Lukasz Niesiolowski-Spanò, «Where Should One Look for Gideon’s Ophra?», Vol. 86 (2005) 478-493
The hypothesis presented in this article offers a new way of explaining a number
of discrepancies in the biblical text. Perhaps more importantly, it opens the door
to the identification of a place known from the biblical tradition with a known site
of archaeological importance. Finally, the identification of Ophra with Ramat
Rahel, which in ancient times was very likely called hrp(-tyb@ / rp(-tyb@, sheds light
on the tradition of connecting Ephratah (htrpa) with Judah, (1 Chr 1,19. 50), and
the hitherto difficult hrp( tyb@ in Mic 1,10.
Where Should One Look for Gideon’s Ophra? 489
hypothesis that in hrp[ tyB there was a structure which could have
been described as zw[m or rd[AlDgm.
In his Onomastikon, Eusebius of Caesarea describes the place
where Rachel was supposed to have died, and where Jacob made camp
(Gen 35,21) - to quote, “Gader. A town where Jacob lived, and Reuben
rose against Ballas†(43). The author, writing in the 4th century C.E.,
replaced Migdal-Eder with the name Gader. Moreover, he understood
the word Balla in Gen 35,21 (in LXX this usually denotes Rachel’s
maid Bilhah) as the being against whom Reuben acted. The question
remains as to why Eusebius, contrary to MT and LXX, refuses to allude
to Reuben’s sin with Bilhah, creating instead the story of Reuben acting
against a certain Balla. The Greek text is quite clear: ∆Roubin th' Balla
;
ejpanistatai. The Greek verb ejpanivhmi / ejpanivsthmi must be
understood here as “to rise up against†or “to rise in insurrection†(44).
Is it quite possible that Eusebius here alludes to the hero acting not
against Balla (Balla) but rather against Baal (Baal)? Is it possible that
a certain tradition known to Eusebius created the connection between
Reuben’s acts and the story of Gideon-Jerubbaal? Is it then possible
that rd[AlDgm, known from the story of Reuben, where he arose against
Baal, is the same as zw[m, where Gideon arose against Baal?
On the basis of above-proposed hypothesis it is quite possible to
hazard a further evaluation of the name rd[AlDgm. As well as appearing
in Gen 35, this proper name is found in Mic 4,8 (45), where it is linked
to the acts of the future Messiah. The Messiah, according to the book
of Micah, must come from Bethlehem — Ephrata (5,1). One may
surmise that the two places, being closely related to the future Messiah
(mentioned in Mic 4,8 and 5,1), are identical. If that is indeed the case,
Ephrata might well be the other name of Migdal-Eder.
Having gone so far in my hypothetical reconstruction, it is not too
much to suggest the logical emendation in MT — changing rd[ into
rp[. It is important at this juncture to note that reading rd[AlDgm is far
from being certain, especially when we consider LXX. The
transliteration in “puvrgo" Gader†(Gen 35,21(16)) i.e., “the fortified
(43) The Onomasticon by Eusebius of Caesarea (ed. J.E. TAYLOR) (Jerusalem
2003) 39. Cf. Eusebius: Das Onomastikon der biblischen Ortsnamen (ed. E.
KLOSTERMANN) (Leipzig 1904).
(44) LSJ9, 609; J. LUST et al., Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint
(Stuttgart 1992) I, 165.
(45) Re complications in interpreting this passage see: ANDERSEN –FREEDMAN,
Micah, 438-441.