Magic and Maledictions: Zechariah 5,1–4 in its ancient Near Eastern Context

Abstract

AbstractFor almost a century biblical scholars have commented on the magical nature of Zechariah’s curse vision (Zechariah 5,1–4). In this vision, the prophet witnesses a flying scroll which represents a curse pronounced by God (Zech 5,1–4). Recent insights concerning the rationale of magic and the function of curses allow us to take a new look at this vision and evaluate how the prophetic author matched the elements of writing and speech to create a sense of magic. For this purpose, Zechariah 5,1–4 will be read against the backdrop of ancient Near Eastern, Levantine and biblical curse traditions. This paper shows how the prophetic author drew on curse traditions of the past to shape his ideas about God’s role in an ideal future in which the wicked would become subject to divine punishment.