Specializing in the ancient Near East and biblical studies since 1975
Reconstructing Jerusalem
Persian-Period Prophetic Perspectives
by Kenneth A. Ristau Jerusalem—one of the most contested sites in the world. Reconstructing Jerusalem takes readers back to a pivotal moment in its history when it lay ruined and abandoned and the glory of its ancient kings, David and Solomon, had faded. Why did this city not share the same fate as so many other conquered cities, destroyed and forever abandoned, never to be rebuilt? Why did Jerusalem, disgraced and humiliated, not suffer the fate of Babylon, Nineveh, or Persepolis? Reconstructing Jerusalem explores the interrelationship of the physical and intellectual processes leading to Jerusalem’s restoration after its destruction in 587 b.c.e., stressing its symbolic importance and the power of the prophetic perspective in the preservation of the Judean nation and the critical transition from Yahwism to Judaism. Through texts and artifacts, including a unique, comprehensive investigation of the archaeological evidence, a startling story emerges: the visions of a small group of prophets not only inspired the rebuilding of a desolate city but also of a dispersed people. Archaeological, historical, and literary analysis converge to reveal the powerful elements of the story, a story of dispersion and destruction but also of re-creation and revitalization, a story about how compelling visions can change the fate of a people and the course of human history, a story of a community reborn to a barren city. Eisenbrauns, 2016. Pp. xii + 243. English. Cloth. ISBN: 978-1-57506-408-6 List Price: $64.50 http://www.eisenbrauns.com/item/RISRECONS
Table of Contents 1. Introduction Reconstructing Jerusalem: Outline, Method, Scope The Rise and Fall of State Ideology in Judah Problems in Post-collapse Judean Society 2. “No Houses Had Been Built”: The Archaeology of Persian-Period Jerusalem The Settlement Fortifications Epigraphic Evidence Burial Site and Significant Material Remains Interpretations and Regional Context 3. Recreating Jerusalem: The Isaianic Perspective(s) Reconstruction in Deutero-Isaiah Reconstruction in Trito-Isaiah Conclusions 4. Revitalizing Jerusalem: The Perspective of Haggai The Date and Organization of the Work The Temporal Frame and Sitz-im-Leben The Nature of the Restoration Reconstruction as a Covenant Imperative
The Temple as Bourse Zerubbabel as Hoffnungsträger for the Temple’s Reconstruction Conclusions 5. Reconsecrating Jerusalem: The Perspective of Zechariah 1–8 The Composition of the Text The Temple and the Community in the Divine Combat Cycle Conclusions 6. Reforming Jerusalem: Synchronic and Diachronic Perspectives from Zechariah 9–14 and Malachi The Explicit and Implied Imperial and Regional Context(s) Persians and Edomites in Malachi Judean Leadership and the Community The Status of the City and the Temple Conclusions 7. Conclusion: From Cult to Culture The Two Dimensions Conclusion Bibliography Index of Authors Index of Scripture
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