The Characterization of an Empire

Assyria--the missing link in the superpower oppressor type in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament--still suffers from modern scholarly neglect. The Characterization of an Empire aims to alleviate this neglect while also elucidating the historical biblical books that convey characterizations of Assyrians. The narratological insights gained throughout this study contribute to biblical literary studies at rigorous, detailed, sometimes deep, and sometimes complex levels. Thus, this book offers to be not only a contribution to the general corpus of biblical literary studies, but also an expansion of our paradigms regarding the detail, depth, and complexity at which narratological intention and artistry function in the biblical text.''An incisive study of the footprint Assyria left on the literary minds of ancient Israel. Hom shows how the understanding of this foe is anything but static or one-sided. Occasionally the empire is YHWH’s hand personified in judgement and other times it is God’s hubristic enemy. Above all, Hom demonstrates the primary interest of the biblical authors’ internal political self-critique while at the same time maintaining the culpability of the external oppressive political forces.''--Myrto Theocharous, Professor of Hebrew and Old Testament, Greek Bible College, Athens, Greece''Biblical scholars usually treat Assyria as a ’background’ issue that sheds light elsewhere. Mary Hom brings Assyria into the spotlight as a biblical character in its own right, and with true insight and sagacity. Her literary analysis of Assyria in Kings and Chronicles attends to ways that biblical authors personalize, caricature, and re-interpret the empire in relation to the rise and fall of Israel and Judah. This study complements her earlier study of Assyria in Isaiah, bringing the mighty and alluring empire into literary and theological life. Narrative critics of the Bible--take note!''--Matthew Lynch, Academic Dean, Lecturer in Old Testament, Westminster Theological Centre''Mary Hom brings to bear her expert knowledge of Assyrian sources on the separate portrayals of the empire in Kings and Chronicles. In doing so, she contributes both to research on Assyria, and to the literary and theological interpretation of Kings and Chronicles. Her book not only works perceptively at the nexus of historical and literary research, but also produces an invaluable thesis regarding the disparate literary strategies of the two blocks.''--Gordon McConville, Professor of Old Testament Theology, University of Gloucestershire''The primary strength of this book is the rigorous exegetical analysis of the texts in their final form. At the same time, Hom treats questions pertaining to their compositional history with sensitivity and nuance. She also deals wisely with the contributions of narratology, characterization, and post-colonial studies. This is a welcome contribution not only to research on Kings and Chronicles, but also to broader discussions about method.''--Rodrigo Franklin de Sousa, Professor of Hebrew and Old Testament, Faculte Jean Calvin, Aix-en-Provence, FranceMary Katherine Yem Hing Hom, formerly Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies at Ambrose University College, has lectured and taught in numerous countries and has published in scholarly journals. She is the author of The Characterization of the Assyrians in Isaiah (2012).