By Charles Halton on Saturday, 27 September 2008 at 12:00 pm
How do we identify instances in which ancient authors allude to or interact with other texts? In a discussion of the intertextual use of Genesis 3:15 Jim Hamilton says:
Perhaps the word-study fallacy has closed many ears to the echoes of Gen. 3:15 that run through the Bible. Even though nearly everyone is aware of the potential pitfall, it remains true that often in the modern academy discussions of “messianic hope in the OT” give too much space and weight to word studies of the term “anointed” and/or limit themselves to an examination of the ideas surrounding the promises to David.1
What he is saying (if I have read him correctly) is that interpreters sometimes focus too much upon key words and they do not adequately take into account the fact that authors interact with ideas or themes found in other works. Furthermore, when an ancient author alludes to an idea in another text the author does not always use the same vocabulary but nonetheless there is still an intertextual link.
I very much agree with this observation. This phenomena holds true for all ancient writing that I am familiar with. In fact, I have an article coming out in a few months in which I examine the allusions to the Mesopotamian stream of tradition within Neo-Assyrian Oracles.
What I found fascinating with this study was that when Assyrian prophets made intertextual links with the stream of tradition, they would almost never quote the passages directly.  Rather, they would incorporate the ideas and imagery embedded within the passages but they would alter the allusions to their own rhetorical purposes and they would almost always use different vocabulary ranging from alternate spellings to completely different phrases. Furthermore, they never included personal names or other explicit identifying marks of the source of the works they alluded to.2
Therefore, when we approach ancient texts we should not restrict our search for intertextual links to merely correspondence of vocabulary but also of ideas, themes, and imagery.
What do you think?
- “The Skull Crushing Seed of the Woman,” in SBJT 10.2 (2006), 34. [back]
- Based upon this you might think that I mistakenly identified intertextual allusions, however, I am not the only one to make these identifications–Simo Parpola has as well, Assyrian Prophecies (State Archives of Assyria IX; Helsinki University Press, 1997), CV note 246. [back]
Comments (10)
Category: All,Hebrew Bible,Mesopotamia,Neo-Assyrian Prophecy
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Comment by Rochelle Altman
Made Saturday, 27 of September , 2008 at 1:48 pm
Hi, Charles,
Allusions occur throughout the MT. I reviewed John Vadsar’s, _Recalling A Story Once Told: An Intertextual Reading of the Psalter and the Pentateuch_ (BTB 38:3). While Vassar’s book has a specific aim (at which it succeeds), it also highlights exactly such features as you refer to. Then there’s Isa. 38: 9-20 which is chock-a-block with allusions to Ps: 23 (e.g., walk into the gates of sheol — “gam ki elekh b’gai tzal-mavet”)and to the number of ways a life can be cut short… sort of had to explain what this was all about to John Hobbins.
Comment by Bob MacDonald
Made Saturday, 27 of September , 2008 at 1:51 pm
I find a clear resonance of Genesis 3:15 with Psalm 89 the last verse. It seems significant to me that this massive lament on the apparent failure of the faith of Israel is at this point in the Psalter. I haven’t yet found words to express it concisely, but it seems to me that the Psalter is all about the hope in Messiah and that it will not fail in spite of all appearances to the contrary.
Comment by Christopher B. Hays
Made Saturday, 27 of September , 2008 at 10:28 pm
I have an essay coming out that I think you would enjoy and be sympathetic with: “Echoes of the Ancient Near East?: Intertextuality and the Comparative Study of the Old Testament,†in Festschrift for Richard B. Hays (Winona Lake, Ind.: Eerdmans, 2009), forthcoming. I argued that while lexical connections are an important means of identifying intertexts, that standard (or method) alone is not sufficient — nor such a limited approach consonant with the way Julia Kristeva initially formulated the concept.
I enjoy your blog. Keep up the good work.
Comment by Charles Halton
Made Sunday, 28 of September , 2008 at 8:16 am
Wow, this is one of the best collection of comments so far! Thanks for the great reflections. I look forward to reading the article you refer to and your review Rochelle and I also can’t wait for the release of the Richard Hays festschrift so I can read your article Christopher. Bob, I agree that there is a messianic hope in the Psalter–I’ll read Ps 89 again in light of your comments.
Comment by John Hobbins
Made Sunday, 28 of September , 2008 at 4:28 pm
An interesting topic indeed. I don’t think a set of agreed-upon criteria exists that might be used in determining whether one work is alluding to another.
In a forthcoming biblioblog interview, Alan Lenzi was kind enough to go back and forth with me on this topic with respect to his hypothesis that Proverbs 8:22-31 polemicizes with and eludes to material in Enuma Elish.
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Made Sunday, 28 of September , 2008 at 6:34 pm
[...] Halton at Awilum.com has opened a discussion on Word Studies and Intertextuality that I want to participate in, but I wanted to present some basics first to expand the horizons. I [...]
Comment by Charles Halton
Made Monday, 29 of September , 2008 at 9:08 am
I look forward to your interview with Alan, John.
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Made Saturday, 1 of August , 2009 at 5:16 pm
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Made Monday, 1 of March , 2010 at 4:13 pm
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