Vision Of Temple Research Articles

Responses in Isaiah 40: 1–11 to Jeremiah’s “Set Time” Prophecy and Ezekiel’s Temple Vision

Abstract: This article identifies in Isa 40:1–11 two responses to earlier prophecies. The first response appears in Isa 40:2b, which argues that, although the set time of seventy years (Jer 25:12; 29:10) has not yet elapsed, the time for restoration has nevertheless arrived. The more complex response is found in Isa 40:5, which reacts to passages in Ezekiel’s temple vision (Ezek 43:1–5; 44:4). In those passages, Ezekiel envisions the return of (the Presence of Yhwh) to the restored Jerusalem temple. Isaiah 40:5 envisions a different type of return of —not to the temple but to the towns of Judah, as part of the Judahites’ return to these towns. Isaiah 40:3–11 innovatively argues that the Presence of God can be made manifest even in the absence of the temple. These verses argue against Ezek 43:1–5 and 44:4, which view the Presence of God as intrinsically linked to the temple.

Ezekiel's Visionary Temple in Babylonian Context by Tova Ganzel

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...

Gates and Entrances in Ezekiel 40–48: The Social Utopia of the Temple Vision

Abstract The temple vision of Ezek 40–48 devotes considerable attention to measuring and describing the various gates and entrances of the temple compound. Previous studies have tended to focus on the defensive function of the gates. However, these structures not only bar entry but also facilitate access to the temple under certain ritualized conditions. Offering a close reading of the references to the gates in Ezek 40–48, in which particular roles and activities are associated with specific entrances, this article shows how these architectural features of the temple map a differential system in which social hierarchies are organized according to the level, direction, and timing of access ascribed to different groups and individuals within the temple compound. The article concludes by exploring the significance of the gates for how we understand the literary genre of the temple vision of Ezek 40–48, and in particular its nature as a social utopia.

First-Month Rituals in Ezekiel’s Temple Vision: A Pentateuchal and Babylonian Comparison

First-Month Rituals in Ezekiel’s Temple Vision: A Pentateuchal and Babylonian Comparison

The Influence of Ezekiel 40-48 on 1 Enoch 14:8-25

Insofar as the throne vision in 1 Enoch 14:8-25 so clearly recalls previous biblical descriptions, interpreters have simply focused on texts of the throne vision. However, more interpreters, with the understanding of Enoch’s role as a priest, have come to recognize that the throne vision of 1 Enoch. 14:8-25 reflects Ezekiel 40-48. Although they suggested the relationships between Ezekiel 40-48 and 1 Enoch 14, they failed to explain why 1 Enoch introduces the throne vision, namely, the heavenly temple vision in the wake of the narrative about the fallen Watchers’ petition (1En 13:3b-7). Before Enoch was taken to heaven, the Great Holy One commanded His four archangels to destroy Shemihazah and his associates (1En 10-11). Yet Enoch suddenly shifts his concern as an intercessor for the Fallen Watchers (1En 12:1-13:7). Then as Enoch recites the memorandum of their petition, he sees visions in his dreams, in other words, the throne vision (1En 13:8-16:4). Since Enoch ascended to heaven, readers never heard the Fallen Watchers’ voices. The author’s intent must have been reflected on this narrative sequence. In this paper, I argue that the throne vision in 1 Enoch not only follows the structure of Ezekiel 40-48, but also reflects Ezekiel’s theology of the new Temple. From Ezekiel’s perspective, the prerequisite conditions for the new Temple are the purification of the abominations in it: “the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their whoring, and by the corpses of their kings at their death” (Eze 43:7). Thus he introduces the corpses of God’s soldiers (Eze 38-39) and then proceeds to the next narrative about his entrance to the new Temple. With Ezekiel’s theology in mind, Enoch, in a similar vein, constructs the sequence of events. The Fallen Watchers who were proud of their knowledge and power tremble before Enoch’s command from the Great One. After Enoch’s journey to the house in heaven, they disappeared (1En 21:10). This paper proceeds in five stages. First, it translates the throne vision (1En 14:8-25) on the basis of critical notes. Second, it examines the literary form and the setting of the throne vision within the larger literary framework of the Book of the Watchers (1En 1-36). Third, it identifies and examines genre and language. Fourth, it investigates the setting in which the text was written, to which it was addressed, and in which it functioned. Finally, it draws conclusions concerning Ezekiel’s temple theology in 1 Enoch.

