Joachim J. Krause, «Aesthetics of Production and Aesthetics of Reception in Analyzing Intertextuality: Illustrated with Joshua 2», Vol. 96 (2015) 416-427
That intertextuality has come into vogue in Hebrew Bible scholarship is hardly surprising given some general trends in the field. In fact, the reconstruction of redactional activity and 'Fortschreibung' as well as inner-biblical interpretation are heavily dependent on the perception of intertextual relationships. But therein lies the problem. Has the perceived relationship indeed been established by the author of one of the biblical texts in question (aesthetics of production), or does it merely lie in the eye of the beholder (aesthetics of reception)? Two competing claims regarding an intertextual relationship of Joshua 2 are singled out for discussion.
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422 JOACHIM J. KRAUSE 422
None of this, however, is at stake in Joshua 2. To be sure, to treat the
theme of the two generations would have made for a fitting opening to
the conquest narrative. But this has not been done. There is not the slight-
est hint of the generation theme in Joshua 2 16, and neither the people nor
the spies are in the foreground. The people do not even appear 17, and the
two spies, pale and passive as they are, remain flat characters. We do not
even learn of their names, let alone of any outstanding acts of obedience
and faith. Such acts are reserved for somebody else — Rahab. The story
is all about her. In Joshua 2, a foreign woman — and a prostitute at that!
— is the heroine. Indeed she is presented as a shining example of faith in
the God of Israel 18.
2. A Counternarrative to the “Othering” of Foreign Women in Num 25,1-5:
What the Author of Joshua 2 Intended
The heroine of the Rahab story is Rahab, and in order to put her in
perspective, the author of Joshua 2 points us towards another story. This
other story also features sexually seductive foreign women, and it is also
concerned with faith in the God of Israel. The reference is, of course, to
Num 25,1-5. Just a few weeks before the conquest of Canaan, in their
very last camp before they will finally enter the Promised Land, the Is-
raelites are confronted with foreign women. Seemingly unable to resist
this temptation, they enter into sexual relations with these Moabite women
(hnz, v. 1). And that is only the beginning. The ensuing disaster proves the
worst apprehensions of the Deuteronomists to be valid: sexual seduction
by foreign women inevitably results in religious seduction by foreign
gods. The Moabite women invite their new companions to worship their
gods, and the Israelites accept that invitation. “Thus Israel yoked itself to
the Baal Peor” (v. 3).
The gist of this story is a shrill warning: do not even come close to
foreign women — they will lead you astray! Such aggressive “othering” 19
who is guilty of the failure and who is punished. Surprisingly, this problem
is mentioned neither by ASSIS, From Moses to Joshua, nor by the other pro-
ponents of the intertextual relationship in question.
16
A full-blown treatment of this theme is to be found in Josh 5,2-9.
17
Based on an interpretation of the word Xrx (“silence”) in Josh 2,1, one
might even argue that the Israelites are unaware of the spies’ mission to Jericho.
For a discussion, see J.J. KRAUSE, “Vor wem soll die Auskundschaftung Jerichos
geheim gehalten werden? Eine Frage zu Josua 2:1”, VT 62 (2012) 454-456.
18
See the reception in Heb 11,31.
19
Coined in postcolonial studies, the term “othering” denotes any action
by which an individual or group happens to be perceived, portrayed or clas-
sified in somebody’s mind as “not one of us”.