Judean Skin, Babylonian Masks: Reconsidering Ezekiel’s Anti-Imperial Stance
This paper reconsiders Ezekiel’s alleged anti-imperial attitude toward the Babylonian empire. It nuances the alleged attitude with Frantz Fanon’s theory of colonized subjects’ desire to be like their colonizer. Looking at Ezekiel’s privileged social location, I argue that the book exhibits a desire...
Main Author: | |
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
Journals Online & Print: | |
Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
Taylor & Francis
2024
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In: |
Scandinavian journal of the Old Testament
Year: 2024, Volume: 38, Issue: 1, Pages: 109–124 |
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Fanon, Frantz 1925-1961
/ Colonizer
/ Empire
/ Ezekiel
/ Babylon
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IxTheo Classification: | HB Old Testament HD Early Judaism HH Archaeology |
Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
Summary: | This paper reconsiders Ezekiel’s alleged anti-imperial attitude toward the Babylonian empire. It nuances the alleged attitude with Frantz Fanon’s theory of colonized subjects’ desire to be like their colonizer. Looking at Ezekiel’s privileged social location, I argue that the book exhibits a desire to be like the Babylonian empire. Ezekiel intertwines Babylonian’s “anti-Egyptian” propaganda with Yahweh’s interest in maintaining loyalty toward the empire. To support this argument, the paper first surveys the Babylonian and Egyptian conflict over the Levant. It then reconsiders the situation of Ezekiel and his community in exile. Further, it discusses Fanon’s theory of colonized subjects’ desires and how Ezekiel operates within it. It concludes by looking at what Ezekiel might gain through this maneuver. |
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ISSN: | 1502-7244 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: Scandinavian journal of the Old Testament
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/09018328.2024.2318259 |