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A clash of gods – Conceptualising space in Daniel 1


JJ de Bruyn

Abstract

Applying cognitive linguistics to the text of Daniel 1 is a useful exegetical aid for a better understanding of the narrative. Studying the author’s use of ‘spatial markers’ such as ‘Jerusalem’, ‘Babylon’, ‘temple’ and some other spatial features, makes it possible to reconstruct the narrative into a ‘cognitive spatial frameset’. In this particular exegetical frameset, Daniel 1 can be described as a narrated confrontation between Yahweh and the gods of  Babylon. Within this conflict between deities, Daniel, the divine agent becomes a spatial embodiment of Yahweh’s power and authority to act inside a hostile, non-Israelite environment and at the same time undermines the authority of the Babylonian gods.

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eISSN: 2072-8050
print ISSN: 0259-9422