Research Frontier Prospectus

Eng Erasmus Gass, "A possible scenario for the third deportation"

Research Frontier Prospectus: New Horizons for the History of Late Monarchic Judah After Erasmus Gass

Executive Summary

Erasmus Gass’s 2023 study, by leveraging new archaeological evidence from the Apries' Stele, has successfully overturned the dominant paradigm for the cause of the third deportation. His ‘possible scenario,’ however, is not the final word but rather a new starting point for historical reconstruction and biblical interpretation. This prospectus identifies three core gaps left by Gass’s research—(1) the absence of direct evidence for a Judean rebellion, (2) the unextended application of his successful methodology, and (3) a lack of theological-ethical engagement—to propose three actionable blue-ocean research topics. The most promising direction lies in integrating his historical findings with postcolonial and non-Western theological interpretations, transforming the dynamics of empire and resistance from a simple object of historical reconstruction into a resource for theological reflection. This would bring balance to the Western-centric academic ecosystem and build a new bridge for exploring the contemporary meaning of ancient texts.

I. Synthetic Analysis: Strategic Research Gaps

The preceding Critical Review (CR-001) and Ecosystem Analysis (EA-001) reports revealed both the strengths and the clear limitations of Gass’s research. This prospectus synthesizes those signals to identify the following three strategic research gaps.

  1. The Inferential Gap: The critical review maintained the conclusion strength of Gass’s thesis at ‘Probable.’ The reason is the absence of a direct archaeological or textual link between Apries’ campaign (583/2 BCE) and a Judean rebellion. The search for empirical evidence to bridge this ‘inferential gap’ is the most urgent and important research task.

  2. The Methodological Silo: Gass demonstrated a powerful and successful methodology by combining textual criticism with external archaeological evidence to resolve a long-standing puzzle. However, this potent model is currently applied only to the singular problem of the third deportation. Research that expands the application of this successful model to other historical ‘cold cases’ in the Bible has not yet been attempted.

  3. The Hermeneutical Vacuum & Bibliographic Imbalance: The ecosystem analysis clearly showed that Gass’s research is heavily reliant on the German-Anglophone historical-critical academy and is completely disconnected from opposing theological traditions (e.g., evangelicalism) or non-Western interpretive perspectives (e.g., from Asia or Africa). His research answered the question, ‘What happened?’ but left a vacuum concerning the question, ‘What does it mean theologically?’ The themes of imperialism and forced migration are particularly rich resources for postcolonial critique, yet this dialogue has not taken place.

Balance Recommendation: Interdisciplinary research that connects the findings of historical criticism with theological interpretation, especially postcolonial and non-Western perspectives, is urgently needed.

II. Blue Ocean Research Proposals (3)

  • Research Question: Can direct archaeological or philological evidence be found to support Gass’s scenario, specifically evidence pointing to political instability or destruction in the region of Judah around 583/2 BCE?

  • Rationale: A direct attempt to resolve the most significant weakness in Gass’s research: the ‘inferential gap.’

  • Methodology:

    • (Primary) Re-analysis of strata from the early Babylonian period (Iron II C) in Jerusalem’s periphery and southern Judah, with a focus on destruction layers or abrupt changes in settlement patterns.

    • (Secondary) A chronological reassessment of anti-Egyptian or anti-Babylonian rhetoric in contemporary prophetic texts (especially Ezekiel) to determine if it reflects the political tensions of 583/2 BCE.

  • Contribution: Provides an empirical foundation that could elevate Gass’s hypothesis from ‘Probable’ to the status of ‘Confirmed.’

  • Required Data: Final excavation reports (Lachish, Arad, etc.), the text of Ezekiel, contemporary seals and epigraphic material.

  • Challenges: The difficulty of dating destruction layers to a specific year or two; the problem of proving that political rhetoric in a text directly reflects a specific historical event.

  • Preliminary Bibliography: Oded Lipschits, The Fall and Rise of Jerusalem; Israel Finkelstein, The Forgotten Kingdom; Daniel Bodi, The Book of Ezekiel and the Poem of Erra.

  • Momentum Signal: Rising (Gass’s research has posed a new question, creating high demand for subsequent empirical verification).

  • 3/5-Year Outlook: A paper re-analyzing relevant archaeological data could appear within 3 years. If new field evidence supporting or refuting the hypothesis is reported within 5 years, a significant revision to the historiography of the late Babylonian period will be unavoidable.

  • Target Venues: BASOR, Tel Aviv, IEJ.

  • Input Support: CR-001 (identification of the inferential gap).

  • Research Question: If Gass's methodology of 'reconstructing biblical narrative through archaeological discovery' is applied to the relationship between Jehu's revolution (2 Kgs 9-10) and the Tel Dan Stele, what new historical scenario might emerge?

  • Rationale: An attempt to expand the validity of Gass’s successful methodology by applying it to another historical puzzle.

  • Methodology:

    • (Primary) A detailed cross-examination of the biblical narrative of Jehu’s revolution and the Aramean royal perspective presented in the Tel Dan Stele. Isolate the theological bias of the biblical narrative and the political propaganda of the stele to reconstruct a third historical scenario.

    • (Secondary) Reference contemporary Assyrian sources to reinterpret Jehu’s rise to power not as an internal religious revolution but as the outcome of a geopolitical proxy war between Aram and Assyria.

  • Contribution: A methodological innovation in biblical studies and a potential new breakthrough in the study of the history of the Northern Kingdom.

  • Required Data: The text of 1-2 Kings, the Tel Dan Stele inscription, Assyrian annals such as the Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III.

  • Challenges: The fragmentary nature of the Tel Dan Stele and the difficulty of moving beyond the existing debates over its interpretation to offer new insights.

