ABSTRACT
Chapter 3 explores the effects of urbanization on religious expression, the deities place in the urban centre of the temple, and how theories of localized divine presence both formed identity but created challenges. In association with cult centres, deities often rise in power and their relationship to the city is expressed as kingship and divine presence. This occurs in Jerusalem during the Iron IIB/C periods (900–586 bce) and is common across the ancient Near East for figures like Marduk in Babylon, Akhenaten at Tell el Amarna, and many others. Specifically, in the Neo-Assyrian period there is an increased urbanization to YHWHism, that functions as a striking change given the type of deity articulated in the preceding chapter. YHWHism becomes encoded to urban spaces in which power and presence are intertwined with the urban space. Perceived competitions between a deity’s in one urban space, with other deities both within ancient Israel and beyond, contextualizes this development as part of a similar development across the ancient Near East. YHWH’s connection to urbanization, while eventually challenged, would always remain part of the Israelite expression in some way. In this period outside entities began to recognize YHWH’s connection to Jerusalem specifically. While cultural translation is one way to explain YHWH’s connection to urbanization, now competing with other deities on the international stage could not be done traditionally. In the Neo-Assyrian period, subversive reception becomes another predominate method for Israelite scribes to express YHWH. Isaiah 6 and Nahum are select examples of subversive reception, that attempt to express YHWH in new ways, while also subverting the more powerful empires around them.
