Oedipus in midian: Analyzing ancient Israel

Abstract

This study tests the existence of the Oedipus complex in ancient Israel by examining biblical texts. We find in various passages two key themes associated with Freud's theory: father-son competition for a mother's affection and a man's fear of castration. The most striking case is Exodus 4:24-26. In the manner of an initiation or a dream, the episode of the "Bridegroom of Bloodshed" clearly articulates the anxieties of the Oedipus complex. Exodus 4:24-26 is analyzed through two psychological-anthropological creative writing exercises: first as an ethnographer's description of an Israelite initiation ritual, then as a mock dream analysis by Freud.