‘Reading Jeremiah Makes Me Angry!’ The Role of Jeremiah 32[39]:36–41 in Transformation within the ‘Jeremianic’ Tradition

Abstract

This chapter argues that it is fruitful and integrating to approach the Jeremianic tradition as a form of collective memory that continually shapes and is shaped by new groups of readers. In collective memory a social group expresses its identity by continually reconstructing its own history from a current ideological stance in interaction with tradition. This approach illuminates how processes of identity formation take place in the Jeremianic tradition. The author applies this approach to Jeremiah 32:36-41 and its appropriations in the Masoretic Text, in the Septuagint, and in the contemporary context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The insertion of these verses into the chapter changes the perspective of the chapter as a whole and constructs a new identity for its readership. The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint represent two different interpretations of the position of these verses in the chapter. Keywords: Israeli-Palestinian conflict; Jeremiah 32:36-41; Jeremianic tradition; Masoretic Text; Septuagint