Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer - Jonah Through the Centuries

2 Jonah 2FIGURE 4 Illustrations of Hell mouth from Ödeshög church, Sweden...FIGURE 5 Photo of the Baroque pulpit in the Church of Saints Peter and...FIGURE 6 Patriarchal Basilica (Friuli Venezia Giulia), Aquileia (Italy)...FIGURE 7 A fourteenth-century illustration from Jami al-Tavarikh. Jonah and...FIGURE 8 A Michelangelo’s depiction of Jonah in the Sistine Chapel...FIGURE 9 Jonah and the fish in Aramaic....FIGURE 10 ‘Jonah and the Whale’ by Pieter Lastman...FIGURE 11 Carrow Psalter. Walters Manuscript W.34, fol...FIGURE 12 Brescia Casket, Museo di Santa Giulia, Brescia...

3 Jonah 3FIGURE 13 Stained glass windows at Ely Cathedral...

4 Jonah 4FIGURE 14 ‘Jonah Under the Gourd Vine’, Cleveland Museum...FIGURE 15 The Zubdat-al Tawarikh manuscript, Museum of Turkish...

1 Cover

2 Series page Wiley Blackwell Bible Commentaries Series Editors: Ian Boxall, Andrew Mein, Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer Founding Editors: John Sawyer, Christopher Rowland, David M. Gunn John Through the Centuries Mark Edwards Revelation Through the Centuries Judith Kovacs and Christopher Rowlands Judges Through the Centuries David M. Gunn Exodus Through the Centuries Scott M. Langston Ecclesiastes Through the Centuries Eric S. Christianson Esther Through the Centuries Jo Carruthers Psalms Through the Centuries: Volume I Susan Gillingham Galatians Through the Centuries John Riches Pastoral Epistles Through the Centuries Jay Twomey 1 & 2 Thessalonians Through the Centuries Anthony C. Thiselton Six Minor Prophets Through the Centuries Richard Coggins and Jin H. Han Lamentations Through the Centuries Paul M. Joyce and Diana Lipton James Through the Centuries David Gowler The Acts of the Apostles Through the Centuries Heidi J. Hornik and Mikael C. Parsons Chronicles Through the Centuries Blaire French Isaiah Through the Centuries John F.A Sawyer Psalms Through the Centuries: Volume II Susan Gillingham Matthew Through the Centuries Ian Boxall Jonah Through the Centuries Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer

3 Title Page Jonah Through the Centuries Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer

4 Copyright

5 Table of Contents

6 Author’s Preface

7 Begin Reading

8 Bibliography

9 Index of Biblical Texts

10 General Index

11 Index of Authors

12 End User License Agreement

1 i

2 ii

3 iii

4 iv

5 v

6 vi

7 vii

8 viii

9 ix

10 x

11 1

12 2

13 3

14 4

15 5

16 6

17 7

18 8

19 9

20 10

21 11

22 12

23 13

24 14

25 15

26 16

27 17

28 18

29 19

30 20

31 21

32 22

33 23

34 24

35 25

36 26

37 27

38 28

39 29

40 30

41 31

42 32

43 33

44 34

45 35

46 36

47 37

48 38

49 39

50 40

51 41

52 42

53 43

54 44

55 45

56 46

57 47

58 48

59 49

60 50

61 51

62 52

63 53

64 54

65 55

66 56

67 57

68 58

69 59

70 60

71 61

72 62

73 63

74 64

75 65

76 66

77 67

78 68

79 69

80 70

81 71

82 72

83 73

84 74

85 75

86 76

87 77

88 78

89 79

90 80

91 81

92 82

93 83

94 84

95 85

96 86

97 87

98 88

99 89

100 90

101 91

102 92

103 93

104 94

105 95

106 96

107 97

108 98

109 99

110 100

111 101

112 102

113 103

114 104

115 105

116 106

117 107

118 108

119 109

120 110

121 111

122 112

123 113

124 114

125 115

126 116

127 117

128 118

129 119

130 120

131 121

132 122

133 123

134 124

135 125

136 126

137 127

138 128

139 129

140 130

141 131

142 132

143 133

144 134

145 135

146 136

147 137

148 138

149 139

150 140

151 141

152 142

153 143

154 144

155 145

156 146

157 147

158 148

159 149

160 150

161 151

162 152

163 153

164 154

165 155

166 156

167 157

168 158

169 159

170 160

171 161

172 162

173 163

174 164

175 165

176 166

177 167

178 168

179 169

180 170

181 171

182 172

183 173

184 174

185 175

186 176

187 177

188 178

189 179

190 180

191 181

192 182

193 183

194 184

195 185

196 186

197 187

198 188

199 189

200 190

201 191

202 192

203 193

204 194

205 195

206 196

207 197

208 198

209 199

210 200

211 201

212 202

213 203

214 204

215 205

216 206

217 207

218 208

219 209

220 210

221 211

222 212

223 213

224 214

225 215

226 216

227 217

228 218

229 219

230 220

231 221

232 222

233 223

234 224

235 225

236 226

237 227

238 228

239 229

240 230

241 231

242 232

243 233

244 234

245 235

246 236

247 237

248 238

249 239

250 240

251 241

252 242

253 243

254 244

255 245

256 246

257 247

258 248

259 249

260 250

261 251

262 252

263 253

264 254

265 255

266 256

267 257

268 258

269 259

270 260

271 261

272 262

273 263

274 264

275 265

276 266

277 267

278 268

279 260

280 271

281 272

282 273

283 274

284 275

285 276

286 277

287 278

288 279

289 280

290 281

291 282

292 283

293 284

294 285

295 286

296 287

297 288

298 289

299 290

300 291

301 292

302 293

303 294

It is a gargantuan task to cover the uses and misuses of the Book of Jonah throughout the last two millennia. The present commentary does not set out to do so; rather, it aims to showcase some of the more influential re-readings of the book in Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and secular traditions. My starting point will always be the biblical text itself. I shall show how all the retellings ultimately originate within the text itself: sometimes in its theological or literary ambiguities, sometimes in its choice of words, and sometimes in a syntactical construction. In parallel, retellings are fuelled by the interpreter’s preconceived ideas of what the text ought to say, ideas that are often influenced by the interpreter’s religious background and cultural assumptions. As a result, we shall frequently observe how several retellings form clusters according to the interpreters’ religious affiliations: one set of retellings may be labelled typically mediaeval Jewish, whereas another set may be found nearly exclusively in Patristic circles.

Interpretative clusters, Jewish and Christian alike, should never be understood to exist in a vacuum. Rather, they are influenced by one another. A Christian interpretation often triggered a Jewish counter-interpretation, and vice versa. I shall endeavour to explain the dynamic behind this interchange and highlight what societal and religious factors gave rise to a given interpretation.

Many of the Christian interpretations are strongly anti-Jewish, and some of the Jewish interpretations are, although to a significantly lesser extent, anti-Christian. I neither excuse nor condone these interpretations. It is my hope that the readers of this volume will recognize them for what they are and neither encourage nor propagate their use.

Читать дальше