Beastly Speech: Intertextuality, Balaam's Ass and the Garden of Eden
The anomalous feature of animal speech in Gen. 3 and in Num. 22 is only the most obvious point in common between the two texts. The serpent and the she-ass play complementary roles in relation to the human actors in the stories, and a comparison of their functions reveals further similarities. Both...
Main Author: | |
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
Journals Online & Print: | |
Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
Published: |
1994
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In: |
Journal for the study of the Old Testament
Year: 1994, Volume: 19, Issue: 64, Pages: 33-55 |
Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
Summary: | The anomalous feature of animal speech in Gen. 3 and in Num. 22 is only the most obvious point in common between the two texts. The serpent and the she-ass play complementary roles in relation to the human actors in the stories, and a comparison of their functions reveals further similarities. Both the garden story and the Balaam narrative focus on the themes of blessing and curse, vision and understanding, and obedience/disobedience to God. The intertextual relationship between the stories uncovered in this analysis sheds light on larger patterns of inner-biblical interpretation within the Pentateuch. |
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ISSN: | 1476-6728 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal for the study of the Old Testament
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1177/030908929401906404 |