Abstract
This article investigates the conceptual background of the notion of corpse pollution as represented by the Priestly expression āmē la-nepeš. Contrary to the growing tendency to view it as a late introduction to Israelite religion, the analysis will situate corpse impurity in relation to broader biblical and West Semitic conceptions of the afterlife. This discussion will serve as the basis for the further question whether this type of pollution was related to a fear of ghosts.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 408-434 |
| Number of pages | 27 |
| Journal | Vetus Testamentum |
| Volume | 69 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2019 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2019
Keywords
- Corpse pollution
- Death
- Ghost
- Impurity
- Soul
- Spirit
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Language and Linguistics
- History
- Religious studies
- Linguistics and Language
- Literature and Literary Theory