Contents
Abbreviations
Introduction
Part 1: Social Determination of Rituals and Symbols
Theorizing Circumstantially Dependent Rites in and out of War Contexts
Monumental Inscriptions and the Ritual Representation of War
Part 2: Rituals and Symbols of Escalation, Preparation, and Aggression
Joshua’s Encounter with the Commander of Yhwh’s Army (Josh 5:13–15): Literary Construction or Reflection of a Royal Ritual?
“A Sword for Yhwh and for Gideon!”: The Representation of War in Judges 7:16–22
The Red-Stained Warrior in Ancient Israel
“I Will Strike You Down and Cut off Your Head” (1 Sam 17:46): Trash Talking, Derogatory Rhetoric, and Psychological Warfare in Ancient Israel
“Some Trust in Horses”: Horses as Symbols of Power in Rhetoric and Reality
War Rituals in the Old Testament: Prophets, Kings, and the Ritual Preparation for War
Part 3: Rituals and Symbols of Perpetuation, De-escalation, and Commemoration
Warfare Song as Warrior Ritual
A Messy Business: Ritual Violence after the War
Postwar Rituals of Return and Reintegration
Does Yhwh Get His Hands Dirty? Reading Isaiah 63:1-6 in Light of Depictions of Divine Postbattle Purification
Response
Forging a Twenty-First-Century Approach to the Study of Israelite Warfare
List of Contributors
Index of Ancient Sources
Index of Modern Authors