Migrants, Identity, And Body Modification In Biblical And Ancient Near Eastern Media
Migrants, Identity, And Body Modification In Biblical And Ancient Near Eastern Media

Author(s): Eric Trinka
Subject(s): Politics and religion, Migration Studies, Sociology of Religion, Politics and Identity, Identity of Collectives
Published by: Transnational Press London
Keywords: Assimilation; acculturation; body modification; ancient Near East; genesis;
Summary/Abstract: This chapter explores human mobility, migration, and body modification as presented in ancient Near Eastern literature and art. More specifically, it gives an account of a particular set of literary responses to processes of identity negotiation and acculturation in the wake of different instances of migration in the ancient Levant. The primary case study for this exploration is the biblical account of Joseph, a young Hebrew who is sold into slavery but rises to unimaginable success in the land of Egypt. The intent of this chapter, within the context of this larger project on migration and media, is to demonstrate how the story of Joseph, as a stylized literary depiction of a forced migrant, can be understood in relationship with other forms of stylized media regarding mobility, migration, and body-modification in the ancient Near East.

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