Nadav Na’aman, «Jebusites and Jabeshites in the Saul and David Story-Cycles», Vol. 95 (2014) 481-497
This article re-examines the historical role of the Jebusites in the early monarchical period. The Jebusites, whose name is derived from the verb YBŚ («to be dry»), were a West Semitic pastoral clan that split into two segments, one settling in western Gilead and the other around Jerusalem. The two segments kept their tribal solidarity, as indicated by Saul’s campaign to rescue Jabesh-gilead. The Jebusite stronghold was one of Saul’s power bases, and David took it over. The biased description of David’s conquest influenced the way the Jebusites were presented in the late (Deuteronomistic) biblical historiography and in Israelite cultural memory.
001_naman_481-497 19/02/15 10:42 Pagina 484
484 NADAV NA’AMAN
elements in order to convey their messages to the readers do not in-
dicate whether these elements are historical or fictive. Only detailed
examination of each element can decide this matter.
The Amorite personal name Yabi/us/šum was derived from the
verb YBŚ (“to be dry”) 14. One of the clans (gâyu) of the Ḫanum
that lived in Upper Mesopotamia in the 17th century BCE was called
Yabisa/Yabasa/Yabusu 15. Hence, the gentilic name Jebusite (yswby)
might also be derived from this verb (for further discussion see
below) 16. Needless to say, no direct historical continuity exists be-
tween the Middle Bronze Age clan that lived in Upper Meso-
potamia and the early Iron Age clan that settled in the Jerusalem
region. But the sharing of names indicates that both were West Se-
mitic, possibly with a distinct tribal identity.
The account of David’s conquest of the stronghold of Zion
(!wyc tdcm) (2 Sam 5,7) reveals this site’s status as the Jebusites’ main
centre. The phenomenon of a clan or tribe centered on a strong-
hold in which the tribal leader and elite might (temporarily or
permanently) take their seat is known from the anthropological
research 17. Similar mountain strongholds are known in Edom 18
and in the ancient Near Eastern documents 19. The stronghold of
Zion might have been the centre of the clan, while most of its mem-
bers lived in the neighbouring region.
14
I.J. GELB, Computer-Aided Analysis of Amorite (Chicago, IL 1980) 21.
15
P. ABRAHAMI, “Yabisa / Yabasa / Yabusu”, Nouvelles Assyriologiques
Brèves et Utilitaires 29 (1992) 25-26, with earlier literature.
16
MENDENHALL, Tenth Generation, 145.
17
M.B. ROWTON, “Dimorphic Structure and the Tribal Elite”, Al-Bahit.
Festschrift Joseph Henninger (Studia Institute Anthropos 28; St. Augustin
1976) 222-230; ID., “Dimorphic Structure and the Parasocial Element”, JNES
36 (1977) 181-198.
18
M. LINDNER – E.A. KNAUF, “Between the Plateau and the Rocks:
Edomite Economic and Social Structure”, Studies in the History and Archae-
ology of Jordan VI (Amman 1997) 261-264, with earlier literature; M. LIND-
NER – J. ZANGENBERG, “‘Die ihr Nest zwischen den Sternen Bauen ...’. Zu
den edomitischen Bergfestungen im Süden Jordaniens”, Vielseitigkeit des
Alten Testaments. Festschrift für Georg Sauer zum 70. Geburtstag (eds. J.A.
LOADER – H.V. KIEWELER) (Frankfurt 1999) 281-316.
19
N. NA’AMAN, “David’s Stronghold and Samson’s Rock of Etam”, Let
us Go up to Zion. Essays in Honour of H. G. M. Williamson on the Occasion
of his Sixty-Fifth Birthday (eds. I. PROVAN – M. BODA) (VTS 153; Leiden –
Boston, MA 2012) 431-440, esp. 434-435, with earlier literature.
FOLLOW US