Reading Ruth allegorically : an intertextual, and Canonical analysis

Abstract

Many ancient, medieval, and modern interpreters have proposed allegorical readings of the book of Ruth. In recent decades, some scholars have advocated such a reading based on evidence of intertextuality. This thesis agrees with these propositions and further argues that an allegorical reading is warranted according to innertextual evidence, which has not received much attention in the modern academic literature on this subject. Accordingly, there is a need for a comprehensive study of both inner- and inter-textuality in the book of Ruth and its function in the formulation of an allegorical reading. The fundamental question being asked is as follows: Does the narrator’s use of internal literary features (inclusio and ambiguity), of intertexts, and the context of canon, support previous conclusions that Ruth may be read as an allegory? In this thesis, I answer this question in the affirmative with the following conclusions: Naomi represents Israel through parallel experiences: she is a widow bereaved of her children, restless, hopeless, judged by the “hand of Yhwh”, bitter, lonely, and afflicted; Ruth represents the nations by being a foreigner who forsakes everything to join the Bethlehemite covenant community and bears a son unto Naomi; Boaz represents Yhwh by performing God-acts, using God-speech, being the recipient of divine-human gestures, and being one who redeems, marries, and restores. Through inner- and inter-textuality, and ambiguity, the narrator has composed a masterful story that summarizes Israel’s history and hopes for the future. In this sense, it could be argued that Ruth is a prophetic narrative. Also included in this thesis is my translation of Hebrew Ruth and the Masorah Parva and Masorah Magna preserved in the Leningrad Codex. This includes footnotes informing readers of variations in the ancient versions (Greek, Latin, Syriac) and the different Ketiv/Qere readings. This translation is unique in that it makes readers aware of the various textual possibilities and does not attempt to reduce textual complexities which often enhance allegorical readings.