The Book of Joel ― A Prophet Between Calamity and Hope

Prophetic sayings are generally a reaction to immediate realities, and therefore attempts to understand prophetic literature without the benefit of the prophet's historical milieu are limited or inaccurate. Contrary to the prevailing opinion that Joel is post-exilic, the book is located within the exilic period, recognising the lack of any rebuke consistent with a people experiencing deep despair. The Book of Joel places great emphasis on the motif of the divine presence residing in the midst of Israel, and it is asserted that the prophet's main purpose was to bring the people to renew their connection with the Lord after the destruction of the Temple, which, though physically ruined, had not lost its religious significance. A literary and rhetorical analysis demonstrates how the prophet sought to influence his audience. Literary devices and rhetorical tools are investigated, and their relevance and contribution to the book's meanings are explored. One central feature of the book is its focus on a detailed discussion of the position and purpose of the locust plague, employing recent literary approaches.

Elie Assis is the head of the Department of Bible Studies at Bar Ilan University. Among his scholarly work are his books From Moses to Joshua and from the Miraculous to the Ordinary: A Literary Analysis of the Conquest Narrative in the Book of Joshua, Jerusalem: 2005 (Hebrew), and Self-Interest or Communal Interest? An Ideology of Leadership in the Gideon, Abimelech and Jephthah Narratives (Judg. 6-12) (Supplements to Vetus Testamentum, 106), 2005.