Shawn Zelig Aster is Associate Professor in the Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology at Bar-Ilan University. A specialist in Bible and the Biblical period, he works in prophetic literature, focussing on its historical context, and on connections between Biblical Israel and Assyria. He recently published _Reflections of Empire in Isaiah 1-39: Responses to Assyrian Ideology_ (ANEM, Society of Biblical Literature, 2017).
The Neo-Assyrian empire established administrative centers at several locations in the Land of Is... more The Neo-Assyrian empire established administrative centers at several locations in the Land of Israel following the campaigns of the late eighth century Bce. Indeed, it was the policy of implementing an administrative presence after the military withdrew that ensured the empire’s control of this territory between the late eighth century and the middle of the sixth. Finds at Tel Hadid, west of the Samaria hills, may be identified as the remains of an Assyrian bīt mardīte, a roadside provisioning center for Assyrian officials, messengers, and troops. This identification is supported by the agricultural installations at the site, the texts found there, and its location on a major route.
Journal of the American Oriental Society, Dec 16, 2021
This essay dates portions of the “Burden of Egypt” prophecy in Isaiah 19 to the Neo-Assyrian peri... more This essay dates portions of the “Burden of Egypt” prophecy in Isaiah 19 to the Neo-Assyrian period, based on its borrowing of motifs from Assyrian royal inscriptions. These include the unique motif of the establishment of a monument on the border with Egypt and Assyrian attempts to dominate Egypt by controlling its trade. The essay also demonstrates the dependence of parts of Isaiah 19 on material in Exodus 1–15, integrating specific phrases from these Exodus chapters with motifs known to us from Assyrian royal inscriptions. This integration could only have taken place during the Assyrian period (late eighth–early seventh centuries), and this has obvious implications for the dating of the Exodus text. The essay understands the prophecy as a re-envisioning of the Assyrian campaign of 734, part of which was directed at Egypt. In this re-envisioned campaign, YHWH Himself is directing the Assyrian attack (Isa. 19:1–4) on Egypt. The essay focusses on 19:19–25, which describe how the Egyptians suffer as a result of the Assyrian attack. In their despair, they acknowledge the sovereignty of YHWH. This recognition is based on the Assyrian model of recognizing the Assyrian king as universal sovereign, and the monument described in v. 22 is based on the monument established by the Assyrians on the Egyptian border. The behavior of the Egyptians in vv. 20–22 provokes the unique theological statements of vv. 23–25, in which Egypt and Assyria join Israel in the triad blessed by YHWH. This passage demonstrates Isaiah’s use of a sort of “replacement theology” in which the universal sovereignty of YHWH is imagined and described based on Assyrian claims of universal dominion.
Summary Ezekiel's visions, particularly that of the chariot (chapter 1), integrate radiance i... more Summary Ezekiel's visions, particularly that of the chariot (chapter 1), integrate radiance imagery with allusions to earlier Biblical traditions. The radiance imagery has specific connections to a long Mesopotamian tradition of melammu as indicating divine and royal power. This essay explores how the radiance imagery works together with Biblical allusions in shaping the rhetoric and message of this vision, and of three other related visions in Ezekiel.
This article will survey the political history of the city of Ashdod in the Assyrian period, base... more This article will survey the political history of the city of Ashdod in the Assyrian period, based on the tex tual evidence from both royal inscriptions and Assyrian administrative correspondence. Its aims are three: to survey all of the Assyrian texts mentioning Ashdod; to extract historical data from them and place them in a chronological framework; to reconstruct the changes in the political status of Ashdod and in the area it con trolled throughout the hundred or so years of the “As syrian century” (c. 740–630 bce). These changes were the result of complex inter actions among Ashdod’s leadership, its political elite, and the officials of the Assyrian empire, as well as in teractions with other polities in the region. During this period, Ashdod moved from being one of the most powerful polities in Philistia to an Assyrian province, and then to an apparently unique status of both prov ince and kingdom. The unique status Ashdod achieved cannot be sep arated from the geographic niche it occupied. As the northernmost (and arguably the largest) of the Philis tine coastal ports, Ashdod was the first polity of this cul ture encountered by the Assyrians in their southward expansion (see Figure 1, a map which includes all geo graphic locations mentioned in this article). Further more, Ashdod bordered directly on territory annexed by the Assyrian empire after the destruction of the kingdom of Israel in the years 733–720 bce.1 Ashdod’s position on the frontier of empire (until its annexation as a province around 711 bce) provides an oppor tunity to examine the relevance of Bradley Parker’s theory of frontiers as “a dynamic transition zone of interaction” to the Assyrian west.2 Its position on the coast also offers an opportunity to examine Yifat Thar eani’s view that the Assyrians saw the coast as a distinct
The first part of this essay examines the literary structure of Ps 21:2–8, with a view to uncover... more The first part of this essay examines the literary structure of Ps 21:2–8, with a view to uncovering the royal ideology it represents and the second part of the essay suggests possible dates for the psalm on linguistic grounds. The psalm describes the king in exalted terms with close correspondences to Assyrian royal ideology, and its language shows influence of Aramaic. The linguistic elements noted can fit with the psalm being the product of Judah after the middle of the 8th century. In the late 8th and 7th centuries, Assyrian administrative centers were established in the new Assyrian provinces surrounding what remained of Judah, and knowledge of Official Aramaic became more widespread.
