God in times of destruction and exiles: Theology and ideology in the prophetical literature and in the poetry of the first half of the sixth century BCE

The study poses the question: "What was said about God?" in view of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Kingdom of Judah during the first half of the sixth century BCE. The answers to this question are examined through searching the issues that occupied religious thinking, with special attention to the variety of perceptions voiced both overtly and covertly by different speakers. The selected corpus comprises of the books of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Lamentations and selected Psalms (9--10, 42--43, 44, 74, 77, 79, 80, 89, 90, 94, 102, 103, 106, 123, 137).;The dissertation consists of three chapters. The first presents Descriptive Theology as the methodology underlying the research. The multi-faceted nature of the sources and their ad hoc testimony appear mainly through controversies in which the prophets often quote their contemporaries. The non-prophetical concepts parallel perspectives embedded in the laments found in sources from the poetry. Thus methodological considerations in identifying and evaluating the variety of religious positions is suggested.;The second chapter deals with the actual conceptions of God according to the anthropomorphic metaphor of God as King. This metaphor serves as the common denominator for the description of God in all the sources. Accordingly, God fulfils three major functions of Sovereign---Ruler, Warrior and Judge, and these serve as the scaffold for the discussion. The anthropomorphic metaphor also serves the discussion of the status of God as the national deity. The relationship between God and His people during the crisis is described in its two distinct appearances, as a covenant or as a Divine providence (presence and involvement).;The third chapter constitutes the conclusions. It features the mosaic of the numerous tenets of religious thought juxtaposing the varied ways of Theodicy. The wide range of views indicate agreement and controversy, yet the vital theological discussion was a polemic among equals, setting out from the same theological viewpoint---the conception of God as King. The devotion to God was constantly the source of dilemma to prophets, poets, kings and people. They endeavored each in his own way, to justify God when historical reality was undermining the foundations of religious belief.