Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Faculty Publications 2016 The Role and Functions of the Biblical Genealogies Paul Ray Andrews University,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/pubs Part of the Biblical Studies Commons Recommended Citation Ray, Paul, "The Role and Functions of the Biblical Genealogies" (2016). Faculty Publications. 192. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/pubs/192 This Contribution to Book is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. 2 The Role and Functions of the Biblical Genealogies Paul J. Ray, Jr. Introduction nterest in the biblical genealogies was cultivated as early as the post- exilic period. The authors of the various Apocryphal (Tob 1:1–2), I Pseudepigraphal (Jubilees 4:1–33), NT (Matt 1:1–17), and Rabbinic writings (b. Pes 62b) produced at that time considered this type of literature to be historically accurate. This was the dominant position until the latter half of the nineteenth century when serious doubts were raised concerning the use of this material for writing history. Ancient Near Eastern parallels to the early parts of Genesis led scholars to suspect that their biblical counterparts might have been extracted from these early legends and myths. It was also discovered through ethnographical data, that tribal societies, like ancient Israel, 1 used genealogies to express political and social relationships between families, and 1 For the latest critique on tribalism, see Piotr Bienkowski, “‘Tribalism’ and ‘Segmentary Society’ in Iron Age Transjordan,” in Studies on Iron Age Moab and Neighbouring Areas in Honour of Michèle Daviau , ed.