DESOLATION AND COSMOS by JOHN B. GEYER Dundee In his book The Cosmic Covenant R. Murray refers to the way in which the harmony of creation was, according to the Hebrew Bible, “broken and permanently threatened by disorderly, supernatural beings and forces, hostile to God and humankind.” He points out that in Isa. xxiv devastation is parallel to destruction by enemy forces (as, for exam- ple, in Nah. ii or Jer. iv) but he emphasises that Isa. xxiv does not refer to a war context but rather to the undoing of nature and its order. Isa. xxiv refers to a breach of the cosmic covenant by rebels in heaven and on earth.' As Murray points out, Isa. xxiv follows immediately from the col- lection of oracles about the nations in Isa. xiii-xxiii. In a previous arti- cle I have argued that these oracles should be taken along with the collections in Jeremiah and Ezekiel (the three collections will be referred to as ON-IJE in the rest of this article) as they have a common form and show dependency on mythological tradition.? Murray’s observa- tion that Isa. xxiv does not imply enemy forces in a historical sense highlights rather than diminishes the mythological content of ON-IJE which is using similar material to which is sometimes added (often only in the Superscription) the name of some geographical area or ethnic group. ‘'R. Murray, The Cosmic Covenant (London, 1992), pp. xx, 17, 21. R.W. Rogerson’s study, “The Enemy in the Old Testament” pp. 284-293 in Understanding Poets and Prophets, Essays in Honour of George Wishart Anderson, ed. A. Graeme Auld (Sheffield, 1993), fol- lows similar lines in seeing that the enemy in the Psalms is often superterrestrial rather than national. ? J.B. Geyer, “Mythology and Culture in the Oracles against the Nations”, VT 36 (1986), pp. 129-45, along with related studies: “Twisting Tiamat’s Tail: a mythological interpretation of Isa. XIII 5 and 8”, VT'37 (1987), pp. 164-79; “The Night of Dumah”, VI 42 (1992), pp. 317-39; “Mythological sequence in Job xxiv 19-20,” VT 42 (1992), pp. 118-120 and “Ezekiel 27 and the Cosmic Ship” in P.R. Davies and DJ.A. Clines (eds), Among the Prophets (Sheffield, 1993), pp. 105-126. © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 1999 Vetus Testamentum XLIX, |50 JOHN B. GEYER The purpose of this article’ is to show how references to Desolation in ON-JJE can be traced back to mythological concepts and that is the correct context from which to interpret them. This tradition is known to us in the Hebrew Bible in what is broadly speaking called the Zion Theology.* The relevant parts of this theology will be briefly reviewed. The main verbs expressing Desolation in ON-IJE will be examined. Finally, particular attention will be paid to the significance of the “beasts” of the desert as they appear in these texts. I In the so-called Zion Theology when Yahweh is recognised as king he establishes the earth firmly so that it cannot be moved (Ps. xciii 1). But in the time of chaos the world trembles and shakes (Isa. xiii 13) which is the case also in Ps. Ix 4 which is part of the festival in the sanctuary (v. 8) and the chaos of v. 4 is identified with the rebellion of the nations (w. 10-14). Ps. Ixviii 9 describes the shaking of the earth at a time when Yahweh overcomes the desert fiend. Ps. Ixxvii follows a description of the primaeval waters (v. 17) with the trembling of the earth (v. 19). This element of chaos is mentioned four times in ON-IJE (Isa. xiii 13; Jer. xlix 21; 1 46; li 29). When Jeremiah extols Yahweh as king over the nations (x 7, 10) he records that the earth trembles. The final stage of the Desolation of the earth is the complete disso- lution of the universe.> The lords of heaven are thrown into confu- sion by the general chaos. Sun moon and stars no longer give their ° This article was first delivered as a paper at the Summer Meeting of the Society for Old Testament Study held in Edinburgh in 1994 where it was given the title, “Desolation in the Zion Theology”. I have benefited from the discussion that took place on that occasion and from helpful correspondence which has taken place with members since. See, for example, B.C. Ollenburger, Zion the Cily of the Great King (Sheffield, 1987); M. Barker, The Older Testament (London, 1987); T.N.D. Mettinger, Gudsbeteckningar och gudsbild i Gamla Testament (Orebro, 1987), E.Tr. In Search of God (Philadelphia, 1988). The latter scholar prefers to refer to the theology of the kingship of Yahweh rather than Zion Theology. * This language is often dubbed “eschatological” and therefore deemed to be late. Such thinking rests on literary criticism that is dependent on a particular historical understanding of the texts. The recognition that much of the material under review is of a traditional nature handed down through worship gives a different perspective; cf. R. Murray (above nt. 1) p. xxiii who refers to T.S. Glasson, “What is Apocalyptic?”, NTS 27 (1981), pp. 98-105.DESOLATION AND COSMOS 51 light and the world is plunged into darkness (Isa. xiii 10; Ezek. xxxii 7-8). The latter passage is immediately followed by application to the combat involving national enemies (w. 9-10). Il In VT 36 (see n. 2) I indicated that ON-IJE are linked by a com- mon form one element of which is the Destroy passage. These Destroy passages contain a sub-element, which I did not isolate in the article, which has to do with Desolation. It is a recurring theme. The rele- vant passages are: Isa. xiii 20-22; xv 6; xvii 1b-6, 9, 11; xviii 6; xix 5-7; Jer. xlvi 19; xlviii 28; xlix 17-18; 1 12-13; Ezek. xxix 5, 8-12a; xxx 12; xxxii 11-15. In these passages the description of Desolation falls into two main categories, one to do with the population and the other to do with vegetation. The two often overlap but the distinction is made here for the purposes of clarification. (a) Population. The area will not be inhabited, not settled. The nomad will not tabernacle there and shepherds will not pasture in perpetuity from generation to generation (Isa. xiii 20). The place will be removed from being a city; it will be a ruin (Isa. xvii 1). Sovereignty will cease (Isa. xvii 13). The city will be without inhabitants (Jer. xlvi 19b— similar phrases are used in ON Jer. xlix 18; 1 13; Ezek. xxix 11; xxxii 15). The population is called on to leave the cities and be like a dove on the rock face (Jer. xlviii 28). All who pass by are appalled and whistle (Jer. 1 13). Man and beast will be cut off (Ezek. xxix 8). (b) Vegetation. The herbage (hsy7) is dried up, the grass (ds”) is finished, the greens (yrq) are not (Isa. xv 6). The glory will languish, the fat of his flesh will be made lean (Isa. xvii 4). With reference to the gardens of Adonis (Isa. xvii 10-11) it is said, somewhat obscurely, “In the day you plant and cause to sprout (tigigy “fence about”?) in the morning a harvest heap (nd qsyr) in a day of sickness(?) and incurable disease(?)” (v. 11). In another passage reeds and rushes rot, lotus and vegetation are withered and scattered and are not (Isa. xix 6-7). Jer. | 12 refers to mdbr yh w'rbh whilst in Ezek. xxix 5 Yahweh is reported as saying, “T will desert you in the wilderness; the fish of your canals will fall on the ground”. Elsewhere it is said more comprehensively, “I shall lay waste the land and everything in it” (Ezek. xxx 12; cf. xxix 9, 10). Isa. xvii 2 contains a statement which is curious in so far as it says that the cities having been deserted will be for flocks and for pasturing