Introduction / Jacob L. Wright -- pt. 1. Social determination of rituals and symbols. Theorizing circumstantially dependent rites in and out of war contexts / Saul M. Olyan ; Monumental inscriptions and the ritual representation of war / Nathaniel B. Levtow -- pt. 2. Rituals and symbols of escalation, preparation, and aggression. Joshua's encounter with the commander of Yhwh's army (Josh 5: 13-15): literary construction or reflection of a royal ritual? / Thomas Römer ; "A sword for Yhwh and for Gideon!": the representation of war in Judges 7:16-22 / Kelly J. Murphy ; The red-stained warrior in ancient Israel / Frank Ritchel Ames ; "I will strike you down and cut off your head" (1 Sam 17:46): trash talking, derogatory rhetoric , and psychological warfare in ancient Israel / David T. Lamb ; "Some trust in horses": horses as symbols of power in rhetoric and reality / Deborah O'Daniel Cantrell ; War rituals in the Old Testament: prophets, kings, and the ritual preparation for war / Rüdiger Schmitt -- pt. 3. Rituals and symbols of perpetuation, de-escalation, and commemoration. Warfare song as warrior ritual / Mark S. Smith ; A messy business: ritual violence after the war / Susan Niditch ; Postwar rituals of return and reintegration / Brad E. Kelle ; Does Yhwh get his hands dirty?: reading Isaiah 63:1-6 in light of depictions of divine postbattle purification / Jason A. Riley -- Response. Forging a twenty-first-century approach to the study of Israelite warfare / T.M. Lemos.
Summary:
"Warfare, Ritual, and Symbol in Biblical and Modern Contexts is a collection of fifteen essays about rituals of war and their function. Comparative and interdisciplinary approaches are applied to texts in the Hebrew Bible, which are read in light of ancient Near Eastern literature, artifacts, and iconography and contemporary ritual and social theory. Introductory and concluding essays evaluate each contribution, locate contributions in the history of scholarship, and propose promising directions for further research. A majority of the essays were presented in 2010-12 sessions of the SBL's Warfare in Ancient Israel Section"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.