Getting Steamy in Amnon’s Chamber: Philological and Metaphorical Observations on 2 Samuel 13

2 Samuel 13:1–19 presents us with dueling perspectives on a rape scene. Despite Tamar’s protests, the narrative voice reflects Prince Amnon’s lustful viewpoint, in which he and Tamar are acting out a scene of steamy seduction. Within this framework, the unexpectedly detailed description of Tamar pre...

Descrizione completa

Salvato in:  
Dettagli Bibliografici
Autore principale: Brownsmith, Esther (Autore)
Tipo di documento: Elettronico Articolo
Lingua:Inglese
Verificare la disponibilità: HBZ Gateway
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Pubblicazione: 2022
In: Vetus Testamentum
Anno: 2022, Volume: 72, Fascicolo: 3, Pagine: 355-385
(sequenze di) soggetti normati:B Amnon / Cake (gastronomia) / Filologia / essen (Parola) / Metafora / tamar / Bibel. Samuel 2. 13
Notazioni IxTheo:HB Antico Testamento
HD Medio-giudaismo
HH Archeologia
Accesso online: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Descrizione
Riepilogo:2 Samuel 13:1–19 presents us with dueling perspectives on a rape scene. Despite Tamar’s protests, the narrative voice reflects Prince Amnon’s lustful viewpoint, in which he and Tamar are acting out a scene of steamy seduction. Within this framework, the unexpectedly detailed description of Tamar preparing the dumplings deserves more attention. I examine the Hebrew words לְבִבוֹת (“heart-cakes”), יצק (“to pour out”), and מַשְׂרֵת (traditionally, “baking pan”), offering a philological explanation of their associations that diverges from much modern scholarship. This new understanding of the food-preparation scene makes it clear that Tamar’s actions are a narratively realized metaphor: in preparing the food to be consumed, she is preparing herself to be consumed erotically—at least, as viewed by Amnon. In other words, using the language of Conceptual Metaphor Theory, Tamar is the cake.
ISSN:1568-5330
Comprende:Enthalten in: Vetus Testamentum
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/15685330-bja10061