Furnace Remelting as the Expression of YHWH's Holiness: Evidence from the Meaning of qannā¸ (...) in the Divine Context
In the Bible, the human qannā¸ (...) expresses a negative, self-destructive trait of character mainly related to envy and jealousy. In contrast, the divine qannā points to an essential attribute of YHWH, which relates both to divine holiness and to a fiery mode of action frequently imaged by volcani...
| Published in: | Journal of Biblical literature |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Scholar's Press
[2015]
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| In: |
Journal of Biblical literature
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| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Old Testament
/ Jealousy
/ Attributes of God
/ Einschmelzung
/ Rejuvenation
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| IxTheo Classification: | HB Old Testament NBC Doctrine of God |
| Further subjects: | B
Jesus Christ
Divinity
B NAME of God B Jews B MOSES (Biblical leader) B Holiness B VOLCANISM |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | In the Bible, the human qannā¸ (...) expresses a negative, self-destructive trait of character mainly related to envy and jealousy. In contrast, the divine qannā points to an essential attribute of YHWH, which relates both to divine holiness and to a fiery mode of action frequently imaged by volcanism. The metallurgical affinities of this volcanic representation, together with the designation of the rust accumulating on copper artifacts (verdigris) as qannā¸ suggest that the divine qannā is closely related to the recycling of corroded copper through furnace remelting. This assumption is supported by the metallurgical context of meaning of the three wonders performed by Moses in the name of YHWH (Exod 4:1-9), by the evidence that the qannā' mode of divine action evokes a fiery destroying process that spontaneously promotes a whole rejuvenation, and by the extensive revitalizing powers attributed tofurnace remelting in many ancient religions. It is concluded that our understanding of the divine qannā' a notion of central importance in Israelite theology, is biased by the extrapolation of the human context of meaning of qannā as "jealousy" to the divine sphere. |
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| ISSN: | 1934-3876 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of Biblical literature
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.15699/jbl.1342.2015.2813 |