Temple Vision as a Catalyst to Theological Convergence: Ecumenical Renewal in a Post-Ecumenical Era

I would like to thank Profs. Fr. Laurent Cleenewerck and Fr. Cajetan Ebuziem for their constructive feedback on an earlier draft of this article. Abstract The modern Ecumenical Movement actively seeks to establish visible unity among all Christendom. How this is to eventually take shape remains a mystery. Historically, there are four methods by which this process is understood: (1) Faith and Order, (2) Life and Work, (3) Common missionary efforts, and (4) A renewed commitment to theological education. Nevertheless, the search for visible unity remains problematic, when taking into account the further divisions that exist in the sacramental life of the Church, as the Lima 1982 Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry (BEM) document examines. The reality remains that the Church is nowhere closer to achieving the visible unity for which Jesus prayed in John 17:21. But what if we are not looking in the right place? What is the answer has been reiterated throughout the Scriptures all along – hidden in plain sight? The Temple, with its cube-shaped Holy of Holies, can provide a catalyst through which, not only visible unity, but a wider theological convergence, is achieved. As this essay will argue, Temple vision can become a catalyst to achieving the mystical unity for which Jesus prayed, as consistent with Christ’s ecumenical imperative. In our increasingly technological world that is looking for mystical connections of a deeper nature, this may very well be what the world needs today. Keywords: Temple, Visible Unity, Ecumenical, Theological Convergence DOI: 10.7176/JPCR/48-04 Publication date: March 31 st 2020

From Adapa to Enoch: Scribal Culture and Religious Vision in Judea and Babylon by Seth L. Sanders

Reviewed by: From Adapa to Enoch: Scribal Culture and Religious Vision in Judea and Babylon by Seth L. Sanders David M. Carr seth l. sanders, From Adapa to Enoch: Scribal Culture and Religious Vision in Judea and Babylon (TSAJ 167; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2016). Pp. xiv + 280. €120. This book is an epigraphically focused exploration of scribal consciousness and interrelationships of Babylonian and Judean scribal cultures, with a focus (in the case of the latter) on the Second Temple period. The body of the book starts with a substantial chapter providing a richly detailed overview of the invocation of the figure of Adapa in a variety of genres of Mesopotamian literature, not just the iterations of the myth of Adapa and the South Wind and at the head of lists of primeval sages (apkallū), but also in a widely circulated incantation collection (udug.hul, "evil demons"), several Neo-Assyrian royal inscriptions, catalogues of texts and authors, and (with the demise of native kingship) even identification of Adapa as the founder of massive Resh temple of Seleucid-period Uruk (and named author in a catalogue fragment found there). Based on this broad survey, Sanders argues that Adapa was the most prominent image in Mesopotamia of a human figure who traveled to heaven, was enthroned there, and mastered the secrets of the universe. As such, S. argues that Adapa is the most likely model for later Judean elaboration of the figure of Enoch in Second Temple Judaism, rather than the figure of Enmeduranki, who is often seen as Enoch's precursor. S. notes that Enmeduranki is noted as communing with the gods only in two somewhat idiosyncratic Neo-Assyrian texts, and he does not even clearly travel to heaven in them (cf. Adapa and Enoch). In chaps. 2 and 6, S. draws on a variety of theoretical resources to explore how Mesopotamian ritual texts about Adapa (chap. 2) and Qumran texts (chap. 6) provide scripts by which textual professionals could participate in the divine realm. In the case of Mesopotamia, exorcistic and divinitory texts provided a means by which scribes could take on the masterful persona (//mask) of Adapa in order to draw on divine power. Similarly, in the case of Qumran, texts such as the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice and the Self-Glorification Hymn (see esp. 4Q491) reconfigure elements of Daniel 11–12 and other biblical texts to provide a textual means by which readers at Qumran could join the heavenly council of the holy ones. Both bodies of literature, so S., are crafted in a scribal context that does not distinguish linguistic (social) and natural orders the way Westerners are prone to do, so that Adapa-like textual mastery of these literary scripts can provide cosmic mastery and communion with divine beings. The intervening chapters (3–5) build a history of how Second Temple Jewish scribes came to adopt and reframe Babylonian science. In chap. 3, S. argues for a movement from the preexilic use of "unproblematic language of direct perception of God" (p. 110; e.g., Amos 7:7; Isaiah 6; and the Micaiah vision of 1 Kings 22) to extended Ezekielian discourses about visions of God that are approximate (a likeness, ), mediated, and often distinctively somatic (introduced by "hand of Yhwh" [] language; e.g., Ezek 1:3; 40:1). In chap. 4, S. then looks at how Ezekiel's visionary emphasis and focus on exactitude in dating and measurement (in the temple vision of chaps. 40–48) is continued in later Enochic literature. That literature, however, is distinguished from earlier biblical literature that was hostile to Babylonian science (e.g., Deut 4:19) in now narratively depicting a Torah figure, Enoch, being "shown" Babylonian-like calculations (e.g., 4Q209 frag. 25, line 3) and other [End Page 124] astronomical wisdom. In this way, S. sees Enoch's revelation as being introduced in a way analogous to Priestly language of Moses "being shown" the pattern of the Priestly tabernacle (Exod 25:40; 26:30; see also 27:8). In chap. 5, S. explores the possible means by which such Babylonian science might have found its way into Second Temple Judean apocalyptic texts. He provides an overview of...

