Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-2015

Department

Theology

Keywords

Hannah, Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum, prayer, speech, zeal, narrative, violence

Abstract

This article argues that the movement from Hannah’s silent prayer in 50.5 (‘Hannah did not want to pray out loud’) to her bold declaration in 51.5 (‘I will speak my words openly’) interrupts a narrative trajectory involving violent zeal in Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum. Throughout the narrative, the prayers of key individuals for God’s merciful action on behalf of the people are rendered efficacious by acts of zeal (zelus) that are both public and violent (47.1–3). By contrast, Hannah’s act of silent prayer (framed as ‘zeal’ in 50.5) is accepted as the accompanying act for the people’s prayer (51.2). This vicarious action helps explain Hannah’s expanded role as paradigmatic of all Israel in L.A.B. and serves to deconstruct the notion that acceptable zeal from Israel’s leaders must be manifested with violence.

Comments

Copyright © 2015 Sage Publications

http://jsp.sagepub.com/content/25/2/91.abstract

Source Publication Title

Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha

Publisher

Sage Publications

Volume

25

Issue

2

First Page

91

DOI

10.1177/0951820715621196

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