“The Israelites offended the Lord” (Judg. 2:11): Theological Aspects of the Fall in the Book of Judges
Dariusz DZIADOSZ
John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin , Polandhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-5191-0560
Abstract
The theme of the article is the Biblical concept of the ‘Fall’ elaborated by the Deuteronomic writers and theologians of Israel in the period of the Babylonian exile of the Jewish people (597-538 BC). The presentation of the theme is referred to the source material found in the Book of Judges, in which a theological vision of the ‘Fall’ is the main motif. The Deuteronomic editor of the Book of Judges presents the problem in question in the context of the difficult period of the history of his people, presenting a multi-layered conception of the fall of the human being, which is reflected in the religious, moral, social, and political aspects of the history of the Jewish people, as well as in the lives of particular Israelites. The paper comprises a synthetic review of the Biblical concepts related to the problems of the ‘Fall’ and reflects on the fundamental principle of Judaism, namely, the doctrine of Divine retribution. Against such theological background, selected parts of the source material, most representative of the theme in question, have been discussed.
