Foreign Bodies

Abstract

Abstract The book of Ezekiel rhetorically attacks the bodily practices and bodies of foreigners, especially Egyptians, Assyrians, and Babylonians, demonstrating how they are fundamentally different from those of the Judean in-group. This includes imaginative descriptions of foreign corpses that are unclean and contaminating by virtue of being uncircumcised (Ezekiel 28; 31–32) as well as of Egypt possessing a variety of monstrous bodies (Ezekiel 23; 29; 32). These portrayals evoke disgust and encourage Judean separation from foreign people groups, which in turn supports the notion that these groups are biologically distinct ethnicities. When it comes to the Mesopotamian nations, the book of Ezekiel emphasizes their colonial power and foreign religious practices via descriptions of their dress and military accoutrements (especially Ezekiel 23). In doing so, it also discourages Judean contact with these groups by reminding its audience of how their country’s resources have been abused by the imperial powers.