The Sanctuary of Bethel and the Configuration of Israelite Identity

After Jerusalem, Bethel is the most frequently cited sanctuary in the Hebrew Bible. The book offers a detailed analysis of Bethel and its sanctuary from archaeological and biblical evidence. It reconstructs the history of Bethel and by analysing the presence of pro- and anti-Bethel propaganda, it argues that the latter, with its own pro-Jerusalem/Judah bias, has resulted in an unfair denigration of Bethel as an idolatrous place of worship. The study suggests that Bethel was a legitimate Yahwistic shrine and continued to be so even after the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel to the Assyrians. Hence, Bethel in a real sense was the principal means of configuring Israelite identity.

Autorentext

Jules Frances Gomes, University of Cambridge, U.K.

Zusammenfassung

"Insgesamt eine beachtenswerte Studie, die für Auskünfte über das biblische Bethel und sein Heiligtum nicht außer Acht gelassen werden darf."
B. Weber in: Old Testament Essays 1/2007

"Gleichwohl ist das Buch für alle weiteren Studien über Bet-El unverzichtbar."
M. Köhlmoos in: ZAW 2007

Inhalt

1. Introduction: The Archaeology of Bethel; The Location of Bethel; Bethel as Deity; The Sanctuary of Bethel; The Problem: Sanctuary and Identity, Sources and Method; 2. Bethel in the books of Kings: From Restoration to Destruction; 3. Bethel in the book of Genesis: Sanctuary of the Patriarchs; 4. Bethel in the books of Joshua, Judges and 1 Samuel: Territorial Conquest and Tribal Claims; 5. Bethel in Amos, Hosea and Particular Psalms: House of God or House of Sin?; 6. Bethel in the Post-Exilic Writings: The Revival of a Central Sanctuary; 7. Conclusion