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2 - Divine Aggression in Royal Inscriptions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 October 2020

Collin Cornell
Collin Cornell
Affiliation:
University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee
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Summary

Chapter 2 tests the claim that the biblical god Yhwh is uniquely aggressive by rereading a sample of six memorial inscriptions, including the Mesha Inscription, the Zakkur Inscription, the Tel Dan Inscription, the Hadad Inscription, the Azatiwada Inscription, and the Amman Citadel Inscription. The chapter finds that in these inscriptions, the aggression of the patron god targets external enemies of the king and country, while the king himself is wholly exempted from the god’s destructiveness. However, an important complication obtains: the curse sections of the memorial inscriptions pray vengeance on anyone who harms the inscription—including members of the king’s own community and country, and, in a couple cases, his own family. The loyalty of the god to his one individual king trumps all other loyalties.

Keywords

divine aggressionJeremiah WrightJulius WellhausenWalther Eichrodtcomparisonmemorial inscriptionsroyal psalmscurse sectionMeshaZakkurTel DanHadadAzatiwadaAmman Citadel
Type
Chapter
Information
Divine Aggression in Psalms and Inscriptions
Vengeful Gods and Loyal Kings
 , pp. 38 - 92
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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