Alterity and Identity in Israel: The גר in the Old Testament

202 Pages·1999·5.49 MB·English

by  José E. Ramírez Kidd

José E. Ramírez Kidd
Alterity and Identity in Israel
1749
1999
Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die
alttestamentliche Wissenschaft
Herausgegeben von
Otto Kaiser
Band 283
W
DE
G
Walter de Gruyter · Berlin · New York
1999
José E. Ramírez Kidd
Alterity and Identity in Israel
The Ί3 in the Old Testament
w
DE
G
Walter de Gruyter · Berlin · New York
1999
® Printed on acid-free paper which falls within the guidelines of the ANSI
to ensure permanence and durability.
Die Deutsche Bibliothek — Cataloging-in-Publicatìon Data
[Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft / Beihefte]
Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft. -
Berlin ; New York : de Gruyter
Früher Schriftenreihe
Reihe Beihefte zu: Zeitschrift fiiir die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft
Bd. 283. Ramírez Kidd, José E.: Alterity and identity in Israel. -
1999
Ramirez Kidd, José E.:
Alterity and idenaty in Israel : the "ger" in the Old Testament / José
E. Ramírez Kidd. - Berlin ; New York : de Gruyter, 1999
(Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft ; Bd.
283)
Zugl.: Hamburg, Univ., Diss., 1999
ISBN 3-11-016625-9
ISSN 0934-2575
© Copyright 1999 by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG, D-10785 Berlin
All rights reserved, including those of translation into foreign languages. No part of this book
may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permis-
sion in writing from the publisher.
Printed in Germany
Printing: Werner Hildebrand, Berlin
Binding: Lüderitz & Bauer-GmbH, Berlin
To my daughter
Rebeca Ramírez Soit

Preface
This study was accepted as Dissertation by the Faculty of Theology of the
Hamburg University in January 1999.1 want to express my gratitude to Prof.
Otto Kaiser for accepting it in the series BZAW. I am particularly indebted
to my Doktorvater Prof. Hermann Spieckermann for his insightful com-
ments. His constant encouragement took many forms all along these years.
My gratitude to him goes beyond words. I am also indebted to Prof. Ina
Willi-Plein who wrote the second Gutachten. She was also kind enough to
read the first chapter of my manuscript at an earlier stage making several
important suggestions.
To the colleagues of the Missionsakademie an der Universität Hamburg,
especially to its director Dr. E. Kamhausen, I express my gratitude for their
warm support. I would also like to record my appreciation to the personal of
the Nordelbische Kirchenbibliothek for their significant contribution to the
completion of my research.
Finally, I want to acknowledge the support of colleagues and friends,
namely Dr. Adela Ramos who arranged everything for my séjours of re-
search in Strasbourg, and who was always ready to attend my "urgent calls"
asking for articles and other relevant material, Dr. Wendy Pradell who de-
spite her advanced pregnancy took time to read the manuscript and sug-
gested corrections corresponding to the different languages used in the dis-
sertation, Dr. Kiran Sebastian and Dr. Sam Matthew read sections of the
initial chapters and helped me to improve the style, and Selma Gomes helped
me to elaborate the index of biblical references. The fellowship of my dear
friend and colleague John Samuel Raj and his family was especially mean-
ingful for me during these years. In our friendship I found the strength I
needed to overcome the difficulties that are normally attached to the life
away from home. The letters of my parents, José Ramírez and Felicia Kidd,
were always comforting "like cold water to a thirsty soul" (Prov 25,25a).
Hamburg, March 1999 José E. Ramírez Kidd
"Was Israel im Umgang mit dem Fremden ... auszeichnet, ist die
Entschlossenheit, die eigene identitätsstiftende Ursprungserfahrung und die
Erfahrung des Fremden nicht beziehungslos nebeneinander stehenzulassen,
sondern das eine nicht ohne das andere sein lassen zu wollen. Gerade in
der Erfahrung des Fremden Gott wahrzunehmen, eröffnet Israel die
Chance, das Fremde selbst weithin anders zu werten, als es die
altorientalische Umwelt vorgelebt hat, und zugleich die eigene
Erfahrungsvielfalt mit dem Fremden aus einem tieferen Zusammenhang
heraus zu verstehen".
(H. Spieckermann, Die Stimme des Fremden im Alten Testament, PTh 83 p. 52.)
Table of Contents
Preface vii
Introduction 1
Part 1 The noun "13 sfigura iuridica: the "Û as individuum 12
1. The emergence of the noun "13 as a legal term 13
1.1 The supposed semantic equivalence of the verb 113 and the noun 13.14
1.2 The non-legal use of "113 vs. the legal use of 13 15
1.3 The transit character of 113 vs. the punctual character of 13 18
1.4 The emigrant character of 113 vs. the immigrant character of 13 20
1.5 The different subjects used in relation with 113 and 13 23
1.6 113 and 13: presence and absence of synonyms 26
1.6.1 Synonyms of the verb 113 26
1.6.2 The exclusive character of the noun 13 28
1.7 113 and 13: derivation vs. denomination 30
Part 2 The use of the term 13 as legal status 34
2 The triad 13 - orphan-widow in Deuteronomy 35
2.1 The deuteronomic expansion of the traditional pair widow-orphan . 36
2.2 The triad 13 - orphan-widow as collective subject 40
23 Beyond the limits of a genealogical ethics 42
24 Support measures on behalf of the triad 43
2.5 Conclusion 46
3. The pair mm -13 in the Holiness Code 48
3.1 The noun 13 in the Holiness Code 49
3.1.1 The supposed status of the 13 in the Holiness Code 49