Ezra and the second wilderness

289 Pages·2017·1.78 MB·English

by  Yoo

OXFORD THEOLOGY AND RELIGION
MONOGRAPHS
EditorialCommittee
J.BARTON M.N.A.BOCKMUEHL
M.J.EDWARDS P.S.FIDDES
G.D.FLOOD S.R.I.FOOT
D.N.J.MACCULLOCH G.WARD
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Ezra and the Second
Wilderness
PHILIP Y. YOO
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For my parents

Acknowledgements
This book is a revision of my doctoral thesis submitted to the Faculty of
Theology and Religion, University of Oxford in Michaelmas 2014. First and
foremost,therearenotenoughwordsformetoconveymyindebtednessand
gratefulness to Hugh Williamson. He guided me through every step in the
processofwritingthisthesisandtransformingitintoamonograph.Isimply
could not have asked for a better Doktorvater. The good portions of what
follows arose out of his sage advice from our regular formal and informal
meetings;anyshortcomingsareduetomyownstubbornness.Heencouraged
meinallofmyacademicpursuitsandprovidedanexemplarymodelformeas
ateacher,scholar,andgentleman.
Many people have guided me in completing this book, and I express my
genuine thanks and appreciation. My two examiners, John Barton and Joa-
chimSchaper,gavetheiradvice,providedvaluablecomments,andencouraged
thepublicationofmythesis.JohnDay,PaulJoyce,andJohnJarickexamined
earlier stages of this project and provided helpful critique. Kevin Cathcart
freely gave his instruction in Semitic studies to others and me. Diarmaid
McCollough,theeditorialboard,andtheDelegatesatOxfordUniversityPress
gavemythesisahomeintheOxfordTheologyandReligionMonographsseries.
I must also thank the anonymous reviewer appointed by Oxford University
Press for their insightful comments and suggestions. Tom Perridge, Karen
Raith, Céline Louasli, and Caroline Hawley at Oxford University Press, Kim
Richardson,andDonaldWattprovidedadviceinthefinalstagesofthisbook.
Allremainingerrorsare,ofcourse,myown.Finally,mysincerethankstomy
studentsandcolleaguesattheDepartmentofHistoricalStudies,Universityof
TorontoMississauga;theDepartmentofNearandMiddleEasternCivilizations,
UniversityofToronto,especiallyRobertHolmstedt;andtheThomasJefferson
Center for the Study of Core Texts and Ideas at the University of Texas at
Austin, especially its co-directors Lorraine Pangle and Thomas Pangle, for
providingmewithastimulatingenvironmentasIturnedmythesisintoabook.
Financial support for my scholarly endeavours at Oxford was provided by
theFacultyofKnoxCollege,Toronto;theCameronBursaryCommitteeofthe
PresbyterianChurchinCanada;theFellowsoftheOxfordCentreforHebrew
andJewishStudies;theProvostandFellowsofOrielCollege;andtheBoardof
theFacultyofTheologyandReligion.Theirgenerosityisappreciated.
ThefacultyandstaffatKnoxCollege,Torontogavemeasolidfoundation
in theological education that continues to serve me well. Further work in
biblicalstudieswasencouragedbymyteachersatYale,JohnCollins,Carolyn
Sharp, Robert Wilson, and Joel Baden, who taught me everything I need to
viii Acknowledgements
knowaboutsourcecriticism.ItwasalsoduringthistimeIlearnedmuchfrom
Baruch Schwartz. At Oxford, I had the benefit of many discussions that
stemmed out of both the Old Testament and graduate seminars. Troy Cud-
worth, Ekaterina Kozlova, Sonja Noll, and Bradley Marsh Jr offered their
thoughts over many spirited conversations. Rachel Breward and Megan
Roper at Oriel College cheerfully attended to academic matters. Alexander
BlakeEwing,CarolineKnight,ChristineKimPark,RichardPark,MoiraGillis
Watson,BenWatson,andWilliamWoodfilledmytimeandspaceoutsideof
research,writing,andteachinginOxfordwithmanyhappymoments.
Thoseclosest to medeserve special thanks. FromthedayI first met them,
BillGoettlerandMariaLaSalaquicklybecamefirmpillarsofsupport.During
thewritingofthisbook,IhadthejoyofwelcomingRohSeYoungandLeeMal
Deuk into my life. My siblings, Stephen Yoo and Milda Yoo, were always
availableforamealaftermylongjourneys.Ourgrandmother,ChoYaSoon,
hadahandinraisingusandherabsenceiscontinuouslyfelt.Myparents,Yoo
YoungSikandKimShinHo,encouragedmethroughoutmypursuits.Mostof
all, I owe a special debt of gratitude to the woman who became my fiancée,
spouse, and partner, Hannah Roh. She endured prolonged periods of separ-
ation and afforded me the time and space to work on this project from
beginning to end. Her brilliance is radiant and every day she sparks me in
myownthinking.
Contents
Abbreviations x
Introduction:TheEzraMemoir 1
1. EzraandthePentateuch 5
2. ReshapingNarrativeandLaw 32
3. FromBabylontoJerusalem 80
4. TheSecondProclamationofGod’sLaw 120
5. ANewLegalCrisis:ForeignersandMixedMarriages 158
6. Ezra,theReturnees,andtheCult 202
Appendix:TheLiteraryDevelopmentofEM 215
Bibliography 219
IndexofModernAuthors 249
IndexofAncientSources 254
GeneralIndex 270