Abstract
It is neither unusual nor incorrect to observe that the Bible is one of the most ‘hyperlinked’ texts in existence. Its writings show clear signs of quotation, allusion or thematic similarity, which mean that a series of books reading individual biblical books intertextually has much material to mine. Reading Lamentations Intertextually is divided into four sections, which see how Lamentations may be found in the three sections of the Hebrew Bible and then beyond the Hebrew Bible, including Qumran, the New Testament, Josephus and rabbinic readings. The introduction categorises each chapter as addressing “Intertextuality as an Historical Phenomenon between Texts” (7 chapters), “Intertextuality as a Mode of Response to Texts” (4 chapters) or “Intertextuality as a Phenomenon in the Sacred Canon” (6 chapters), with three chapters spanning two categories. The authors are all experts in their field and in none of the chapters does the intertextuality feel forced, since they are prepared to acknowledge that the intertextuality may be in the mind of the reader rather than the author, and indeed that it must be so in the case of texts written before Lamentations. Parts of the book are quite technical and ideally the reader would have some knowledge of Hebrew, although most chapters transliterate and translate Hebrew (and Greek) vocabulary.
Some chapters demonstrate the intertextuality by looking at very precise texts, such as Isaiah 49:13-26, Ezekiel 19, Ecclesiastes 12 and 4Q501, whilst others look more generally and draw on different thematic links, such as the contrast between the wilderness and the city, trauma theory and the way in which Lamentations may be seen as a response to the Babylonian Exile, the characterisation of women and God in the Megilloth. The chapters follow the biblical order and have the freedom to take different approaches, thus Alison Lo looks at themes of sin, punishment and confession in Exodus 32-34 by looking at each theme in Exodus and then in Lamentations, whilst Michael R. Stead discusses the way in which Zechariah uses Lamentations as a source of allusions, but changes the devastation and destruction into rebuilding and restoration. It is perhaps a little surprising that only two chapters see Lamentations within the context of Jeremiah. Christl M. Maier considers ways in which the man of Lamentations 3 may be seen as a representation of Jeremiah (whilst also examining resonances with Job and the Servant Songs of Deutero-Isaiah) and Antje LaBahn considers Jeremiah as a character in the Septuagint Lamentations, which has a significant re-reading and interpretation of ideas and motifs. These two chapters are certainly of great interest. Perhaps more unusual, and thus interesting to read, is Honora Howell Chapman’s chapter on Josephus' interpretation of the book. She succinctly places Josephus into his literary context and looks at his Jewish War, noting particularly the issue of maternal cannibalism in the two texts. Those who are interested in liturgy and the use of Lamentations in the Christian Tenebrae service during the Easter Triduum will be glad to read Robin A. Parry’s chapter, which considers the legitimacy and potential of Christological interpretations of the book, including its use for Tenebrae. This is the only chapter that considers a specifically Christian reading of Lamentations and approximately one third of the chapter relates to the New Testament, which may be a little surprising to many, even though Lamentations is not specifically quoted in the New Testament. This chapter is immediately followed by Heath A. Thomas' consideration of the rabbinic reading as found within the Midrashim, which are inherently intertextual, noting how Lamentations Rabbah disrupts the previous tradition with its focus on the silence of God and the sinfulness of Zion, whilst also preserving the tradition.
Each chapter will increase the reader’s understanding of Lamentations and its position within the Bible and within the Jewish and Christian traditions. It is inevitable that different readers will wish to focus on their own areas of interest, and most readers will certainly find much of interest.