Wolves and Tribes: Amorite and Arab Parallels to Jacob's Blessing to Benjamin
This article discusses an unusual metaphor in Gen 49,27 comparing the tribe of Benjamin to a wolf. The wolf metaphor is unusual, because this beast of prey is normally associated with negative qualities. Using comparative evidence from the Mari letters and Arab sources, the article suggests that a p...
| Authors: | ; |
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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: |
Biblica
Year: 2024, Volume: 105, Issue: 3, Pages: 315-329 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Bible. Genesis 49,27
/ Segen Jakobs
/ Benjamin (People)
/ Wolf
/ Simile
|
| IxTheo Classification: | HB Old Testament |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | This article discusses an unusual metaphor in Gen 49,27 comparing the tribe of Benjamin to a wolf. The wolf metaphor is unusual, because this beast of prey is normally associated with negative qualities. Using comparative evidence from the Mari letters and Arab sources, the article suggests that a positive image of the wolf reflects a nomadic society in which attacks of individual tribes on their neighbors provided a legitimate source of revenue. This insight is further used to compare the saying addressed to Benjamin with other sayings in Jacob’s blessing to his sons in Gen 49,1-27. |
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| ISSN: | 2385-2062 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Biblica
|
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2143/BIB.105.3.3293716 |