Book of Haggai

• Isaiah
• Jeremiah

• Lamentations
• Baruch including letter of Jeremiah

• Ezekiel (Ezekiel )
• Book of Daniel ( accessories)

• Hosea
• Joel
• Amos
• Obadiah
• Jonah
• Micha
• Nahum
• Habakkuk
• Zephaniah
• Haggai
• Zechariah
• Malachi

The book of Haggai is a prophetic book of the Bible and is part of the Twelve Prophets of the Jewish Tanakh and the Christian Old Testament.

The prophet Haggai

Haggai (Hebrew חגי The born on the feast day ) is mentioned in the Book of Ezra (5:1 and 6:14). He looked at the time of reconstruction work on the Temple in Jerusalem ( 29 September to 13 December 520 BC), who had been 587/6 destroyed by the Babylonians. Nothing else about him is known. Presumably, he was among the returnees from Babylon. In Greek and Latin Bible he is called Aγγαίος or Haggäus.

Content

Main theme of the book is the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. His prophecies are to the year 520 BC dated, with exact dates.

The book of Haggai contains four speeches.

Dating

The four speeches of the Book of Haggai are up to the day, dated ( 1.1, 2.1, 2.10, 2.20 ) and were held in the second half of the year 520 BC in Jerusalem. The dating system seems to have been introduced, however, secondary to the prophetic manifesto Haggai.

The social and economic situation of Judah 519 BC

Thought there was a coalition that was interested in rebuilding of the Temple ( late summer 520 BC): first, the priesthood, which again could get work through the temple and on the other realpolitik to the governor Zerubbabel, the chance that that the Persian government offered, wanted to use for their restoration efforts. There were also significant reasons that spoke against re-establishment.

The economic situation in Judah was disastrous because of a long drought, and the reintegration of returnees made ​​problems; Property claims of the returnees had to be fought partly judicial, therefore, there was considerable social tensions. The population was rather busy with securing their own living standards. ( Hag 1, 6.9.10f; . 2:16; property, 8, 10)

There were also theological objections to the temple: in the desolate situation was not the character of YHWH to the re-establishment ( Hag 1:2), Jeremiah had been warned by his view Deuteronomistic performer not to place false confidence in the temple and instead improving the social situation demanded ( Jer 7: The Temple Jeremiah speech ). Above all, the prophetic- Deuteronomistic groups of folks back home wanted to devote social problems probably first.

The theological initiative Haggai

To an envelope of public opinion it came with Haggai and Zechariah. With real political interests was combined utopian potential, which brought in the two prophets, building on the exilic prophecy of salvation. Both did an enormous motivation work towards the political and priestly leaders and the population ( Hag 1, 2-11) and despite some disappointment endure the temple ( Hag 2, 3-9, in the naming of Yehoshua 2.4 goes on Haggai chronicler back, who also performed the dating. See the section on the theological processing of the failed restoration ).

Haggai occurred in the first 3 months of the temple building on ( 29.9. - 13.12.520 ) and probably came from the ranks of former Hofprophetie and moves in national conservative ideas: the temple was for him a guarantee of blessing, the economic situation has its basis in the absence of the temple ( Hag 1.2 to 9 ). Responsible for the temple was for him out of the priesthood, especially the Davidic Zerubbabel the YHWH promised unconditional support. Haggai association with the completion of the temple building a restitution of the Davidic kingship, world -shattering intervention of YHWH. Same time, the rejection of Jehoiachin should be paradigmatic redeemed on him - ( Hag 2, 23 Jer 22, 24).

They induced the concrete act of temple building but much more extensive restoration hopes that quickly proved to be dangerous illusion.

Aftermath

The temple restoration as a prophetic project

Ezra 1-7 renders it as if the decisive impulse to already be assumed by 538 BC by Cyrus II. In the meantime, has been furnished by the historians of the evidence that the representation in connection to Isaiah represents a theological narrative of the chronicler, in the words embellishments Cyrus II profusely even as " the Lord's anointed " (Isaiah 45, 1 ff ) titled.

The reconstruction was taken under Darius I and Zerubbabel and Jeshua in attack. The initiative was taken in this project by the Jewish returnees, directed a written request to the satraps Tatnai.