  • Preliminary Bibliography: Nadav Na'aman, Ancient Israel and Its Neighbors; André Lemaire, "The Tel Dan Stela as a Piece of Royal Historiography"; K. L. Noll, Canaan and Israel in Antiquity.

  • Momentum Signal: Stable (The topic is classic, but new methodological approaches are always in demand).

  • 3/5-Year Outlook: A paper attempting a geopolitical reinterpretation of Jehu’s revolution could be published within 3 years. Within 5 years, this methodology could be applied to studies of the historicity of other biblical figures (e.g., David, Hezekiah).

  • Target Venues: VT, JBL, ZAW.

  • Input Support: SAR-001, CR-001 (analysis of the successful structure of Gass’s methodology).

  • Research Question: When the ‘history of a failed resistance against empire,’ as reconstructed by Gass, is read from a postcolonial and non-Western (specifically Korean) theological perspective, how can the prophecies of Jeremiah (especially his pro-Babylonian messages) be reinterpreted?

  • Rationale: A direct attempt to address the largest gaps in Gass's research: the lack of theological-ethical engagement and the bibliographic imbalance.

  • Methodology:

    • (Primary) Assuming Gass’s historical scenario as a premise, reinterpret Jeremiah’s pro-Babylonian messages not as simple divine revelation but as a ‘subaltern survival strategy’ or a form of ‘pragmatic resistance’ in the face of overwhelming imperial power.

    • (Secondary) Employ the interpretive frameworks of Korean Minjung theology or African contextual theologies, which have experienced imperialism and colonial rule, to explore the theological implications of Judah’s failed resistance for politically marginalized communities today.

  • Contribution: Presents a new model of interdisciplinary research that connects the findings of historical criticism with modern theology (especially non-Western).

  • Required Data: The text of Jeremiah, Gass’s article, Edward Said, Orientalism; R. S. Sugirtharajah, The Bible and the Third World; Suh Nam-dong, A Study of Minjung Theology.

  • Ethical Considerations: Guard against anachronism when bringing the violence of an ancient empire into modern theological discourse, and maintain sufficient respect for the historical context.

  • Preliminary Bibliography: Walter Brueggemann, A Commentary on Jeremiah: Exile and Homecoming; Gale A. Yee, Poor Banished Children of Eve; Moon Ik-hwan, History of the Hebrew People.

  • Momentum Signal: Rising (The integration of historical criticism with theology, and the dialogue between Western and non-Western scholarship, are among the most important trends in contemporary theology).

  • 3/5-Year Outlook: A panel on this topic could be organized at a major international conference within 3 years. An influential monograph combining historical criticism and postcolonial theology could be published within 5 years.

  • Target Venues: Biblical Interpretation, Theological Studies, Theological Thought (신학사상).

  • Input Support: EA-001 (bibliographic imbalance, absence of non-Western perspectives), PD-001 (theological-hermeneutical vacuum).

III. Data-Driven New Hypotheses

  1. Hypothesis (Archaeology): The archaeological strata of major Judean cities (e.g., Lachish, Arad) from the early 6th century BCE will reveal a layer of minor instability or destruction (ca. 583 BCE) that precedes the major destruction layer of 587/6 BCE.

  2. Hypothesis (Philology): The critical prophecies against Egypt in the book of Ezekiel (Ezek 29-32) can be chronologically repositioned as a pragmatic response within the Babylonian exile community to the geopolitical events of Apries’ military campaign in 583/2 BCE.

  3. Hypothesis (Hermeneutics): When Jeremiah’s message urging surrender (e.g., Jer 38:17-18) is reinterpreted in Gass’s historical context, it can be re-evaluated not as ‘theological submission’ to empire but as ‘political realism’ intended to preserve the community from a futile and self-destructive resistance.

IV. Research Roadmap (Example: Proposal 1)

  • Objective: Preliminary feasibility study of the ‘Judah’s Last Stand’ hypothesis.

  • Phase 1 (1 month): Data Acquisition and Analysis. Acquire final excavation reports from key Judean sites (Lachish, Arad, En-Gedi, etc.) to re-examine the dating data and interpretations of destruction evidence in the early Babylonian strata.

  • Phase 2 (1 month): Philological Cross-Validation. Re-analyze the chronological data and prophetic content of the Book of Ezekiel to explore textual clues that could be linked to the geopolitical events of 583/2 BCE.

  • Phase 3 (1 month): Preliminary Report. Synthesize archaeological and philological evidence into a conference paper draft with a preliminary conclusion that either supports or refutes Gass’s scenario, and propose the need for further field investigation.

Audit Trail

  • Input Reports: CR-001, SAR-001, CA-001, PD-001, RH-001, EA-001.

  • Referenced Libraries: journal_reference_library_v2.4.json.md.

  • Synthesis Logic: This prospectus is structured around three axes: (1) a direct follow-up study to bridge the ‘inferential gap’ identified in CR-001; (2) an expansion study that replicates the ‘successful methodology’ analyzed in SAR-001; and (3) an integrative study that fills the ‘bibliographic/theological vacuum’ commonly identified in EA-001 and PD-001.

  • Qualitative Confidence: Strong (Based on multiple in-depth analysis reports that have met v8 compliance, allowing for the cross-validation of gaps and opportunities).

This document is for Prospecting purposes only. It proposes new research by reconfiguring the conclusions and evidence from the input evaluation reports and does not re-analyze primary sources or use scores or figures. It does not pass final value judgment on any specific text.

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#ResearchProspectus #BlueOcean #BabylonianPeriod #Archaeology #PostcolonialTheology #Methodology #Ezekiel

This report was generated by the MSN AI Theological Review System (v8.0).