Patterns of Destiny

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

1. Introduction A Note to the Reader about Typestyle in This Volume

2. Structuralism, Proppian Analysis, and Biblical Narrative

A Brief History of Structuralism

Two Main Approaches to Structural Analysis: The Syntagmatic and the Paradigmatic

Structuralism and Biblical Studies

The Relationship between Structuralism and Poststructuralism

Syntagmatic Approach and Morphological Analysis as the Methodology for This Study

Differentiating Propp’s Method from His Model

Issues of Terminology: Genre, Tale-Type, Theme, and Motif

Proppian Analysis and the Biblical Canon

Vladimir Propp and Structuralism: Approach, Method, and Model Criticism of Propp

Utility of Propp’s Method for Defining Genre in Biblical Narrative

Applicability of Propp’s Method to a Biblical Corpus

Proppian Literary Analysis of Hebrew Bible Narrative

3. Eating and Drinking as Variables in Biblical Narrative

Eating and Drinking as Meaningful Literary Elements

Eating and Drinking as Variable Elements within Other Constant

Constants within Which Eating and Drinking

Are Variables

Cult

Miracle

Symbolic Action

Dream

Etiology

Military Leadership

Perfidy

Misfortune

Mourning and Supplication

4. The Unexpected Absence of Eating and Drinking

The Absence of Eating and Drinking

Eating and Drinking on Life-Cycle Occasions

Annunciation, Birth, and Circumcision

Weaning

Espousal

Blessing

Commissioning

Death and Resurrection

Eating and Drinking in Celebration

Summary of Eating and Drinking as a Variable within Other Constants

5. Patterns of Destiny: Eating and Drinking as Constants within the Establishment/Foundation Genre

Morphology and Genre

Methodological Considerations

Sample Analysis

Patterns of Destiny: Establishment and Condemnation

The Foundation Pattern in Ancient Sumer

The Foundation Pattern Elsewhere in the Ancient Near East

Patterns of Destiny: Establishment

6. Patterns of Destiny: Eating and Drinking as Constants within the Condemnation/Doom Genre

Accounts of Doom in the Hebrew Bible

Doom of King and Dynasty

Condemnation of the North and the South

Elaborated but Clear Morphological Examples

Jacob: Ascendence through Guile

Inanna: Ascendence through Guile

Ruth: Establishment of the Line of David

Haman: Doom of a Villian

Sennacherib: Doom of an Enemy of Israel

The Doom Pattern in Accounts of Paradise

The Paradise Account in the Hebrew Bible

A Sumerian Account of Paradise

An Akkadian Account of Paradise Lost

Akkadian Accounts of Human Mortality

7. Patterns of Destiny: Variations and Adaptations Ellipses, Transpositions, and Reversals in Patterns of Destiny

An Allusion to the Foundation Pattern

Ancient Near Eastern Parallels

Biblical Allusion to Ancient Near Eastern Parallels

Allusions and References to the Doom Pattern

Condemnation of Noah

Condemnation of Jeroboam, First King of the North

Condemnation of Ben-hadad of Aram

Saul: Doom of Dynasty and Condemnation to Death

Solomon’s Anointing and the Doom of an Attempted Accession

Inversion and Other Variations

Gideon’s Call

Annunciation of Samson’s Birth

Morphological Reversals and the Reversal of Expectations

Jacob’s Descent to Egypt

Nehemiah Rebuilds Jerusalem

Saul’s Reversals

Doom of the United Kingdom

Doom of the Northern Kingdom

The Morphological Message of Hope in Captivity

The Restorations of Job, Joseph, and Jehoiachin

The Foundation Pattern Alluded to in 2 Kings 25

Prophetic Adaptations and Transformations

Haggai

Prophetic Initiation of Ezekiel and Jeremiah

Patterns of Destiny Transformed into Metaphor

8. Summary and Conclusion

Summary

Finding the Ancient Reader

Future Study

Finding New Theological Meaning

Bibliography of Works Cited

Index of Authors Cited

Index of Scripture Citations