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The Trickster Revisited

Deception as a Motif in the Pentateuch

by Dean Andrew Nicholas (Author)
©2009 Monographs XII, 129 Pages
Series: Studies in Biblical Literature, Volume 117

Summary

The Trickster Revisited: Deception as a Motif in the Pentateuch explores the use of deception in the Pentateuch and uncovers a new understanding of the trickster’s function in the Hebrew Bible. While traditional readings often «whitewash» the biblical characters, exonerating them of any wrongdoing, modern scholars often explain these tales as significant at some earlier point in Israelite tradition. But this study asks the question: what role does the trickster have in the later pentateuchal setting? Considering the work of Victor Turner and the mythic function of the trickster, The Trickster Revisited explores the connections between tricksters, the rite de passage pattern, marginalization, and liminality. Marginalized individuals and communities often find trickster tales significant, therefore trickster stories often follow a similar literary pattern. After tracing this pattern throughout the Pentateuch, specifically the patriarchal narratives and Moses’ interaction with Pharaoh in the Exodus, the book discusses the meaning these stories had for the canonizers of the Pentateuch. The author argues that in the Exile and post-exilic period, as the canon was forming, the trickster was the perfect manifestation of Israel’s self-perception. The cognitive dissonance of prophetic words of hope and grandeur, in light of a meager socio-economic and political reality, caused the nation to identify itself as the trickster. In this way, Israel could explain its lowly state as a temporary (but still significant) «betwixt and between», on the threshold of a rise in status, i.e. the great imminent kingdom predicted by the prophets.

Details

Pages
XII, 129
Year
2009
ISBN (PDF)
9781453903421
ISBN (Hardcover)
9781433102264
DOI
10.3726/978-1-4539-0342-1
Language
English
Publication date
2009 (March)
Keywords
Hebrew Bible Pentateuch Täuschung (Motiv) Religion Trickster
Published
New York, Bern, Berlin, Bruxelles, Frankfurt am Main, Oxford, Wien, 2009. XII, 129 pp.

Biographical notes

Dean Andrew Nicholas (Author)

The Author: Dean Andrew Nicholas received his Ph.D. from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio in the field of Bible and Ancient Near East studies. He teaches Bible, Hebrew, and World Religions at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, where he is currently Principal of the Upper School.

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Title: The Trickster Revisited