The king as temple builders in the environment of Israel

For a temple in the ancient Near Eastern environment always primarily an initiative of the gods. So it is, for example, the epic Enûma - Elis dar. On the other hand, this task is also the responsibility of the Kings. These R. LUX: " The nexus of power and holiness, does not constitute an Arcanum, but is applied mainly on public and visualization down. That the respective rulers in a special relationship with the deity stood, which should be visible to all the world. " After Christoph UELINGER this is referred to as" figurative policy ".

The Ancient Near Eastern environment has thus established the king as temple builders firm in their iconography and epigraphy. Thus, the representation of the king as a part of temple builders - with pannier - the standard repertoire from the 3rd millennium BC to the Neo-Babylonian Empire.

Here, the motif of the building of the temple frequently with other motives, the king theology is combined. Thus, the contract for the construction or reconstruction of a temple by the deity in a dream can take place. Also, there are often those kings, which have proven to be warlords victorious; the work of the sanctuary is more than just a thank you gesture! Against this background, is also to understand why the outcrop conveying the foundation stone must have been a royal gesture by Zerubbabel (Zech. 4, 6-10 *).

And again and again is in the environment eventually with the temple 's request to consolidate the dynasty connected. At the end of a building inscription of Nabopolassar it is therefore called "Lord Marduk, watching my actions joyfully, and on thy lofty word out, which is immutable, let this work of My hands work, grow old and forever! Like the bricks of Etemenaki are established for evermore, the foundation of my throne reasons firmly into the distant days! " ( TUAT II, 493 )

This is also the most obvious point of contact between the environment of Israel and what worked example, the Deuteronomistic History (2 Samuel 7 !) As a temple theology in connection with the dynasty of the house of David. That this was not without controversy, for example, shows Jeremiah in the temple speech Jer 7

During the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple meet different opinions to one another; during Third Isaiah reveals himself as an opponent of temple building (Isaiah 66.1 f in connection with the temple critical prophecy of Nathan ) of all human action and planning emphasizes independent sovereignty and God, there are other voices that do not only support the temple, but even more it resuscitation hoped Davidic dynasty.

Such hopes there must have been in the province of Judah. The only way it can be understood why Haggai and Zechariah were so electrified assume that just Zerubbabel, the grandson of Jehoiachin was responsible for building the temple person. If, within the Haggai base layer that advertises in all things for the temple, Zerubbabel the re- election and withdrawal of the rejection of his grandfather is promised ( Hag 2.23 under motivlicher reference to Jer 22:24 f ), then it also must be in the have moved in common oriental know exactly what part of the above-mentioned connection between king and temple. For Haggai 2, 23 and Zechariah 4, 6-10 * it is the Davidic Zerubbabel, who brings the foundations of the old temple again!

Temple as an initiative of the Gods

The ancient Near Eastern theology paralleled the creation of the cosmos with the temple; so Esagila for example, was a kind of " navel of the world " as it holds the Enuma Eliš. As enshrined in the mythology of creation and context sanctuary suggests that the latter may not be in the discretion of the people. Temple is the work of creation, imitation of the gods ( imitatio deorum ). So each a vote of the gods had to be present. The temple builders finally contributed with their work to stabilize and anchor the earthly and cosmic order. Therefore, the command to the temple was made often by the gods themselves

In Haggai and Zechariah is a prophetic call to temple which is to tame the chaos before. In Haggai takes the place of the initiative chain " deity - King - Temple by the people" the sequence "God - Prophet - representatives of the people ( Zerubbabel [ Yehoshua ] - Temple by the people" This difference is of little consequence if you. considering that the other kings of various prophetic or mantic ( oracle ) techniques served! However, not the representatives of the people make use of the prophets, but Yhwh operated by the prophets of the representatives of the people and thus the people.

The continuity of the place

As in Genesis 28, 10 ff the discovery of the temple town is in the ancient Near Eastern environment often associated with dream visions or special revelations (also 2 Sam 24) That is, the location of a temple also is not within the discretion of the temple builder, that is: of the king. The continuity of the place is yes according to Haggai and Zechariah 4, 6-10 * also given!

Attempt at a historical summary

According to R. Lux, the construction of the Second Temple remains a prophetic project - otherwise would have Haggai, Zerubbabel and the rest of the people ( and Yehoshua? ) - No need to encourage and strengthen such ( שארית העם ). The seal word goes well with this assumption. Possibly yes Zerubbabel was actually responsible only for the pacification of the western flank to Egypt through, so it should only stabilize the Judean community. That Haggai with this Davidic had a potential temple builders, is only possible therefore, must not have been from the outset declared objective of the Persian mission from it.