Renounced and Abandoned: The Legal Meaning of עזב in Ezekiel 8:12 and 9:9

Ezekiel 8–11, the so-called Temple Vision, describes the departure of the כבוד־יהוה (“glory of Yhwh”) from Jerusalem and the temple precincts. In this article, I argue that the consistent presence of juridical elements in this vision reveals that the Judahites’ statements in Ezek 8:12 and 9:9 are a quasi-legal formula describing their perception of the legal relationship among them, Yhwh, and the land. Specifically, עזב in these verses carries a legal valence related to the renunciation or disclaimer of a legally enforceable claim to an object. This legal understanding of Ezek 8:12 and 9:9 also provides additional insight into the narrative logic of the Temple Vision by asserting that these verses are not predictive but performative.

Visions of death and re-creation: Ezekiel 8–11, 37:1–14 and the crisis of identity in the Babylonian exile and beyond

The words and images of death and re-creaction in Ezekiel refer to the collective identity of the House of Israel and to its relationship with its God. Two symptomatic texts are discussed: the first temple vision (Ezek 8–11) and the vision of the valley of bones (Ezek 37:1–14). From Ezek 8–11, the vision of the defiled temple, it becomes evident that the relationship between YHWH and Israel is in a crisis beyond repair; death and destruction are the consequences. The reality of death is the starting point of 37:1–14. The vision demonstrates YHWH’s ability and willingness to restore life even to the dry, scattered bones and, thus, also to Israel as the people of YHWH. For the author(s) of these texts, the initiative for destruction lies on the human side first; the initiative for restoration lies with God alone. What dies and is resurrected is the relationship between God and God’s people. Its ‘death’ becomes a threat to the identity of both. Its ‘re-creation’ is not an act of mercy but an act of power, safeguarding YHWH’s identity as well as Israel’s. Ezekiel’s contribution to overcoming the crisis of the Babylonian exile is not to be underestimated. These texts’ potential to encourage hope is greater than commonly granted and they may hold a message also for our times.

Grounding Ezekiel's Heavenly Ascent: A Defense of Ezek 40–48 as a Program for Restoration

ABSTRACT Through an examination of Ezekiel’s second temple vision, as found in Ezek 40–48, this study challenges the commonly held thesis that Ezekiel sought to reform the theology of the Jerusalem temple cult, but argues instead that the vision account actually supports the Royal or “Zion” Theolo-gy. First, the recent arguments presented by Paul Joyce and Steven Tuell in their respective commentaries are reviewed. Both argue that Ezek 40–48 pre-sent a heavenly temple, ungrounded on earth, and consequently, with the con-sensus, understand these chapters to support a new vision of access to the divine, one undefiled by the Jerusalem temple cult, which in the past showed itself to be unable to maintain holiness. Quite to the contrary, this study reas-serts previous studies by scholars such as Levenson and Greenberg, who understood Ezek 40–48 to be a program for restoration in some sense. This examination, however, moves beyond a review of past studies, arguing that the foundational vision of the temple, the river, and the division of the land in Ezek 40–48 was written for the purpose of being archived for later study by the post-exilic community. In presenting this new thesis, the study uses the Deir ‛Alla inscription as a heuristic aid, as well as the work of Karel van der Toorn, Susan Niditch, and others to explore how an ancient text would have functioned for Ezekiel’s audience.

