W poszukiwaniu asyryjskiej diaspory Izraelitów w Księdze Ezechiela

Abstract

The article deals with the argument of W. Chrostowski about the Assyrian Israelite Diaspora as a factor influencing the book of Ezekiel. First, the author verifies the Ezekielian texts evoked by Chrostowski as arguments for his thesis (garden of Eden motif; “the 30th year” in Ezek 1:1; subjects participating in the dispute about the possession of the promised land in Ezek 11:14-17; allusion to Samaria in Ezek 23; the vision of dry bones in Ezek 37:1-14). The second part of the article examines the possibility of existence of the Assyrian Diaspora in the light of biblical and extra-biblical sources. The analysis of the situation of the Israelites deported to Assyria after the fall of Samaria in 722 B.C.E. (especially in the context of the population and religion politics of the Assyrian Empire) permits to exclude the existence of the Assyrian Israelite Diaspora and the claim that it could not only preserve, but also deepen and strengthen its identity. The third part of the article argues that the audience of Ezekiel does not derive from the descendants of the Israelites exiled to Assyria. Thus, the book of Ezekiel is the testimony written for those who experienced the Babylonian exile only.