Ephod – What Was It and What Was Its Use? A Question About the Potential Way Forward in the Development of Its Role in the Old Testament Texts

In biblical texts, ephod appears most often as part of priestly garb. In the statements of nonpriestly authors (before the Babylonian Exile), the linen ephod symbolizes priestly ministry in general. Sometimes, it is also regarded as an object of illicit worship (a practice condemned by the Deuteron...

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Main Author: Janusz Lemański
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin 2024-12-01
Series:Verbum Vitae
Online Access:https://czasopisma.kul.pl/index.php/vv/article/view/17263
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author Janusz Lemański
author_facet Janusz Lemański
author_sort Janusz Lemański
collection DOAJ
description In biblical texts, ephod appears most often as part of priestly garb. In the statements of nonpriestly authors (before the Babylonian Exile), the linen ephod symbolizes priestly ministry in general. Sometimes, it is also regarded as an object of illicit worship (a practice condemned by the Deuteronomist) or an instrument necessary for divination practices (a symbol of priestly ministry). In these cases, the verb used indicates not so much a garment as an object. For the post-exile priestly authors, the richly woven and decorated ephod is henceforth exclusively part of the high priestly garb. This change in the role of the ephod represents the only discernible path of “evolution” in the use of ephod in the Hebrew Bible. One can only speculate about its possible earlier uses, such as garment put on statues of deities, based on the suggested (Akkadian, Ugaritic; cf. Isa 30:22) etymology of the word.
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spelling doaj-art-cfc24884546e4df8b0b7eede73c44bdc2025-08-20T02:52:23ZdeuThe John Paul II Catholic University of LublinVerbum Vitae1644-85612451-280X2024-12-0142410.31743/vv.17263Ephod – What Was It and What Was Its Use? A Question About the Potential Way Forward in the Development of Its Role in the Old Testament TextsJanusz Lemański0Uniwersytet Szczeciński In biblical texts, ephod appears most often as part of priestly garb. In the statements of nonpriestly authors (before the Babylonian Exile), the linen ephod symbolizes priestly ministry in general. Sometimes, it is also regarded as an object of illicit worship (a practice condemned by the Deuteronomist) or an instrument necessary for divination practices (a symbol of priestly ministry). In these cases, the verb used indicates not so much a garment as an object. For the post-exile priestly authors, the richly woven and decorated ephod is henceforth exclusively part of the high priestly garb. This change in the role of the ephod represents the only discernible path of “evolution” in the use of ephod in the Hebrew Bible. One can only speculate about its possible earlier uses, such as garment put on statues of deities, based on the suggested (Akkadian, Ugaritic; cf. Isa 30:22) etymology of the word. https://czasopisma.kul.pl/index.php/vv/article/view/17263
spellingShingle Janusz Lemański
Ephod – What Was It and What Was Its Use? A Question About the Potential Way Forward in the Development of Its Role in the Old Testament Texts
Verbum Vitae
title Ephod – What Was It and What Was Its Use? A Question About the Potential Way Forward in the Development of Its Role in the Old Testament Texts
title_full Ephod – What Was It and What Was Its Use? A Question About the Potential Way Forward in the Development of Its Role in the Old Testament Texts
title_fullStr Ephod – What Was It and What Was Its Use? A Question About the Potential Way Forward in the Development of Its Role in the Old Testament Texts
title_full_unstemmed Ephod – What Was It and What Was Its Use? A Question About the Potential Way Forward in the Development of Its Role in the Old Testament Texts
title_short Ephod – What Was It and What Was Its Use? A Question About the Potential Way Forward in the Development of Its Role in the Old Testament Texts
title_sort ephod what was it and what was its use a question about the potential way forward in the development of its role in the old testament texts
url https://czasopisma.kul.pl/index.php/vv/article/view/17263
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