How different were the claims of Assyrian royal inscriptions from actual Neo-Assyrian practice? T... more How different were the claims of Assyrian royal inscriptions from actual Neo-Assyrian practice? This essay explores this question by examining two unusual claims made by Sargon II in relation to his rule of Samaria. The first claim, which appears both in the Khorsabad annals and in a Nimrud prism, should be translated “I again settled Samaria, more than (it had) previously (been settled).” Based on the historical reconstruction derived from archaeological data, I argue that this phrase refers to the movement of exiles into areas in the western part of the province of Samaria. These areas in the western part of the province, around the sites of Aphek, Hadid, and Gezer, experienced significant population increases in the Assyrian period. The second passage, in Sargon’s Great Display Inscription from Khorsabad, refers to Sargon’s treatment of non-deported Samaritans. It should be translated “I trained the remnant in their crafts.” The historical reality behind this claim is the shift i...
The Neo-Assyrian empire established administrative centers at several locations in the Land of Is... more The Neo-Assyrian empire established administrative centers at several locations in the Land of Israel following the campaigns of the late eighth century Bce. Indeed, it was the policy of implementing an administrative presence after the military withdrew that ensured the empire’s control of this territory between the late eighth century and the middle of the sixth. Finds at Tel Hadid, west of the Samaria hills, may be identified as the remains of an Assyrian bīt mardīte, a roadside provisioning center for Assyrian officials, messengers, and troops. This identification is supported by the agricultural installations at the site, the texts found there, and its location on a major route.
Journal of the American Oriental Society, Dec 16, 2021
This essay dates portions of the “Burden of Egypt” prophecy in Isaiah 19 to the Neo-Assyrian peri... more This essay dates portions of the “Burden of Egypt” prophecy in Isaiah 19 to the Neo-Assyrian period, based on its borrowing of motifs from Assyrian royal inscriptions. These include the unique motif of the establishment of a monument on the border with Egypt and Assyrian attempts to dominate Egypt by controlling its trade. The essay also demonstrates the dependence of parts of Isaiah 19 on material in Exodus 1–15, integrating specific phrases from these Exodus chapters with motifs known to us from Assyrian royal inscriptions. This integration could only have taken place during the Assyrian period (late eighth–early seventh centuries), and this has obvious implications for the dating of the Exodus text. The essay understands the prophecy as a re-envisioning of the Assyrian campaign of 734, part of which was directed at Egypt. In this re-envisioned campaign, YHWH Himself is directing the Assyrian attack (Isa. 19:1–4) on Egypt. The essay focusses on 19:19–25, which describe how the Egyptians suffer as a result of the Assyrian attack. In their despair, they acknowledge the sovereignty of YHWH. This recognition is based on the Assyrian model of recognizing the Assyrian king as universal sovereign, and the monument described in v. 22 is based on the monument established by the Assyrians on the Egyptian border. The behavior of the Egyptians in vv. 20–22 provokes the unique theological statements of vv. 23–25, in which Egypt and Assyria join Israel in the triad blessed by YHWH. This passage demonstrates Isaiah’s use of a sort of “replacement theology” in which the universal sovereignty of YHWH is imagined and described based on Assyrian claims of universal dominion.
Summary Ezekiel's visions, particularly that of the chariot (chapter 1), integrate radiance i... more Summary Ezekiel's visions, particularly that of the chariot (chapter 1), integrate radiance imagery with allusions to earlier Biblical traditions. The radiance imagery has specific connections to a long Mesopotamian tradition of melammu as indicating divine and royal power. This essay explores how the radiance imagery works together with Biblical allusions in shaping the rhetoric and message of this vision, and of three other related visions in Ezekiel.
