The Transformation of Tĕhôm

From Deified Power to Demonized Abyss

Series: 

Author:
Rosanna Lu
Tehom, the Hebrew Bible’s primeval deep, is a powerful concept often overlooked outside of creation and conflict contexts. Primeval waters mark the boundary between life and death in the Hebrew Bible and the ancient Near East, representing the duality of both deliverance and judgment. This book examines all contexts of Tehom to explain its conceptual forms and use as a proper noun. Comparative methodology combined with affect and spatial theories provide new ways to understand how religious communities repurposed Tehom. These interpretations of Tehom empower resilience in times of suffering and oppression.
Copyright Year:
2025
E-Book (PDF)
Availability:
Published
ISBN:
978-90-04-70803-7
Publication:
07 Oct 2024
Hardback
Availability:
Published
ISBN:
978-90-04-70877-8
Publication:
17 Oct 2024
Cover The Transformation of <i>Tĕhôm</i>

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Rosanna A. Lu, PhD (2018), University of California, Los Angeles, is Visiting Assistant Professor of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University.
List of Tables
Abbreviations

1 Introduction
 1 The Deep: Person, Place, or Thing?
 2 Ancient Near Eastern Deities and Dragons of the Deep
 3 The Problem of Conflict
 4 The Ugaritic Evidence
 5 Methodological Approach
 6 Towards Transformation

2 Deification
 1 Introduction
 2 Ancient Egypt
 3 Ancient Mesopotamia
 4 Ancient Canaan: Ugarit
 5 Summary of Creation & Ritual Texts
 6 Conclusion

3 Personification
 1 Introduction
 2 Tehom in Creation
 3 Tehom in Ritual
 4 Tehom in the Song of the Sea
 5 Tehom and the Promise of Land
 6 Tehom Remembered in Prophecy and Prayers
 7 Tehom and Wisdom
 8 Tehom and the Bronze Sea
 9 Conclusion

4 Subjugation
 1 Introduction
 2 Sea Monsters and Their Subjugators
 3 The Subjugated Deep in Human-Divine Relationships
 4 The Significance of Subjugated Tehom for Ancient Israel
 5 Emotions, Experiences, and Affect Theory
 6 Conclusion

5 Demonization
 1 Introduction
 2 Textual Traditions
 3 Dead Sea Scrolls
 4 Septuagint (LXX)
 5 Targums
 6 Rabbinic Tradition
 7 Conclusion

6 Transformation
 1 Introduction
 2 The Necessity of Transformation
 3 Origins of Evil and Demons
 4 Restraining and Sealing Evil
 5 Oppressive Dragon Enemy
 6 Conclusion

7 Conclusion
 1 The Power of a Fluid Concept
 2 Circular Beginnings and Endings
 3 Awaiting the End

Appendix1: Tehom in the Hebrew Bible
Appendix2: Tehom-Related References in the Hebrew Bible
Appendix3: Tehom in Dead Sea Scrolls Non-Biblical Manuscripts
Appendix4: LXX Translations of Tehom
Appendix5: Targum Translations of Tehom
Appendix6: Tehom in Later Jewish and Christian Tradition
Works Cited
Index
Scholars and students of Hebrew Bible, biblical or theological studies, and all interested in comparative and interdisciplinary approaches to understanding primeval waters in the formation of religious identity.
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