Tragedy in the Courts of the Lord: A Socio-Literary Reading of the Death of Nadab and Abihu

Aaron should be seen as the tragic hero of the story in Leviticus 10. He is affected not merely by the death of his sons, but also by its shameful circumstances, and the disgrace is emphasized by Moses' conduct. He is caught in an unwinnable contest of honour with the deity; but ultimately he s...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Houston, Walter (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Sage 2000
In: Journal for the study of the Old Testament
Year: 2000, Volume: 25, Issue: 90, Pages: 31-39
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Parallel Edition:Non-electronic
Description
Summary:Aaron should be seen as the tragic hero of the story in Leviticus 10. He is affected not merely by the death of his sons, but also by its shameful circumstances, and the disgrace is emphasized by Moses' conduct. He is caught in an unwinnable contest of honour with the deity; but ultimately he should be seen as being to blame for his own tragedy, owing to his countenance for idolatry among the people. The theme of the father being disgraced by his sons is very widespread in the narrative of the Hebrew Bible; its popularity in the socio-cultural milieu may be accounted for as a means of harmonizing conflicting feelings about powerful families.
ISSN:1476-6728
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal for the study of the Old Testament
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/030908920002509003