This article will survey the political history of the city of Ashdod in the Assyrian period, base... more This article will survey the political history of the city of Ashdod in the Assyrian period, based on the tex tual evidence from both royal inscriptions and Assyrian administrative correspondence. Its aims are three: to survey all of the Assyrian texts mentioning Ashdod; to extract historical data from them and place them in a chronological framework; to reconstruct the changes in the political status of Ashdod and in the area it con trolled throughout the hundred or so years of the “As syrian century” (c. 740–630 bce). These changes were the result of complex inter actions among Ashdod’s leadership, its political elite, and the officials of the Assyrian empire, as well as in teractions with other polities in the region. During this period, Ashdod moved from being one of the most powerful polities in Philistia to an Assyrian province, and then to an apparently unique status of both prov ince and kingdom. The unique status Ashdod achieved cannot be sep arated from the geographic niche it occupied. As the northernmost (and arguably the largest) of the Philis tine coastal ports, Ashdod was the first polity of this cul ture encountered by the Assyrians in their southward expansion (see Figure 1, a map which includes all geo graphic locations mentioned in this article). Further more, Ashdod bordered directly on territory annexed by the Assyrian empire after the destruction of the kingdom of Israel in the years 733–720 bce.1 Ashdod’s position on the frontier of empire (until its annexation as a province around 711 bce) provides an oppor tunity to examine the relevance of Bradley Parker’s theory of frontiers as “a dynamic transition zone of interaction” to the Assyrian west.2 Its position on the coast also offers an opportunity to examine Yifat Thar eani’s view that the Assyrians saw the coast as a distinct
The first part of this essay examines the literary structure of Ps 21:2–8, with a view to uncover... more The first part of this essay examines the literary structure of Ps 21:2–8, with a view to uncovering the royal ideology it represents and the second part of the essay suggests possible dates for the psalm on linguistic grounds. The psalm describes the king in exalted terms with close correspondences to Assyrian royal ideology, and its language shows influence of Aramaic. The linguistic elements noted can fit with the psalm being the product of Judah after the middle of the 8th century. In the late 8th and 7th centuries, Assyrian administrative centers were established in the new Assyrian provinces surrounding what remained of Judah, and knowledge of Official Aramaic became more widespread.
How different were the claims of Assyrian royal inscriptions from actual Neo-Assyrian practice? T... more How different were the claims of Assyrian royal inscriptions from actual Neo-Assyrian practice? This essay explores this question by examining two unusual claims made by Sargon II in relation to his rule of Samaria. The first claim, which appears both in the Khorsabad annals and in a Nimrud prism, should be translated “I again settled Samaria, more than (it had) previously (been settled).” Based on the historical reconstruction derived from archaeological data, I argue that this phrase refers to the movement of exiles into areas in the western part of the province of Samaria. These areas in the western part of the province, around the sites of Aphek, Hadid, and Gezer, experienced significant population increases in the Assyrian period. The second passage, in Sargon’s Great Display Inscription from Khorsabad, refers to Sargon’s treatment of non-deported Samaritans. It should be translated “I trained the remnant in their crafts.” The historical reality behind this claim is the shift i...
In this new book Shawn Zelig Aster relates the prophecies found in
First Isaiah to the historical... more In this new book Shawn Zelig Aster relates the prophecies found in First Isaiah to the historical events of the 8th century BCE, when Assyria controlled much of the ancient Near East. Aster elucidates the arguments of Isaiah 1–2, 6–8, 10–12, 14, 19, 31, and 36–37 by explaining that the passages contain hidden polemic along with the imperial propaganda of the Assyrian empire. Aster illustrates that the prophet adapts motifs from Assyrian propaganda, while subverting Assyrian claims to universal dominion. Aster argues that Isaiah does this in order to promote belief in a single omnipotent God, more powerful than any human empire. The book exposes the meaning behind these passages of Isaiah, as well as the history of Israel in the period 745–701 BCE.
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https://www.sbl-site.org/assets/pdfs/pubs/9780884142720_OA.pdf
or purchased at :
https://www.sbl-site.org/publications/Books_ANEmonographs.aspx
First Isaiah to the historical events of the 8th century BCE, when
Assyria controlled much of the ancient Near East. Aster elucidates the
arguments of Isaiah 1–2, 6–8, 10–12, 14, 19, 31, and 36–37 by
explaining that the passages contain hidden polemic along with the
imperial propaganda of the Assyrian empire. Aster illustrates that the
prophet adapts motifs from Assyrian propaganda, while subverting
Assyrian claims to universal dominion. Aster argues that Isaiah does
this in order to promote belief in a single omnipotent God, more
powerful than any human empire. The book exposes the meaning behind
these passages of Isaiah, as well as the history of Israel in the
period 745–701 BCE.