Signs of Dream Divination in the Exagoge of Ezekiel the Tragedian, 68–89: Hypotexts, Tragedy, and Jewish Creativity in the Hellenistic PeriodThis peer-reviewed open-access article is technical (assumes you read Greek), but between the abstract, the introduction, and the conclusion, you can get the gist of the argument. You also need to know what polysemy and paranomasia mean.Scott B. Noegel https://doi.org/10.4000/158jz
Aitia. Regards sur la culture hellénistique au XXIe siècle 15 | 2025
ABSTRACT
The dream sequence found in the Exagoge of Ezekiel (68-89) has long captured the attention of scholars who have seen it as either typical of Greek tragedy, representative of an early merkavah tradition, engaging in haggadic midrash, an investiture story, or a polemic against Enochic traditions. Classicists also have pointed to numerous parallels from Greek and Jewish literary traditions that might have informed the play. However, what has hitherto gone unnoticed is that Raguel’s interpretation of Moses’ dream conforms to a number of conventions for reporting enigmatic dreams in ancient Near Eastern literature. Of specific interest is Ezekiel’s use of polysemy and paronomasia to tie the dream to its interpretation. In the wider Near East, this hermeneutical strategy derives from divinatory practice generally, and consequently features in dream omen manuals and literary reports of dream interpretation.
For PaleoJudaica posts on Ezekiel the Tragedian's Hellenistic-era play The Exagoge, see here and links.
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