Friend or Foe? The Figure of Babylon in the Book of Jeremiah MT

This work presents a literary interpretation of Babylon in the book of Jeremiah MT. It moves beyond historical-critical approaches and shows that metaphor is central to a synchronic reading of the book. The study shows that Babylon is a multi-layered metaphor: at one level it is the archetypal enemy of both Judah and its God; at another layer it is metaphorically identified with Judah. The study also explores the idea of the unended exile, and shows how this idea, so central to post-exilic Judaism, is also found in the book of Jeremiah MT.