Diagnosing Judahâs Distress and Restoration in the Isaiah Apocalypse: Frustrated Childbirth in Isaiah 26 and Mesopotamian Medical Discourse
In: Biblical InterpretationSearch for other papers by Ekaterina E. Kozlova in
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Abstract
Commenting on the metaphor in Isa. 26:17â18, i.e., âwe were with child, we writhed in labour, but we gave birth to wind,â scholars usually note that it is purely symbolic. The âwindâ in it indicates ânothingnessâ representing Israelâs powerlessness to bring about its own salvation, let alone salvation on a larger scale. This article interrogates Isaiah 26 in light of pseudocyesis or false pregnancy, a condition recognised by the obstetrical knowledge of ancient societies and confirmed by modern medicine. More specifically, it explores the passage alongside Mesopotamian medical texts which feature the presence of âwindâ in the body describing illnesses in general and cases of abnormal births in particular.
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Diagnosing Judahâs Distress and Restoration in the Isaiah Apocalypse: Frustrated Childbirth in Isaiah 26 and Mesopotamian Medical Discourse
In: Biblical InterpretationSearch for other papers by Ekaterina E. Kozlova in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
Commenting on the metaphor in Isa. 26:17â18, i.e., âwe were with child, we writhed in labour, but we gave birth to wind,â scholars usually note that it is purely symbolic. The âwindâ in it indicates ânothingnessâ representing Israelâs powerlessness to bring about its own salvation, let alone salvation on a larger scale. This article interrogates Isaiah 26 in light of pseudocyesis or false pregnancy, a condition recognised by the obstetrical knowledge of ancient societies and confirmed by modern medicine. More specifically, it explores the passage alongside Mesopotamian medical texts which feature the presence of âwindâ in the body describing illnesses in general and cases of abnormal births in particular.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 904 | 213 | 8 |
| Full Text Views | 149 | 12 | 1 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 363 | 28 | 0 |
