Daniel 12:2 and the Threat of Shame: Interpreting Sociological Themes Concerning Death, Burial and Corpse Exposure as Punishment in the Hebrew Bible
Since at least the post-Nicene period, Dan 12:2 has been cited often as a foundational text for the eschatological conception of hell within the Christian Bible. However, when examined within its original sociological context, this passage can be more accurately understood as reflecting a specific t...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2024
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| In: |
Old Testament essays
Year: 2024, Volume: 37, Issue: 3, Pages: 1-21 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Bible. Daniel 12,2
/ Bible. Jesaja 66,24
/ Sociology
/ Hereafter
/ Eschatology
/ Funeral
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| IxTheo Classification: | HB Old Testament |
| Further subjects: | B
honor and shame
B Jewish Culture B Corpse Exposure B Afterlife B Sociology B Book of Daniel B Non-Burial B Hell B Threat |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | Since at least the post-Nicene period, Dan 12:2 has been cited often as a foundational text for the eschatological conception of hell within the Christian Bible. However, when examined within its original sociological context, this passage can be more accurately understood as reflecting a specific threat of shame deeply embedded in the honour-based society of the ancient Mediterranean during the Second Temple Period. The linguistic connection of דראון ("contempt, abhorrence") to Isaiah, particularly concerning the fear of non-burial and corpse exposure, reinforces this interpretation by emphasising the concept of shame tied to one’s manner of death (Isa 66:24). This study employs a sociological approach to explore the language of "shame and contempt" in Dan 12:2 within its Judaic cultural framework, focusing on burial practices and the associated threat of non-burial. It argues that the author intended to depict an extremely specific and detailed punishment of shame by corpse exposure as a punitive consequence rather than implying a prototype of eternal torment in a place called "hell." |
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| ISSN: | 2312-3621 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Old Testament essays
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.17159/2312-3621/2024/v37n3a6 |
