DOCSLIB.ORG

The Roles of Moses in the Pentateuch 19 the Roles of Moses in The

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Roles of Moses in the Pentateuch 19 the Roles of Moses in The the roles of moses in the pentateuch 19 The Roles of Moses in The PenTaTeuch Robert D. Miller II in four of the five books of the Torah or Pentateuch, from the book of exo- dus through the book of Deuteronomy, the figure of Moses looms large. admittedly, only fourteen of the 167 chapters of the Pentateuch deal pri- marily with the story of his life, but post-biblical tradition has expanded the significance of the “great man.”1 While a closer look reveals that Moses is not always spoken of in the same fashion in all of the Pentateuch,2 much scholarship of the past two centuries has been a quest for the historical Moses. This essay begins with an overview of this quest and its shortcom- ings. Then, using theoretical paradigms from the anthropological study of folklore and myth, the major roles Moses plays in the Pentateuch are tied to three proposed communities of authorship that were responsible for the Pentateuch’s Moses. Traditions: History and Moses one of the most important and influential works in the quest for the his- torical Moses was that of Martin noth.3 noth observed that Moses is in- frequently mentioned outside of the Pentateuch.4 in the pre-exilic prophets, he appears only in Jeremiah 15:1. in later prophets, he is only in isaiah 63:11-12 and the late addition in Micah 6:4. in other narrative mate- rial, Moses appears six times in the Deuteronomistic history: Joshua 9:24; Judges 1:16; 4:11; 1 samuel 12:6-8; 1 Kings 8:53; and 2 Kings 18:4. only the first two of these and the last one are independent of the Pentateuchal tradi- tions. Thus, outside of influences emanating from the Pentateuch, Moses is negligible. 1 Brian Britt, “The Moses Myth, Beyond Biblical history,” Bible and Interpretation (July 2004), http://www.bibleinterp.com/articles/Britt-Moses_Myth.htm. 2 Walter Vogels, Moïse aux Multiple Visages (Montreal: les Éditions Médiaspaul, 1997), 61. 3 Martin noth, A History of Pentateuchal Traditions (englewood cliffs, n. J.: Prentice- hall, 1972), 1-7, 65-71, 136-41, 156-88. 4 noth, History, 156. 20 robert d. miller ii noth concluded that Moses did not achieve his centrality until the elaboration and compilation of the Pentateuch. Within the Pentateuch, noth considered that the figure of Moses was actually at home in only one of the various main themes of the Pentateuch, “from which only subse- quently, in the process of the merging of the Pentateuchal themes, he came to dominate such a wide narrative sphere.”5 The quest then became to find “which of the Pentateuchal themes was Moses’ true traditio-historical place of origin.”6 noth argued that the connection of Moses was weakest in the case of the theme of the revelation at sinai.7 “The same holds true also for the theme ‘guidance out of egypt.’”8 The commemoration of the exodus in Deuteuronomy 6:12 and 8:14, for example, omits Moses altogether.9 Moses is also missing from the song of the sea in exodus 15.10 This left the wilder- ness wanderings and the guidance to the Promised land, and noth con- sidered stopping at this.11 Yet he proceeded, asking which element of the wilderness theme was original.12 What seemed hardest to explain as a later invention was the tradition of Moses’ marriage to a Midianite and the connection with meeting Midianites at the “mountain of God.”13 This ele- ment could not be derived from other elements in the Pentateuch. it was difficult to see why an author would have invented it, especially given the animosity towards Midianites in the biblical tradition (e.g., Judg. 6-7).14 finally, the tradition occurs in three independent cases: exodus; numbers 12:1; Judges 1:16; and Judges 4:11. noth decided it was “an historical fact” and that Moses, an israelite leader on a journey to the Mountain of God, had married a Midianite.15 noth, however, immediately retracted and decided it was doubtful this was the original element of the Moses tradition. instead, he came “finally to the tradition of the grave of Moses as the most original element of the 5 noth, History, 156. 6 noth, History, 159. 7 noth, History, 161-62. 8 noth, History, 162-63. 9 h. Zlotnick-sivan, “Moses the Persian?” Zeitschrift für Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 116 (2004): 190. 10 George W. coats, Moses: Heroic Man, Man of God, Journal for the study of the old Testament supplement 57 (sheffield: JsoT Press, 1988): 162. 11 noth, History, 163. 12 noth, History, 166. 13 noth, History, 168. 14 Roland de Vaux, The Early History of Israel (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1978), 330. 15 noth, History, 168..
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Three Conquests of Canaan
    ÅA Wars in the Middle East are almost an every day part of Eero Junkkaala:of Three Canaan Conquests our lives, and undeniably the history of war in this area is very long indeed. This study examines three such wars, all of which were directed against the Land of Canaan. Two campaigns were conducted by Egyptian Pharaohs and one by the Israelites. The question considered being Eero Junkkaala whether or not these wars really took place. This study gives one methodological viewpoint to answer this ques- tion. The author studies the archaeology of all the geo- Three Conquests of Canaan graphical sites mentioned in the lists of Thutmosis III and A Comparative Study of Two Egyptian Military Campaigns and Shishak and compares them with the cities mentioned in Joshua 10-12 in the Light of Recent Archaeological Evidence the Conquest stories in the Book of Joshua. Altogether 116 sites were studied, and the com- parison between the texts and the archaeological results offered a possibility of establishing whether the cities mentioned, in the sources in question, were inhabited, and, furthermore, might have been destroyed during the time of the Pharaohs and the biblical settlement pe- riod. Despite the nature of the two written sources being so very different it was possible to make a comparative study. This study gives a fresh view on the fierce discus- sion concerning the emergence of the Israelites. It also challenges both Egyptological and biblical studies to use the written texts and the archaeological material togeth- er so that they are not so separated from each other, as is often the case.
    [Show full text]
  • THE BOOK of JUDGES DATING and MEANING Yairah Amit Tel Aviv
    THE BOOK OF JUDGES DATING AND MEANING Yairah Amit Tel Aviv University I. Introduction Dating any biblical book is a complex task, involving assumptions by now axiomatic in research or at least enjoying widespread recognition. Th e assumptions underlying my research are as follows: 1. Th e early book of Deuteronomy and the subsequent Deuterono- mistic school that edited the historiography according to its ide- ology emerged in the second half of the 7th century B.C.E. Th e activities of this school continued even in the post-Exilic era.1 2. Historiographic materials in the Bible written aft er the Deute- ronomistic school coalesced, and dealing with the same periods and topics, are infl uenced by this school or argue against it, but are not indiff erent to it.2 3. In Judah outside the establishment, namely royal circles, temples, and schools for scribes, literacy spread in the second half of the 8th century B.C.E. and the ensuing periods.3 1 M. Weinfeld, Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomic School (Oxford, 1972), pp. 1–9. Weinfeld diff erentiates “the author of the book of Deuteronomy” from “the Deuteronomic redactor”, who could be “the Deuteronomist” (Dtr.), i.e., the editor of the historical books, or the editor of prose segments in the book of Jeremiah (ibid., p. 4, n. 1). I use “Deuteronomic” to describe the early edition of the book of Deuteronomy and “Deuteronomistic” for literary materials written under the infl uence of the earlier composition and including all the materials that the Deuteronomistic school edited. 2 See, for example, the books of Ezra-Nehemiah and Chronicles, and see below, p.
    [Show full text]
  • The Theory of the Deuteronomistic History and the Problem of the Book of Kings
    IN'IRODUCilON A HISTORY OF THE HISTORY: THE THEORY OF THE DEUTERONOMISTIC HISTORY AND THE PROBLEM OF THE BOOK OF KINGS The story of the theory of the Deuteronomistic History (DH)1 is itself a telling review (cf. Radjawane 1973; Weippert 1985). It begins with the great biblical scholar, Martin Noth, who established the theory of the DH in the field in the first half of a monograph published in 1943. That mono­ graph, with its inimitably German title, Oberlieferungsgeschichtliche Studien, has since become a classic in the study of the Hebrew Bible because it forever changed the way that scholars regard the "historical books" of the Bible. NOfH'S THEORY Noth proffered a new model in critical scholarship for the composition of biblical literature. Previously, scholars had tended to treat the Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings) either as the continued compila­ tion of the literary sources in the Pentateuch or as independent units which had passed through one or more Deuteronomistic redactions. This was par­ ticularly true of the book of Kings. Before the appearance of Noth's ground­ breaking monograph, the most widely held view of Kings was that it was compiled first before the exile of 586 B.C.E. and then revised during the exile (Nelson 1981:14-19; Provan 1988:8-11). Noth posited that the Former Prophets, with the book of Deuteronomy at their head, were originally a unified history of Israel written by a single, ex­ ilic author/compiler whom Noth named the Deuteronomist (Dtr). Besides the similarity of language throughout the Former Prophets, Noth pointed to the common chronology and ideology of these books as evidence of an individual hand.
    [Show full text]
  • Deuteronomy Mcmaster Divinity College Fall 2016
    Deuteronomy McMaster Divinity College Fall 2016 Course Designation OT 3XD3 Specializations Biblical Studies Pastoral Studies Doctor of Practical Theology students who wish to apply for this course as an Advanced Elective for their degree program must consult with the Program Director of the DPT and the course instructor in order to develop an Advanced Elective approach to the course that fulfills the specific elements required by the DPT program. Once the elements of the Advanced Elective have been agreed upon by the student, the Program Director, and the instructor, a formal application can be made for an Advanced Elective in connection with this course. Once the application is accepted, DPT students can proceed with the course as part of their degree program. August H. Konkel (Ph.D.), Professor of Old Testament [email protected]; 905 525 9140 x 23505 mcmasterdivinity.ca/faculty/core/august-h-konkel 1 Course Schedule Time: Tuesdays, 7:00 – 9:00PM Course begins Tuesday Sept. 13 Reading WeeK October 11 Final WeeK Tuesday December 13 Course Description The booK of Deuteronomy is a covenant renewal for the nation about to enter the Promised Land. It shares the form of ancient covenants, particularly Hittite treaties of the second millennium. Its emphasis is to love and fear God, the qualities required of covenant loyalty. Loyalty to the covenant is manifest in both human and divine relationships specified in the covenant stipulations. The requirements of Deuteronomy become the measure by which the Kings of Israel are evaluated. This course will examine all these aspects of the conclusion of the Torah.
