Moses among the Idols

Mediators of the Divine in the Ancient Near East

Amy L. Balogh

In Moses among the Idols: Mediators of the Divine in the Ancient Near East, Balogh simultaneously redefines one of the greatest figures in the history of religion and challenges the historically popular understanding of ancient Mesopotamian idols as the idle objects of antiquated faiths. Drawing on interdisciplinary research and methods of comparison, Balogh not only offers new insight into the lives of idols as active mediators between humanity and divinity, she also makes the case that when it comes to understanding the figure of Moses, Mesopotamian idols are the best analogy that the ancient Near East provides. This new understanding of Moses, idols, and the interplay between the two on the stage of history and within the biblical text has been made possible only with the recent publication of pertinent texts from ancient Mesopotamia.

Drawing from the fields of Assyriology, biblical studies, comparative religion, and archaeology, Balogh identifies a problem with Moses’s status, and offers an unexpected solution to that problem. Moses among the Idols centers on the question: What is it that transforms Moses from an inadequate representative of Yahweh who is “uncircumcised of lips” to “god to Pharaoh” (Exodus 6:28-7:1)? In this moment, Moses undergoes a status change best understood through comparison with the induction ritual for ancient Mesopotamian idols as described in the texts of the Mīs Pȋ, “Washing” or “Purification of the Mouth.” This solution to the problem of Moses’s status explains not only his status change, but also why Moses radiates light after speaking with YHWH (Exod 34:29-35), and his peculiar relationship with YHWH and people of Israel. The comparative, interdisciplinary perspective provided by Balogh allows one to read these and other millennia-old interpretive issues anew, and to do so in a way that underscores the contribution of in-depth comparison to our understanding of ancient civilizations, texts, and intellectual frameworks.

Lexington Books / Fortress Academic

Pages: 232 • Trim: 6¼ x 9

978-1-9787-0030-7 • Hardback • September 2018 • $105.00 • (£81.00)

978-1-9787-0031-4 • eBook • September 2018 • $99.50 • (£77.00)

Subjects: Religion / Biblical Criticism & Interpretation / Old Testament, History / Ancient / General, Religion / Biblical Studies / History & Culture, Religion / Comparative Religion, Religion / Judaism / History

Moses among the Idols

Mediators of the Divine in the Ancient Near East

Hardback

eBook

Summary

In Moses among the Idols: Mediators of the Divine in the Ancient Near East, Balogh simultaneously redefines one of the greatest figures in the history of religion and challenges the historically popular understanding of ancient Mesopotamian idols as the idle objects of antiquated faiths. Drawing on interdisciplinary research and methods of comparison, Balogh not only offers new insight into the lives of idols as active mediators between humanity and divinity, she also makes the case that when it comes to understanding the figure of Moses, Mesopotamian idols are the best analogy that the ancient Near East provides. This new understanding of Moses, idols, and the interplay between the two on the stage of history and within the biblical text has been made possible only with the recent publication of pertinent texts from ancient Mesopotamia.

Drawing from the fields of Assyriology, biblical studies, comparative religion, and archaeology, Balogh identifies a problem with Moses’s status, and offers an unexpected solution to that problem. Moses among the Idols centers on the question: What is it that transforms Moses from an inadequate representative of Yahweh who is “uncircumcised of lips” to “god to Pharaoh” (Exodus 6:28-7:1)? In this moment, Moses undergoes a status change best understood through comparison with the induction ritual for ancient Mesopotamian idols as described in the texts of the Mīs Pȋ, “Washing” or “Purification of the Mouth.” This solution to the problem of Moses’s status explains not only his status change, but also why Moses radiates light after speaking with YHWH (Exod 34:29-35), and his peculiar relationship with YHWH and people of Israel. The comparative, interdisciplinary perspective provided by Balogh allows one to read these and other millennia-old interpretive issues anew, and to do so in a way that underscores the contribution of in-depth comparison to our understanding of ancient civilizations, texts, and intellectual frameworks.

Details

Lexington Books / Fortress Academic

Pages: 232 • Trim: 6¼ x 9

978-1-9787-0030-7 • Hardback • September 2018 • $105.00 • (£81.00)

978-1-9787-0031-4 • eBook • September 2018 • $99.50 • (£77.00)

Subjects: Religion / Biblical Criticism & Interpretation / Old Testament, History / Ancient / General, Religion / Biblical Studies / History & Culture, Religion / Comparative Religion, Religion / Judaism / History

Author

Amy L. Balogh is program manager at the University of Denver's Center for Judaic Studies and adjunct lecturer for the Department of Religious Studies. She also teaches at Colorado College and Regis University.

Table of Contents

Introduction: An Iconic Understanding of Moses
1. From Idle to Idol
2. From Misfit to Mediator
3. Circumcising the Mouth of Moses
4. A Suitable Emblem of Divinity
5. Mouth to Mouth
Conclusion: Still No Graven Image

Reviews

In conclusion, Moses Among the Idols is a well-argued volume which presents innovative solutions concerning Moses’ status change and many ambiguous passages.
— Reading Religion

Well-constructed and cogently argued, the book received nominations in 2019 for both the AAR Best First Book in the History of Religions Award and the ASOR Frank Moore Cross Book Award. It is certainly a significant contribution that should not be neglected by future commentators of Exodus.

— Journal for the Study of the Old Testament

In this conceptually provocative and methodologically rigorous study, Amy Balogh seeks to reorient our conventional appraisals of just who—and even what—Moses is. . . . Among the most significant claims of this clever monograph is that the Priestly source was engaged in deliberately crafting a sophisticated theological counternarrative to Babylonian hegemony.

— Review of Biblical Literature

Balogh’s book is generated by the shift in Moses’ status from one who is "uncircumcised of lips" to one who is "god to Pharaoh." She casts her eye eastward, to Mesopotamia, and particularly to the texts about enlivening the cult statue known as the cleansing and opening of the mouth rituals. The resulting investigation is creative and generative on a number of fronts: the understanding of Moses’ role as mediator, for example, his radiant face, and his function as "Yhwh’s idol." Even the etymology of the name Mosheh is reconsidered in this intriguing study, which concludes—not without some irony—that Moses’ comparison to an idol is a way to describe him as "the most elevated of human beings."
— Brent A. Strawn, Professor of Old Testament, Emory University

Moses among the Idols

Mediators of the Divine in the Ancient Near East

Amy L. Balogh

Moses among the Idols

Mediators of the Divine in the Ancient Near East

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