Crime scene investigation: a text-critical mystery and the strange death of Ishbosheth
The troublesome reign of Ishbosheth comes to a graphic conclusion when he is assassinated – audaciously, at midday while reclining on a couch in his own house – by two of his own captains, the brothers Rechab and Baanah. That Ishbosheth is assassinated (while sleeping in his house at high noon) ther...
| Published in: | The journal of Hebrew scriptures |
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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: |
The National Library of Canada
2007
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| In: |
The journal of Hebrew scriptures
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| IxTheo Classification: | HB Old Testament |
| Further subjects: | B
Ish-Boshet
B Bible. Samuel 2. 4,1-5 B Bible. Samuel 2. 2-4 B Bible. Samuel 2. 2 B Alfonso de Valladolid (1270-1340) B Murder B Bible. Samuel 2. 3 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | The troublesome reign of Ishbosheth comes to a graphic conclusion when he is assassinated – audaciously, at midday while reclining on a couch in his own house – by two of his own captains, the brothers Rechab and Baanah. That Ishbosheth is assassinated (while sleeping in his house at high noon) there is no doubt: the guilty confess, are charged, and duly executed. But the puzzle is how exactly the murder takes place – and this is subject of my analysis – as there are significant discrepancies between the Hebrew and Greek texts. This article surveys a number of “solutions” posited by scholars and evaluate various attempts that have been made to resolve this text-critical mystery. I then move toward a conclusion by summarizing the key differences between the MT and LXX in this passage and discussing some of the literary implications that emerge when these textual trajectories are compared. As a witness to the murder, the LXX provides an exciting and compelling testimony, but the MT account features several important details that cannot be ignored in light of the larger storyline. |
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| ISSN: | 1203-1542 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The journal of Hebrew scriptures
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.5508/jhs.2007.v7.a13 |