From Mere Precious Metal to Divine Weapon: The Despoliation Motif and the Fate of the Temple Vessels

Abstract: This study examines the transformation of the motif of the despoliation of the temple vessels in the Hebrew Bible. Opening with a comparison between 2 Kgs 24:13 and 2 Kgs 25:13–17, I proceed to analyze the representation of the fate of the vessels in the books of Chronicles, Jeremiah, Ezra, and Daniel. As suggested by Peter R. Ackroyd, the cultic vessels emerged as a “continuity theme” in the exilic and postexilic literature. In this article, I explore how this literary phenomenon triggered changes in the perception and depiction of the despoliation(s) of the temple vessels at the hands of the Babylonians. These changes paved the way for what was initially portrayed as mere precious metal to become a token of continuity, and, in a surprising twist, God’s “secret weapon” in the land of Judah’s exile.