Deconstruction Of Signs In Tobit's Story: Umberto Eco's Semiotic Perspective

Abstract

The Book of Tobit is one part of the book of Deuteronocanics, which is a book recognized by the Catholic and Orthodox churches, which tells the story of the life of the Jewish people in the context of exile, with elements of faith, suffering, and restoration as the center of the narrative. The story blends historical and spiritual dimensions with a variety of symbols, making it a rich source for semiotic analysis. The interest in Tobit's book in this study was driven by efforts to uncover hidden meanings in religious texts that are loaded with cultural codes and symbols of collective faith in diaspora situations. The problem lies in how the signs that appear, whether in the form of social actions, rhetorical symbols, or cultural narratives, can function as an ideological and spiritual communication tool. This study uses a descriptive-qualitative approach with narrative study techniques, and applies Umberto Eco's semiotic theory. The results of the study show that symbols such as charity, burial of the dead, marriage counsel, and the prayers of figures in Tobit contain an ideological dimension that affirms the identity of the Jewish community, as well as a form of resistance to the domination of foreign cultures. Cultural codes demonstrate efforts to maintain the integrity of ethno- religious identity through everyday actions rooted in ancestral laws and values, while rhetoric is used to build the legitimacy of figures, influence readers' responses, and reinforce the message of faith in the context of socio-political pressures. These findings broaden the scope of the application of Umberto Eco's theory, from popular cultural texts to religious domains, and open up space for interdisciplinary studies between theology, semiotics, and cultural studies.