Identity Formation, Marriage and Social Conflict in Ezra 9 and 10
Donald P. Moffat
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First published 2013
© Donald P. Moffat, 2013
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Donald P. Moffat has asserted his rights under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author of this work.
No responsibility for loss caused to any individual or organization acting on or refraining from action as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by Bloomsbury Academic or the author.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: HB: 978-0-567-60912-0
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress
LIBRARY OF HEBREW BIBLE/OLD TESTAMENT STUDIES
579
Formerly Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series
Editors
Claudia V. Camp, Texas Christian University
Andrew Mein, Westcott House, Cambridge
Founding Editors
David J. A. Clines, Philip R. Davies and David M. Gunn
Editorial Board
Alan Cooper, John Goldingay, Robert P. Gordon,
Norman K. Gottwald, James Harding, John Jarick, Carol Meyers,
Patrick D. Miller, Francesca Stavrakopoulou,
Daniel L. Smith-Christopher
Introduction: Ezra’s Social Drama
Social Science, Historicity and Identity
1. Social Sciences and Biblical Studies
c. Social Drama: Phases, Root Paradigms, Ritual and Symbolism
d. Social Drama and Biblical Studies
2. Ezra-Nehemiah and Historical Reconstruction
b. Identity Formation as Context
Foundations for Reading Ezra 9 and 10
b. The Original Position of Nehemiah 8
a. The Original Debate About Unity
b. Recent Source-Critical Studies
1. The Problem Identified (Ezra 9:1–5)
(2) Identifying the Peoples of the Lands
(1) Marriage is Unfaithfulness
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About Ezra’s Social Drama: Identity Formation, Marriage and Social Conflict in Ezra 9 and 10Moffat aims to provide further insight into the mixed marriage narrative by exposing the social and cultural factors on which it is based. He also identifies historical traces in the narrative that can contribute to a historical reconstruction of the post-exilic era. The socio-cultural analysis highlights previously unobserved aspects of the narrative as it understands that the narrative reflects a context in which identity formation issues were prominent in Persian Yehud. Moffat argues that the rituals of mourning and penitential prayer are important acts that shaped the mixed marriage controversy. The label “foreign women” is identified as a symbol which carried considerable freight and connected the mixed marriages with wider social discourse on identity. Further, the Exodus traditions are shown to be significant for the conceptual foundations underlying the narrative and the society that produced it. The analysis also gives reason to understand Ezra as the pivotal character in narrative plot. This not only affects how the narrative is understood but has implications for historical reconstruction that utilizes this narrative. |
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