Jerusalem "an jenem Tag": Eine traditionsgeschichtliche Untersuchung von Sach 12–14 zur Rolle Jerusalems im Endgeschehen im Kontext spätprophetischer Literatur by Michael Schlegel

Abstract

Reviewed by: Jerusalem "an jenem Tag": Eine traditionsgeschichtliche Untersuchung von Sach 12–14 zur Rolle Jerusalems im Endgeschehen im Kontext spätprophetischer Literatur by Michael Schlegel James D. Nogalski michael schlegel, Jerusalem "an jenem Tag": Eine traditionsgeschichtliche Untersuchung von Sach 12–14 zur Rolle Jerusalems im Endgeschehen im Kontext spätprophetischer Literatur (ATSAT 103; St. Ottilien: EOS, 2018). Pp. viii + 339. Paper €34.95. Schlegel's contribution represents a slightly modified version of his doctoral dissertation written under the supervision of Hubert Irsigler at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität in Freiburg, Germany (2017). As indicated by the title, S. puts forward a tradition-historical [End Page 531] investigation of Zechariah 12–14 in which he concentrates on the role of Jerusalem in the eschatological events in late prophetic literature. Schlegel recognizes Zechariah 12–14 as an anthology that draws from other texts; in this view he joins a growing chorus of scholars who treat these chapters as scribal prophecy (schriftgelehrte Prophetie). For him, these chapters deal with the role of Jerusalem (and Judah) in the protoapocalyptic vision of the end-times. The current state of research on Zechariah 12–14, according to S., has concentrated heavily on three issues: text-critical problems, dating, and the relationship of these chapters to apocalypticism. S. also sets his investigation over against other recent treatments of Zechariah (9)12–14 that have tended to emphasize redactional questions. Instead, S. wants to focus "upon a deeper understanding of this text in light of its origin (Entstehung), its structure, and its relationship to its tradition" (p. 7), as well as how it is situated theologically in late prophetic/early apocalyptic literature and Zion theology. He thus explores how Zechariah 12–14 depicts the role of Jerusalem in the motifs and traditions in these chapters. Schlegel employs a transparent methodological process. In sections 1–5, he sets forth a blessedly brief (four pages) history of research and a discussion of method before laying out the Hebrew text and German translation side by side. He (see p. 19) follows the "Biblica Hebraica transcripta" method advocated by Wolfgang Richter, which essentially lists each clause (independent or dependent) on its own line to isolate the major syntactical elements of each verse. By labeling each line S. provides a shorthand means of referencing the individual clauses in subsequent discussions. In section 4, he provides notes to his translation, while in section 5 he deals extensively with the text-critical problems related to these three chapters. In section 6, S. develops a possible model to explain how Zechariah 12–14 developed as a text, arguing that these chapters began with a primary text (portions of 12:1–8, 9–14 and 13:1–6) followed by two redactional continuations (Fortschreibungen). The first of these continuations includes 13:7–9 and portions of the preceding chapters, and its purpose appears to be to associate chaps. 12–13 more closely with chaps. 9–11 to highlight the theme of judgment against the entire people (not merely the leadership groups mentioned in 13:1–6). Chapter 14 constitutes the second addition, and its purpose was to serve as the keystone for the conclusion of the Book of the Twelve. Schlegel devotes section 7 to a structural analysis of chaps. 12–14. He begins with the frequency and distribution of words and phrases before turning to a syntactical analysis of the sentences that includes treatments of the change of subject, the function of the chronological references, the type and perspective of the speeches, and the basic function of the connective logic of the sentences. Next he analyzes the themes and the function of the text's structure, which yields an overview of the structure of Zechariah 12–14. The extensive and detailed analyses lead him to conclude what others have argued, namely, that "the entire text manifests itself as a mosaic of different pieces of tradition . . . that do not necessarily belong together by themselves, but have been woven together into a whole text" (p. 138). In section 8, S. unpacks the meaning of the text by examining the semantics of the structural parts in the contents of these chapters, and in section 9 he investigates fixed...