Beyond the Grave - Institute for Biblical Research
Beyond the Grave - Institute for Biblical Research
Beyond the Grave - Institute for Biblical Research
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BLOCK: Ezekiel's Vision of Death and Afterlife 139<br />
<strong>the</strong> possibility of Ezekiel's valley of dry bones being a cemetery of<br />
any kind, Israelite, Babylonian, or Persian. What Ezekiel sees in <strong>the</strong><br />
bones is a graphic portrayal of <strong>the</strong> effects of <strong>the</strong> covenant curse upon<br />
his people. If <strong>the</strong>re is any connection with Persian notions at all,<br />
ra<strong>the</strong>r than adopting Zoroastrian ideas, in vv. 11-14 in particular,<br />
Ezekiel has presented a powerful polemic against <strong>the</strong>m. 134<br />
Native Israelite soil provides a more likely seedbed <strong>for</strong> Ezekiel's<br />
notions of resurrection. First, <strong>the</strong> doctrine of resurrection could have<br />
developed as a natural corollary to Israelite anthropological views.<br />
The Hebrews looked upon man as a unity, a nepeš hayyâ, constituted<br />
by <strong>the</strong> infusion of divine life breath into <strong>the</strong> physical <strong>for</strong>m (Gen<br />
2:7). 135 At death, which was viewed as <strong>the</strong> divine sentence <strong>for</strong> sin<br />
(Gen 2:17; 3:19), <strong>the</strong> physical matter and life-giving breath are di-<br />
vorced and <strong>the</strong> nepeš dissolves (Job 34:14-15; Ps 104:29; Qoh 3:18-21;<br />
12:7). It follows <strong>the</strong>n that any hope of victory over death and a<br />
beatific afterlife would require a reunion of <strong>the</strong> divorced compo-<br />
nents, which is exactly what happens in Ezekiel 37. 136<br />
Second, <strong>the</strong> revivification of <strong>the</strong> dry bones is reminiscent of <strong>the</strong><br />
life-giving power of his predecessors, Elijah and Elisha (1 Kgs 17:17-<br />
24; 2 Kgs 4:18-37; and 13:20-21). To be sure, <strong>the</strong>se cases could be in-<br />
terpreted simply as postmortem healings, inasmuch as <strong>the</strong> raised<br />
persons had recently died and <strong>the</strong>ir flesh was certainly still on <strong>the</strong><br />
bones. But <strong>the</strong> fact is that as was <strong>the</strong> case with Elijah and Elisha,<br />
through <strong>the</strong> involvement of a prophet, <strong>the</strong> dead come to life.<br />
Third, <strong>the</strong> psalmists regarded having one's life threatened as be-<br />
ing in <strong>the</strong> grip of Sheol, and to be delivered from this dangerous<br />
situation as being brought back to life (e.g., 16:11-12; 49:15-16). 137<br />
Admittedly, <strong>the</strong> concern is <strong>for</strong> an early, if not immediate, rescue<br />
134. This Zoroastrian connection is also rejected by A. A. di Lella, in L. F. Hart-<br />
man and A. A. di Lella, The Book of Daniel: A New Translation with Introduction and Com-<br />
mentary (AB 23; Garden City: Doubleday, 1978) 308.<br />
135. Cf. nepeš mēt, Num 6:6; Lev 21:11. On <strong>the</strong> expression see A. Johnson, The Vi-<br />
tality of <strong>the</strong> Individual in <strong>the</strong> Thought of Ancient Israel (Cardiff: University of Wales, 1964)<br />
19; H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of <strong>the</strong> Old Testament (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1974) 22;<br />
Eichrodt, Theology of <strong>the</strong> Old Testament, 2.134-42.<br />
136. Cf. <strong>the</strong> discussion of L. J. Greenspoon, "The Origin of <strong>the</strong> Idea of Resurrec-<br />
tion," in Traditions in Trans<strong>for</strong>mation: Turning Points in <strong>Biblical</strong> Faith (F. M. Cross Fest-<br />
schrift, ed. B. Halpern and J. D. Levenson; Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 1981) 249-53<br />
(Greenspoon argues that <strong>the</strong> doctrine arises out of <strong>the</strong> image of Yahweh as a divine<br />
warrior); L. Rost, "Alttestamentliche Wurzeln der Ersten Auferstehung," In Memoriam<br />
Ernst Lohmeyer (ed. W. Schmauch; Stuttgart: Evangelisches Verlagswerk, 1951) 66-72.<br />
But this interpretation is rejected by di Lella, The Book of Daniel, 308.<br />
137. Cf. F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman, Hosea: A New Translation with Intro-<br />
duction and Notes (AB 24; Garden City: Doubleday, 1980) 421. For discussion of <strong>the</strong> rel-<br />
evant texts in <strong>the</strong> Psalms, as well as several from Proverbs see M. Dahood, Psalms III