Rather than brand new Egyptian Hathor Temple, the brand new Midianite worship area didn’t come with images, whether painted otherwise created, reflecting its aniconism. If the Egyptians left this place, the fresh new Midianites grabbed control of the entire town for instance the Hathor Forehead. In that way, they generated the room consistently acceptable by the removing Hathors deal with out-of the brand new stone sketches, and you will used again these types of stones in their urban area given that several other pillar. Rothenbergs dispute of is reconfirmed because of the recent excavation of the Uzi Avner. This iconoclasm is additionally reflected an additional related classification, the brand new Kenites (see appendix).
This new lifestyle on the Moses matrimony so you’re able to a beneficial Midianite girl has the draw regarding credibility: Why should this new Israelites invent a narrative about their primary religious leadership matrimony in order to a non-Israelite woman?
A lot more problematically, Moses not only discovers their girlfriend one of many Midianites, however, discovers their God indeed there as well. As i possess contended various other contexts, eg my personal, “Hovav the new Midianite: Why Is actually the termination of the story Slashed? (TheTorah, 2016),” this new biblical messages just be sure to soften if not hide this, although full force of Moses-in-Midian tradition is certainly one that explains new introduction of the Midianite/proto-Arabian goodness YHWH-an enthusiastic deity pregnant personal love-just like the Israels jesus.
Aniconic Kenites: Some other Midianite-including Yahwistic Tribe
One further little bit of research getting Midianite aniconism comes from the new Kenites. The connection ranging from Midianites and you can Kenites was unsure, however the biblical text message sometimes conflates the two, given that Moses dad-in-legislation is oftentimes described as being you to, and often another.
Appendix
Within the Evaluator step 1:16, we are told that the Kenites settled regarding Arad Valley, and you will scholars have long suggested the city of Horvat Uza is actually biblical Kina, as weight within its location is named Wadi-el-Keni, we.age., the new Kenite Load. Excavations of your own Metal II (monarchic period) city there demonstrate that whereas the latest surrounding (Israelite!) towns got short carvings of men and women, Horvat Uza got not one. Nadav Naaman, an excellent historian huggle of your own biblical months from Tel Aviv School, advised this particular was because Kenites was indeed especially associated with its ancient, aniconic lifestyle.
Likewise, one to Kenite profile out-of an afterwards several months, Jehonadab ben Rechab (step 1 Chron dos:55), is defined as with joined Jehus anti-Baal path (2 Kgs -16). Inside the Jeremiah i listen to this particular classification-this new Rechabites, good Kenite subclan-lived good nomadic tent-dwelling existence, instead of strengthening home or planting fields, and you can eschewed wines use. It life is actually similar to what we should find in afterwards minutes that have another Arabic group, the newest Nabateans, have been along with aniconic.
Even when the exact relationships ranging from Midianites, Kenites, and Rechabites stays hazy-aside from the second a few short communities turned into section of Israel while the former high group did not-most of these groups were part of a keen aniconic, YHWH worshipping traditions, which was implemented and you can reshaped by Israelites from inside the an earlier months.
This article is predicated on ch.8 off my, ??? ???? ???”? [How the Bible Came to be] (Israel: Kinneret, Zmora-bitan, Dvir, 2018).
Supply critically, the latest disclosure out-of Gods identity inside the ch. 3 is an element of the E otherwise Elohistic source, whereas the new disclosure inside the chapter six was, for me, about Holiness Schools redaction of the Pentateuch. Find Israel Knohl, The latest Retreat out of Quiet: Brand new Priestly Torah and the Holiness College or university, trans. Jackie Feldman and Peretz Rodman (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2007; repr. regarding, Minneapolis, MN; Fortress Push, 1995), 17 [n24]; trans. regarding, ???? ????? ???? ?????? ?????? ??????? ?????? (Jerusalem: Magnes Force, 1992). Most other scholars, not, accept it to-be on Priestly text (get a hold of dialogue inside, David Frankel, “Brand new Priestly Moses,” TheTorah .) Publishers notice: Based on how those two texts played an important role on growth of origin problem, look for Zev Farber, “Documentary Hypothesis: The brand new Revelation of YHWHs Identity Will continue to Illuminate,” TheTorah (2014).
