Ezekiel's Visionary Temple in Babylonian Context by Tova Ganzel

Abstract

Reviewed by: Ezekiel's Visionary Temple in Babylonian Context by Tova Ganzel Hei-Yin Yip tova ganzel, Ezekiel's Visionary Temple in Babylonian Context (BZAW 539; Berlin: de Gruyter, 2021). Pp. viii + 183. $99.99. This well-researched and engagingly written monograph, which builds on an essay of Ganzel and Shalom E. Holtz, "Ezekiel's Temple in Babylonian Context" (VT 64 [2014] 211–66) focuses on the contextualization of the Book of Ezekiel's Temple Vision in the Babylonian milieu. Most scholars aver that Ezekiel's activity took place mainly in Babylonia; the book may have originated in Babylonia. In view of the majority opinion, G. argues that the final form of Ezekiel 40–48, which consists of many divergences from the details of pentateuchal law, should be examined in light of the exiles' surroundings in order to assess Ezekiel's peculiarity. A major contribution this book makes to scholarship is to identify systematically the unique features of the temple's design that lack biblical parallels, and to discuss possible connections between these features, namely, the gates, walls, and courtyards, and the corresponding features of the Babylonian temples. The study also pays due attention to the Neo-Babylonian Akītu festival and its influence on the Temple Vision. In chap. 2, G. first explores the extent of the Judean exiles' involvement in, and their knowledge of, the temples in the world around them. Through a review of scholarship on cuneiform documents, G. concludes that the community of exiles was very involved in its surroundings. To her, information collected from archives of temple administration, ritual texts, descriptions of the temples in topographical texts, and archaeological data lays "the groundwork for a comparison between the Temple Vision and the Babylonian temples" (p. 23). In chap. 3, G. examines the languages with which the Judean exiles in Babylonia were familiar and shows that the extent of the Aramaic and Akkadian influence is evident in Ezekiel 40–48 in three different spheres: "first, unique lexemes used to express the temple's plan; second, the names used to describe the temple; and third, the name given to the city [in which the temple will be located]" (p. 36). Based on the linguistic influences within Ezekiel's Temple Vision, the ensuing three chapters (chap. 4–6) further examine the influence of the Neo-Babylonian milieu on the temple's design, the hierarchy of access within the temples, and the temple rituals described in Ezekiel 40–48. [End Page 333] In chap. 4, G. argues that the design of Ezekiel's temple departs in significant ways from that of Solomon's temple and that of the archaeological remains unearthed in Israel; however, Ezekiel's temple and the Babylonian temples share a similar arrangement of space. For instance, "the situation of Ezekiel's temple within a warren of chambers and courtyards resembles, in general, the layout of Neo-Babylonian temples" (p. 70). According to G., the kitchens described, which have no parallel description in Solomon's temple, also reflect the Neo-Babylonian temples with which the exiles would have been familiar. G. concludes that much of the design of Ezekiel's temple is to prevent defilement and to preserve the temple's purity. The protection of the temple's purity is further supplemented by a restructured temple hierarchy, including the priests, the Levites, and the nāśîʾ. G. argues in chap. 5 that "Ezekiel's priests, like the priests serving in Neo-Babylonian temples, are split into groups, with the Zadokite priests clearly higher in rank" (p.105), while the non-Zadokites and Levites are compared to the lower-ranking Babylonian purveyors. Ezekiel's nāśîʾ integrates the roles of the two Babylonian temple officials who had many administrative obligations but no role in the cult. The division of labor allows for a smaller number of personnel in the sacred space. The final chapter (chap. 6) is concerned with the first-month rituals in Ezekiel's envisioned temple. The descriptions of Ezekiel's rituals and of the Akītu festival in Babylon are similar. "These similarities include similar dates, partial participation by the people, who mainly observe but do not actively participate in the ritual, and the functions of the...