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THE WALL AS METAPHOR IN BIBLICAL ANTHROPOLOGY: BETWEEN ORDER, IDENTITY, AND COMMUNION
Abstract
This study investigates the metaphor of the wall in the Hebrew Bible as a complex theological and anthropological symbol, deeply rooted in the cultural framework of the ancient Near East. Walls are not merely defensive structures, but markers of sacred space, social identity, moral boundaries, and divine presence. Drawing on key biblical texts such as Joshua 6, Nehemiah 2-6, Isaiah 26, Ezekiel 13, and Zechariah 2, the paper explores how walls function both as instruments of divine protection and as expressions of judgment, exclusion, and false security. Particular attention is given to the dialectic between physical and spiritual walls, culminating in the prophetic promise of inner transformation (Ezekiel 36:26) and eschatological communion (Rev 21). The metaphor is also examined through the lens of Orthodox Christian experience, especially during the communist persecution in Romania, where prison walls paradoxically became spaces of spiritual resistance and divine encounter. By integrating biblical exegesis, theological symbolism, and anthropological categories, such as liminality, sacred/profane space, and social cohesion, this study argues that the wall metaphor articulates a foundational vision of the human condition in relation to God, community, and the sacred order. Ultimately, it shows that the fall, rebuilding, and spiritualization of walls constitute a narrative arc of judgment, repentance, and restored communion in biblical anthropology.
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References10
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