دانلود کتاب Royal Apologetic in the Ancient Near East

When an ancient Near Eastern king ascended the throne in an irregularfashion—such as through usurpation or as a younger son selected over an elderbrother—he often encountered charges of illegitimacy from his opponents.Kings combated such charges by commissioning apologies in which theydefended themselves and upheld their legitimate right to rule. In this studyKnapp provides a theoretical treatment of the concept of apologetic andestablishes a much-needed definition of the term that incorporates both genretheory and historical scholarship. He examines the rhetoric of apologies in royalinscriptions from Hatti, Aram, Assyria, and Babylonia, drawing attention torecurring motifs, such as the king’s divine election, the unworthiness of the royalpredecessor, the king’s military prowess, and more. Drawing on these comparativematerials, Knapp detects apologetic elements in the biblical narratives aboutDavid and Solomon, both of whom ascended the throne in atypical fashion andundoubtedly had to address accusations of illegitimacy.