUEST ACCOUNTS 125
Hittite Ideology: Feeling a Little Vengeful Today? 128
Literary Structures: "And the Sungoddess of Arina,
my Lady ..." 130
Syntagmic Analysis 132
Hattuslli I 136
Muriili II
Ten Year Annals 140
Detailed Annals 158
The Deeds of Suppiluliuma 160
Conclusion 163
Chapter Four EGYPTIAN CONQUEST ACCOUNTS 165
Past Studies 167
Some Generic Considerations (It Depends on Your Purpose) 168
Iw.tw Texts 168
Nbtw; The Daybook Reports 170
Nfytw: The Literary Reports 172
Conclusion 173
Egyptian Ideology (Just Being Better Than Everyone Else!) 175
Royal Ideology 175
The Enemy 177
Administration 185
Diffusion of the Ideology 189
Literary Aspects (Never Any Embellishments Here!) 189
Hyperbole 190
Metonymy 192
Conclusion 194
9
STAGE TWO
ISRAELITE CONQUEST ACCOUNTS
Chapter Five JOSHUA 9-12 197
Literary Structures (Writing It Just Like Everyone Else) 199
Chapter 9 200
Chapters 10 and 11 204
The Code: Joshua 10:11-15 208
The Hailstones 206
The Long Day 211
The Code: Joshua 10:16-27 220
Chapter 10:28-42 226
Chapter 11 228
Chapter 12 230
Israelite Ideology (What You Can Do Through the Right
'Connections') 232
Type 233
Jural Aspect 236
Conclusion 237
STAGE THREE
SYNTHESISs
Chapter Six IMPLICATIONS AND ENTAILMENTS 241
The Notion of a 'Complete Conquest* 241
The Notion of an 'All Israel' Redaction 247
Sources, Structure and Composition 249
Ideological Aspect 253
An Entailment Concerning 'Holy War* 258
Other Entailments 260
Conclusion 263
CONCLUSION 265
NOTES 267
BIBLIOGRAPHY 333