The End of History and the Last King: Achaemenid Ideology and Community Identity in Ezra–Nehemiah

Description

This book examines community identity in the post-exilic temple community in Ezra-Nehemiah, and explores the possible influences that the Achaemenids, the ruling Persian dynasty, might have had on its construction. In the book, David Janzen reads Ezra-Nehemiah in dialogue with the Achaemenids’ Old Persian inscriptions, as well as with other media the dynasty used, such as reliefs, seals, coins, architecture, and imperial parks. In addition, he discusses the cultural and religious background of Achaemenid thought, especially its intersections with Zoroastrian beliefs. Ezra-Nehemiah, Janzen argues, accepts Achaemenid claims for the necessity and beneficence of their hegemony. The result is that Ezra-Nehemiah, like the imperial ideology it mimics, claims that divine and royal wills are entirely aligned. Ezra-Nehemiah reflects the Achaemenid assertion that the peoples they have colonized are incapable of living in peace and happiness without the Persian rule that God established to benefit humanity, and that the dynasty rewards the peoples who do what they desire, since that reflects divine desire. The final chapter of the book argues that Ezra-Nehemiah was produced by an elite group within the Persian-period temple assembly, and shows that Ezra-Nehemiah’s pro-Achaemenid worldview was not widely accepted within that community. Cover Title Copyright Contents List of Abbreviations Chapter 1 Introduction: Community Identity, Achaemenid Ideology, and the Composition of Ezra–Nehemiah 1. The Approach and Outline of the Argument 2. The Composition and Authorship of Ezra–Nehemiah 3. The Persian-Period Date of Ezra–Nehemiah Chapter 2 Community Identity in Ezra–Nehemiah 1. Ezra 1–6: The Ideal Generation 2. Ezra 7–10: The Epigone, Part 1 3. Nehemiah 1:1–13:3: The Epigone, Part 2 4. Nehemiah 13:4-34: The Epigone, Conclusion Chapter 3 The Beneficent King in Achaemenid Ideology and in Ezra–Nehemiah 1. Introduction: The Background of Achaemenid Ideology 2. Achaemenid Ideology, Part 1: The Beneficent King 3. Community and Beneficent King in Ezra–Nehemiah 4. Conclusion: From Colonizers to Colonized Chapter 4 The King, God, and Torture 1. Achaemenid Ideology, Part 2: The Necessity of Torture 2. The Community and Imperial and Divine Violence in Ezra–Nehemiah 3. The End of History and the Last King, Part 1 Chapter 5 Empire and Ideology in Persian-Period Judah 1. Ezra–Nehemiah within the Temple Community’s Factions 2. Empire and Community Identity in the Persian-Period Temple Community 3. Post-exilic Prophetic Critiques of Empire 4. Conclusion: The End of History and the Last King, Part 2 Chapter 6 Conclusion: The Struggle over Community Identity in the Persian Period Bibliography Index of References Index of Authors