Thanks James! What a great study and perceptive insights.
Ehud’s assassination of Eglon also fits into the reverse feast model you presented. It is a day of atonement with details reversed similar to the ways you identified.
Ehud is cast as the priest. The first reversal is that Ehud has a disability. Most translations describe him as being left handed, though the common word for ‘left’ <semali> is not used.
The TWOT offers the translation of ‘bound’ for <eter> indicating the hand is probably not fully functional. Lev 21 prohibits an Israelite with a disability from participating in the sacrificial offerings.
The king’s name is Eglon, which is also the term for a young male cow, a sacrificial animal. The scene is the king’s inner sanctuary which serves a proxy for the holy of holies.
The other reversal is that Moab serves in the role of the sacrificed goat while Israel is the live goat that is freed.
The scene follows a similar sequence to that of the day of atonement described in Lev 16.
There is an elaborate description of how the priest is to dress including the under and over garments.(L16:4).
==>Ehud’s binds a sword under his clothes. (J3:16)
The priest draws near (Kereb) with an offering, a Korban, from the people (L16:5).
==>Ehud draws near(Kereb) with the tribute of the people. (J3:17)
The high priest goes alone (L16:17) into an inner sanctum, the holy of holies.
==>Ehud sends the people away.after he draws near (Keres) with the tribute from the people and meets Eglon in his special upper room(j3:18)
First the priest is to kill a bull as a sin offering for himself and his family.
He is the to sprinkle the blood of the bull on the mercy seat. (16:14)
==>Ehud approaches Eglon in his upper room, the king rises from his seat (J3:20)
==>Ehud slaughters Eglon(name means cow) plunging his two-mouthed knife into his belly. (J3:21)
Priest washes the altar of people’s uncleanness with blood from bull. (L16:19)
==>Eglon’s dung came out. (J3:22)
No one can enter the tent of meeting until after he makes atonement. (L16:17)
==>Eglon’s servant remain outside until they were embarrassed. (J3:23-25)
Then the priest puts his hand on the live goat (L16:21) and slaughter the sin goat(L16:15. )
He shall confess on it the sins of Israel and drive the live goat into the wilderness.
==>One sinful army is routed (Moab), the other is freed (Israel)
The fat of the sin offering shall burn on the altar. (L16:25)
==>One sinful nation is routed (Moab), the other is freed (Israel) Fat Eglon becomes a sin offering.
On this day atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you (L16:30)
==> Land had rest for eighty years. (J3:30)
Lev 25:9 "Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month, On the day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout the land"
==>J3:27 After killing Eglon, Ehud sounded the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim.
Mind Blown!
This excellent, James. Thank you...
Thanks James! What a great study and perceptive insights.
Ehud’s assassination of Eglon also fits into the reverse feast model you presented. It is a day of atonement with details reversed similar to the ways you identified.
Ehud is cast as the priest. The first reversal is that Ehud has a disability. Most translations describe him as being left handed, though the common word for ‘left’ <semali> is not used.
The TWOT offers the translation of ‘bound’ for <eter> indicating the hand is probably not fully functional. Lev 21 prohibits an Israelite with a disability from participating in the sacrificial offerings.
The king’s name is Eglon, which is also the term for a young male cow, a sacrificial animal. The scene is the king’s inner sanctuary which serves a proxy for the holy of holies.
The other reversal is that Moab serves in the role of the sacrificed goat while Israel is the live goat that is freed.
The scene follows a similar sequence to that of the day of atonement described in Lev 16.
There is an elaborate description of how the priest is to dress including the under and over garments.(L16:4).
==>Ehud’s binds a sword under his clothes. (J3:16)
The priest draws near (Kereb) with an offering, a Korban, from the people (L16:5).
==>Ehud draws near(Kereb) with the tribute of the people. (J3:17)
The high priest goes alone (L16:17) into an inner sanctum, the holy of holies.
==>Ehud sends the people away.after he draws near (Keres) with the tribute from the people and meets Eglon in his special upper room(j3:18)
First the priest is to kill a bull as a sin offering for himself and his family.
He is the to sprinkle the blood of the bull on the mercy seat. (16:14)
==>Ehud approaches Eglon in his upper room, the king rises from his seat (J3:20)
==>Ehud slaughters Eglon(name means cow) plunging his two-mouthed knife into his belly. (J3:21)
Priest washes the altar of people’s uncleanness with blood from bull. (L16:19)
==>Eglon’s dung came out. (J3:22)
No one can enter the tent of meeting until after he makes atonement. (L16:17)
==>Eglon’s servant remain outside until they were embarrassed. (J3:23-25)
Then the priest puts his hand on the live goat (L16:21) and slaughter the sin goat(L16:15. )
He shall confess on it the sins of Israel and drive the live goat into the wilderness.
==>One sinful army is routed (Moab), the other is freed (Israel)
The fat of the sin offering shall burn on the altar. (L16:25)
==>One sinful nation is routed (Moab), the other is freed (Israel) Fat Eglon becomes a sin offering.
On this day atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you (L16:30)
==> Land had rest for eighty years. (J3:30)
Lev 25:9 "Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month, On the day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout the land"
==>J3:27 After killing Eglon, Ehud sounded the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim.