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- Title
Commensal Politics in Ancient Western Asia. The Background to Nehemiah's Feasting (Part I).
- Authors
Wright, Jacob L.
- Abstract
Table-fellowship and feasting similar to that described by Nehemiah (Neh 5,17–18) is encountered throughout the ancient world, where it played a central role in displaying power, forming social bonds, and fortifying political alliances. Surprisingly, scholars have rarely brought this comparative data to bear upon the Memoir. The present essay works toward redressing this deficiency by discussing a wide range of biblical and other ancient Near Eastern texts and images related to commensality. It shows how feasting functions within the political calculus of ancient Western Asian rulers as one of the most popular means to promote internal social cohesion and forge external alliances – either as a way of avoiding military conflict or as a prelude to warring against a third party. On the basis of different texts and images, the article demonstrates how feasting as a ritual performance plays an essential role in the construction of victory. In the first instalment of this two-part article, I begin with theoretical observations, move to discuss an array of biblical texts, and continue with an overview of iconographic images of victory feasting.
- Subjects
ESSAYS; FELLOWSHIP &; religion; BIBLE. Nehemiah; FASTS &; feasts; SOCIAL bonds; COMMENSALISM; SOCIAL cohesion
- Publication
Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft, 2010, Vol 122, Issue 2, p212
- ISSN
0044-2526
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1515/ZAW.2010.016