The Temple Vision in Palliative Care

Music-thanatology draws as much historical inspiration from the Asclepian ideal as it does from the practice of Cluniac monastic medicine. In both traditions, the patient initiates the social drama and is a most active agent in the healing process. In both traditions, the patient has the central voice and is listened to and responded to by the caregivers and clinicians, who facilitate and support in the spirit of service rather than direct/control. In both traditions, we may find death-bed healing without curing and be struck by the urgent, transcendental role of Beauty, as expressed in nature (human and elemental), the arts, architecture, and music. Clearly, our guest author envisions a profound end-of-life music-thanatology clinical practice in which the well-known, empirical Hippocratic and the lesser known, sacred Asclepian are integrated into the ideals of monastic medicine. In so doing, not only are pain and suffering uniquely met, but a blessed, peace-filled or conscious transitus may occur, and each death-bed setting has the potential to become nothing less than a sanctuary for completion.

Architecture and Exegesis: Richard of St.-Victor's Ezekiel Commentary and its Illustrations

Among the works of Richard of St.-Victor (d. 1173) is a commentary on the literal sense of the Temple Vision concluding the prophecy of Ezekiel (Ez. 40–48). Though earlier authors, notably Jerome and Gregory the Great, had argued that this difficult text could only be interpreted symbolically, Richard believed it could be literally construed, and this should precede moral, allegorical, or tropological exegesis. Thus the commentary is illustrated with plans and elevations of the mountain sanctuary that are designed to assist the Victorine's interpretation. Drawing on philology and contemporaneous building practice, and perhaps dependent on Jewish antecedents, these illustrations render the Prophet's visionary experience with a factual sobriety remarkable in medieval architectural representation.

Architectural Draftsmanship in Twelfth-Century Paris: The Illustrations of Richard of Saint-Victor's Commentary on Ezekiel's Temple Vision

Previous articleNext article No AccessArchitectural Draftsmanship in Twelfth-Century Paris: The Illustrations of Richard of Saint-Victor's Commentary on Ezekiel's Temple VisionWalter CahnWalter Cahn Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Gesta Volume 15, Number 1/21976Essays in Honor of Sumner McKnight Crosby Sponsored by the International Center of Medieval Art Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.2307/766773 Views: 15Total views on this site Citations: 6Citations are reported from Crossref Copyright 1976 International Center of Medieval ArtPDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Karl Kinsella Richard of St Victor's Solutions to Problems of Architectural Representation in the Twelfth Century, Architectural History 59 (Oct 2016): 3–24.https://doi.org/10.1017/arh.2016.1Victoria Cirlot La ciudad celeste de Hildegard von Bingen, Anuario de Estudios Medievales 44, no.11 (Aug 2014): 475–513.https://doi.org/10.3989/aem.2014.44.1.15Peter Fergusson Modernization and Mnemonics at Christ Church, Canterbury: The Treasury Building, Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 65, no.11 (Mar 2006): 50–67.https://doi.org/10.2307/25068238Matthew M Reeve, Olivia Horsfall Turner Mapping Space, Mapping Time: the Thirteenth-century Vault Paintings at Salisbury Cathedral, The Antiquaries Journal 85 (Apr 2011): 57–102.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003581500074370Craig Wright Dufay's "Nuper rosarum flores", King Solomon's Temple, and the Veneration of the Virgin, Journal of the American Musicological Society 47, no.33 (Oct 1994): 395–441.https://doi.org/10.2307/3128798 Madeline H. Caviness Images of Divine Order and the Third Mode of Seeing, Gesta 22, no.22 (Oct 2015): 99–120.https://doi.org/10.2307/766920

The East Gate of Ezekiel's Temple Enclosure and the Solomonic Gateway of Megiddo

Previous articleNext article No AccessThe East Gate of Ezekiel's Temple Enclosure and the Solomonic Gateway of MegiddoCarl Gordon HowieCarl Gordon Howie Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Bulletin of the American Society of Overseas Research Volume 117February 1950 A journal of the American Schools of Oriental Research Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.2307/1355761 Views: 4Total views on this site Citations: 1Citations are reported from Crossref Journal History This article was published in the Bulletin of the American School of Oriental Research (1921-2021), which is continued by the Bulletin of the American Schools of Overseas Research (2022-present). PDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article: Walter Cahn Architectural Draftsmanship in Twelfth-Century Paris: The Illustrations of Richard of Saint-Victor's Commentary on Ezekiel's Temple Vision, Gesta 15, no.1/21/2 (Oct 2015): 247–254.https://doi.org/10.2307/766773