2 Matching Annotations
  1. Oct 2023
  2. claudemariottini.com claudemariottini.com
    Standing Stones in the Old Testament
    2
    1. chrisaldrich 17 Oct 2023
      There are several occasions where the massebah is not associated with pagan worship. When the massebah is associated with the worship of Yahweh, the massebah is accepted as a valid expression of commitment to Yahweh.

      Massebah for pagan worship: - Exodus 23:24 (https://hypothes.is/a/r3m5QmyDEe6SC8eLYcJE1Q) - Hosea 10:1 (https://hypothes.is/a/4PK2GGyDEe6wZg_r2YpVCA ) - 2 Kings 18:4 - 2 Kings 23:14

      Massebah for worship of Yahweh: - Genesis 28:18 Jacob's pillow (https://hypothes.is/a/NF5p8Gx6Ee65Rg_J4tfaMQ)<br /> - Genesis 31:44-45 Jacob and Laban's covenant - Exodus 24:4 - Joshua 24:25-27

      massebah sacred stones biblical stones Exodus 23:24 Hosea 10:1 2 Kings 18:4 2 Kings 23:14 Genesis 28:18 Genesis 31:44-45 Exodus 24:4 Joshua 24:25-27 what's good for the goose is good for the gander hypocrisy standing stones
    2. chrisaldrich 17 Oct 2023
      During the establishment of the covenant between Yahweh and Israel, the people were commanded to destroy the sacred stones of the Canaanites, “You must demolish them and break their sacred stones (masseboth) to pieces” (Exodus 23:24).

      In neighboring cultures in which both have oral practices relating to massebah, one is not just destroying "sacred stones" to stamp out their religion, but it's also destroying their culture and cultural memory as well as likely their laws and other valuable memories for the function of their society.

      View this in light also of the people of Israel keeping their own sacred stones (Hosea 10:1) as well as the destruction of pillars dedicated to Baal in 2 Kings 18:4 and 2 Kings 23:14.

      (Link and) Compare this to the British fencing off the land in Australia and thereby destroying Songlines and access to them and the impact this had on Indigenous Australians.

      It's also somewhat similar to the colonialization activity of stamping out of Indigenous Americans and First Nations' language in North America, though the decimation of their language wasn't viewed in as reciprocal way as it might be viewed now. (Did colonizers of the time know about the tremendous damage of language destruction, or was it just a power over function?)

      massebah masseboth sacred stones biblical stones Exodus 23 Canaanite religion The Covenant orality and memory colonization Exodus 23:24 Hosea 10:1 2 Kings 18:4 2 Kings 23:14 Baal songlines Indigenous languages
    Visit annotations in context

    Tags

    Annotators

    URL

    claudemariottini.com/2021/09/20/standing-stones-in-the-old-testament/