Violence and the Bible

1. General caveats

1.1. Not all violence is sanctified

1.2. Immediate context matters vs. later rhetorical uses

1.3. Triangle of violence: agent, victim, and witness

1.4. NOT exceptional in the ancient world or tied just to monotheism

1.5. "distinguishing between the claims of those who utilize the Bible to justify violence and how the biblical anthology actually represents violence of various sorts in various ways."- 627

2. "Enemies"

2.1. "Bad influence" and "bad behaviors" ex. Canaanites and their cultic objects

2.2. Purity and holiness vs. abomination

2.3. Dehumanization and "foreigners"

3. War?

3.1. Promise of ritual offering for victory (ex. Jephthah and King Moab)

3.2. Killing of sacrifice to assure victory

3.3. See also: KINGS

3.4. Divine favor? Who does the text sympathize with? Example- Jehu- decree from deity against Ahab

4. Legitimated or Illegitimate?

4.1. social context ?

4.1.1. Divine directive

4.1.2. Divine permission

4.1.3. Favored person? ex. David and Moses

4.1.4. Human sacrifice?

4.1.5. "possibility of an exemplary pious person who nonetheless commits unjustified violence" - page 621

5. Who commits violence?

5.1. Patriarchs and Foundational Figures

5.1.1. territorial conquest

5.1.2. interpersonal violence

5.2. Individuals in Civil Legal Codes

5.2.1. Shows similarity with other NE law codes

5.2.2. Evidence for legitimate / illegit based on class, gender, free/unfree, etc.

5.2.3. Retribution / justice- legal codes shaped understanding of human misfortune as divine punishment

5.3. Priests and Prophets

5.3.1. Ritual codes- but enacted? (proscriptive)

5.3.2. Ex. Elijah's killing of rival prophets

5.3.3. Used later by those who associate themselves with priests and prophets to invoke biblical models- sanctify their own violence

5.4. Kings (second to the deity)

5.4.1. War- normal and legitmate

5.4.2. Punitive violence

5.4.3. Defensive

5.4.4. Politically strategic

5.4.5. More political than religious

5.4.6. Assassinations and coups

5.4.7. Figure of King David- greatest theological impact (pg 620)

5.5. Neighboring Kings

5.5.1. Divine punishment? ex. Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar

5.5.2. Exception- Pharaoh's oppression

5.6. Divine Beings

5.6.1. Shifting violence away from human agents?

5.6.2. Explanation of suffering and calamities

5.6.3. Legitimates violence

5.6.4. Apocalypse- eschatological vengeance

5.6.4.1. Lessen present violence?