Exile, Incorporated

In Exile, Incorporated, author Rosanne Liebermann argues that the biblical book of Ezekiel makes rhetorical use of the human body to construct a specific in-group identity for its ancient Judean audience--namely Judeans who experienced forced migration to Babylon in the sixth century BCE. As Liebermann shows, Ezekiel encourages certain bodily practices within this group that identifies them as "true" Judeans, while also evoking feelings of disgust regarding the bodies of those who do not conduct such practices. In this way, Ezekiel encouraged an isolationist Judean identity that could survive displacement from the homeland.