عنوان

The Jewish Understanding of the Scriptural Solomon Narrative: Examining Biblical, Classical Rabbinic, and Major Medieval Responses

Number

TL49919

.Language of Text, Soundtrack etc

انگلیسی

Title Proper

The Jewish Understanding of the Scriptural Solomon Narrative: Examining Biblical, Classical Rabbinic, and Major Medieval Responses

General Material Designation

[Thesis]

First Statement of Responsibility

Sheila Tuller Keiter

Subsequent Statement of Responsibility

Bakhos, Carol

Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.

University of California, Los Angeles

Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.

2018

Specific Material Designation and Extent of Item

356

Text of Note

Committee members: Hirshman, Marc; Sabar, Yona; Schniedewind, William

Text of Note

Place of publication: United States, Ann Arbor; ISBN=978-0-355-98168-1

Dissertation or thesis details and type of degree

Ph.D.

Discipline of degree

Near Eastern Languages & Cultures

Body granting the degree

University of California, Los Angeles

Text preceding or following the note

2018

Text of Note

The biblical Solomon narrative that appears in the Book of Kings offers a complex portrait of Solomon as both the wise Temple builder as well as an idolatrous sinner. Solomon's story poses the problem of how the wisest of all men to whom God spoke could have come to worship other gods. Over history, Jewish literature has had to contend with Solomon's mixed legacy. It has done so by either ignoring the difficult aspects of his narrative, by apologizing for Solomon's conduct, or by criticizing him for his errors. Even within Tanakh, we see multiple and disparate responses to the Solomonic problem presented in Kings. Chronicles offers a cleansed portrait of Solomon, focusing on his role as Temple builder. Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs, both attributed to Solomon, play a large role in the evolution of Solomon's character in Jewish thought. Arguably they were written as critiques of Solomon, of his arrogant reliance on wisdom and his failure to maintain faith in God. Yet this purpose seems to have been lost by the time of the rabbis of late antiquity. Instead, the rabbis designate these works, which they presume to have been written by Solomon, as divinely inspired. This in turn ultimately establishes a basis on which to redeem Solomon, the rabbis construing his works as expressions of penitence. Solomon's prophetic status is amplified by the targumic treatment of those works. The popularity of the Targum to the Song of Songs and its use by Rashi in his commentary to the Song, granting its ideas even greater circulation, promoted a highly laudatory reading of Solomon in the Middle Ages. In addition, admiring portrayals of Solomon in Christianity and Islam may have influenced Jewish perceptions. These factors made castigation of Solomon increasingly difficult for the Jewish medieval exegetes. Thus, an apologetic image of Solomon gains ascendance in the Middle Ages which has colored Jewish perceptions of Solomon ever since. As such, we see Jewish exegesis responding to its own theological needs as well as responding to external exegetical influences.

Religion; Biblical studies; Judaic studies; Middle Ages; Narratives; Antiquity; Apologies; Bible; Near Eastern studies; Literature

Subject Term

Philosophy, religion and theology;Social sciences;Book of Kings;King Solomon;Medieval exegesis;Midrashic tradition;Solomonic works;Targum

Al Murib, Muhanned

Bakhos, Carol

Subdivision

Near Eastern Languages & Cultures

University of California, Los Angeles

Call Number

2050035142; 10817201

Electronic name

p

[Thesis]

276903

a

Y