The “Iconographic-Biblical” Approach

The iconographic-biblical approach “employs iconography for the express purpose of interpreting the Bible’s literary imagery and figurative language, especially metaphors” (LeMon, “Iconographic Approaches,” 150). This approach begins with a biblical text, metaphor, theme, or word-image and discusses iconographic contributions to its interpretation. The iconographic contributions typically begin with the archaeological record of Israel/Palestine, and expand to similar imagery in the ancient Near East (de Hulster, “Illuminating Images,” 146). An example of text as a starting point is Keel’s commentary on the Song of Songs, where Keel offers an iconographic focus on literary images found in the text. An example of biblical metaphor as a starting point is Klingbeil’s study Yahweh Fighting from Heaven, which begins with biblical metaphors such as God as warrior, king, rock, and judge, and discusses iconography that sheds light on them. De Hulster offers Brent Strawn’s study on leonine imagery as an example of starting with a biblical theme, bringing that literary theme into conversation with iconography concerning the lion in its Israelite and ancient Near Eastern context, and its potential as a window into the religious conceptual world behind the biblical text (de Hulster, “Illuminating Images,” 147). “Word-image” as a starting point (distinct from themes and metaphors) could include studies on less explicitly religious images like captives, military tactics, or architecture that exist in both the biblical text and on ancient Near Eastern artifacts.