Historical Narrativity in the Song of the Sea (Exodus 15:1–18) and the Throneroom Reliefs of Ashurnasirpal II

The Song of the Sea (Exodus 15:1–18) features episodic narrative (re-)tellings of the exodus (and eisodus) events (e. g., 15:4–5, 8–10, 12–17) as a means of praising Yhwh for Israel's deliverance at the Reed Sea. Over against the preceding prose account (Exodus 14), the Song's narrativity is unique and recounts Yhwh's salvific deeds through its own lyrical means. Many have acknowledged these narrative features and accounted for their details in terms of the Song's poetic genre: they explain (away) the poem's distinct »telling« of the exodus/eisodus events, especially as it contrasts with the prose account, with recourse to lyric's typical features, particularly exaggeration, allusion, or brevity. The present essay critically examines the Song's use of narrativity as a constitutive device of its meaning with recourse to ancient Near Eastern iconography – specifically, the throneroom reliefs of Ashurnasirpal II at Nimrud. The essay begins with an analysis of historical narrativity within the Song before addressing the use of the same in the artistic program of Ashurnasirpal's throneroom. The throneroom's combination of historical and »iconic« scenes, its symmetrical arrangements, and its ingenious staging of the king's image vis-à-vis the enthroned king himself (among other features) provide an informative lens by which to evaluate the poetic and theological significance of narrativity in the Song.