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{"id":18550,"date":"2016-12-05T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-12-05T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/leithart.level2d.com\/?p=276"},"modified":"2016-12-05T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2016-12-05T00:00:00","slug":"jehoiachin-at-table","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/leithart\/2016\/12\/jehoiachin-at-table\/","title":{"rendered":"Jehoiachin at Table"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

N<\/span>athan MacDonald (Not Bread Alone<\/em><\/a>, 176\u20137) has a fascinating chapter on the role of food in the establishment of Israel\u2019s monarchy. In part, this has to do with agricultural policy, but it also has an anthropological dimension: Feasts form a circle around the crowned king, and who\u2019s in and out of the feast is a signal of who\u2019s in and out of royal favor.<\/p>\n

When Nebuchadnezzar invades and destroys Jerusalem, the Davidic dynasty ceases to exist. But in 1-2 Kings, the very last scene returns to this framework. It is yet another scene of food, when Jehoiachin is elevated from prison to take a place at the table of the king of Babylon (2 Kings 25). Given the role that food has played throughout the monarchical narratives, this has to be significant. But of what?<\/p>\n

MacDonald notes, \u201c<\/span>Comparison has been drawn with the demise of Saul\u2019s dynasty and David\u2019s actions towards Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 9. In particular, both Jehoaichin and Mephibosheth are said to have \u2018eaten bread continually\u2019 at the tables of their respective overlords (2 Sam. 9.7; 2 Kgs. 25.29). Thus, as Mephibosheth\u2019s presence at David\u2019s table expressed the final demise of Saul\u2019s house so also the hopes of the Davidic dynasty come to an end with the last descendant living out his life at another king\u2019s largesse.\u201d While Jehoiachin\u2019s elevation may not promise a restoration of Davidic monarchy, it does offer \u201cthe prospect of a tolerable life under Babylonian hegemony.\u201d <\/p>\n

We can go a step further: The scene tucks the Davidic monarchy in under the Babylonian emperor, and that\u2019s where the monarchy stays through to the end of the Old Testament. And, the Mephibosheth connection suggestively places Eval-Merodach, king of Babylon, in the place of David: Jehoiachin : Eval-Merodach :: Mephibosheth : David. The Davidic monarchy has been taken up into the imperial order, and the Babylonian king acts like a Davidide.<\/p>\n

MacDonald notes that other intertexts suggest a more hopeful import: \u201cThe apparent end of monarchy should be heard in conjunction with its first announcement in Hannah\u2019s song. Jehoiachin\u2019s release from prison is another example of raising the \u2018poor from the dust\u2019 (1 Sam. 2.8). In the final verses of 2 Kings we may have a demonstration of YHWH\u2019s justice to the ends of the earth in which he gives \u2018strength to his king and exalts the horn of his anointed one\u2019 (1 Sam. 2.10). If Jehoiachin\u2019s experience in exile parallels those of Saul and David in their moments of anointing, we might have grounds for finding in Jehoiachin\u2019s taking his place at Evil-Merodach\u2019s table an anticipation of a future restoration of Jehoiachin and the Davidic dynasty to the Judahite throne.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/span>Within 2 Kings 25, further, \u201ca subtle contrast is made between Zedekiah and Jehoiachin. When Zedekiah is defeated and captured Nebuchadnezzar \u2018spoke justice with him\u2019 (v. 6); in the case of Jehoiachin, by contrast, Evil-Merodach \u2018spoke kindly with him\u2019 (v. 28). The use of food language in the slaughter of Zedekiah\u2019s son has already been noted; in the narrative this immediately follows Nebuchadnezzar\u2019s sentence. For Jehoiachin the kindly words are followed by his elevation to the king\u2019s table and above the other kings. If the slaughter of Zedekiah\u2019s sons is indeed the indication of the end of his dynasty, then we may have further grounds for seeing in Evil-Merodach\u2019s gracious actions towards Jehoiachin the establishing of his dynastic line. As with the transition between Ahab\u2019s house and Jehu\u2019s, one dynasty finds itself slaughtered or sacrificed, whilst the other begins to eat palace food.\u201d<\/p>\n

As throughout the monarchical texts, kingship and food are intimately tied together.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"