Exile within the Homeland

The term glh refers to the expulsion or migration of people from their land. The land of refuge is called galut. The use of this term reflects the people’s perception that they are removed from their homeland. Though these are simple observations they do not reveal a full theological outlook that can be found in various biblical texts. I propose to demonstrate the idea that even people who remained in the Land still felt in exile. The concept of exile in many biblical passages refers to a situation of a break in the covenantal relationship between God and the people. The exile of the people was a result of this unstable relationship. Thus people who remained in the Land, felt in exile as well, because they believed that God rejected them. The question of exile, depends less on the place of residence than their perception of the covenantal relationship with God. This idea will be explored within texts that were written in the exilic period by or for the Judean community that continued to reside in Judaea.