    [Show full text]
  • The Deuteronomistic History and of Divine Statues in the Ancient Near East
    Durham E-Theses An Invincible Army?: Reading 1 Samuel 4-6 and 2 Samuel 6 as a Deuteronomistic Corrective to Exilic Misconceptions of the Ark WALKER, LOGAN,THOMAS How to cite: WALKER, LOGAN,THOMAS (2019) An Invincible Army?: Reading 1 Samuel 4-6 and 2 Samuel 6 as a Deuteronomistic Corrective to Exilic Misconceptions of the Ark, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/13430/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 An Invincible Army?: Reading 1 Samuel 4-6 and 2 Samuel 6 as a Deuteronomistic Corrective to Exilic Misconceptions of the Ark Logan Thomas Walker ABSTRACT The surprising nature of the events which surround the ark in 1 Samuel 4-6 and 2 Samuel 6 raises significant questions about the conflicting concepts of this central Israelite object.
    [Show full text]
  • The Current Discussion on the So-Called Deuteronomistic History: Literary Criticism and Theological Consequences1)
    The Current Discussion on the so-called Deuteronomistic History: Literary Criticism and Theological Consequences1) Thomas C. Römer The key position of the book of Deuteronomy The book of Deuteronomy holds a particular position in the Hebrew Bible in that the report of the death of Moses in Deut 34 brings the Pentateuch to an important conclusion. The last verses in Deut 34:10-12 mark a major break by stating that never again a prophet like Moses arose in Israel, a prophet whom Yhwh knew face to face. To a certain extent the Pentateuch, the Torah appears to be a vita Mosis, since Exodus 2 opens the narration with his birth and Deuteronomy 34 ends the narration with his death, whereas the stories of the patriarchs and matriarchs in Genesis function as an introduction. Nevertheless, Deuteronomy points forward, as much as it marks an end, towards the following books. 1) This article is based on a paper given at the Tokyo Union Theological Seminary on May 9th 2014 during a stay for teaching at the International Christian University, Tokyo. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Professor Johannes Unsok Ro for his kind invitation and hospitality and to the assistants for their invitation to publish this paper in the journal Humanities: Christianity and Culture. The following is a summary of my former research on the Deuteronomistic History, especially “The Form-Critical Problem of the So- Called Deuteronomistic History” in The Changing Face of Form Criticim for the Twenty-First Century (ed. Marvin A. Sweeney and Ehud Ben Zvi; Grand Rapids, Michigan - Cambridge, UK: Eerdmans, 2003), 240-252; The So-Called Deuteronomistic History: A Sociological, Historical and Literary Introduction (London - New York: T & T Clark - Continuum, 2005; Japanese translation: Thomas Römer, Shinmeiki-shisho: Kyuyaku-seisho Ni Okeru Rekishisyo No Seiritsu [Tokyo: The Board of Publications.
    [Show full text]
  • Within Hearing Distance? Recent Developments in Pentateuch and Chronicles Research
    Jonker, “Within Hearing Distance,” OTE 27/1 (2014): 123-146 123 Within Hearing Distance? Recent Developments in Pentateuch and Chronicles Research LOUIS JONKER , STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY ABSTRACT Biblical scholarship suffers from over–specialisation and over– compartmentalisation. For many decades Pentateuch studies as the “queen” of biblical scholarship have dominated the field, and required high levels of specialisation. Although not as dominant as Pentateuch studies, other areas in OT scholarship have also reverted into sub–guilds of scholars only talking to themselves. Recent devel- opments in Pentateuch studies and studies of Persian period litera- ture (such as Chronicles) have resulted into different sub–guilds coming within hearing distance from one another. This article pro- vides an overview of some of these developments. 1 A INTRODUCTION New focal points emerged in Pentateuch studies during the past decades. Par- ticularly two of these developments create interesting possibilities for interac- tion with other subfields in biblical scholarship. On the one hand, the extent of the literary work at the beginning of the HB has become a hotly–debated topic again. 2 The debates focus on whether one should assume a Pentateuch, Hexa- 1 This paper was compiled in preparation of the main paper which I delivered at the 2013 IOSOT meeting in Munich. In that paper, titled “From Paraleipomenon to Early Reader: Some Implications of Recent Chronicles Studies for Pentateuchal Criticism,” I argued that the book of Chronicles—as one of the earliest receptions of the Pen- tatech in whichever form—provides a useful cross–checking mechanism for recent Pentateuch theories. I illustrated this by discussing some case studies from Chronicles in order to show their implications for Pentateuch scholarship.
    [Show full text]
  • Pentateuch, Hexateuch, Or Enneateuch.Indd
    PENTATEUCH, HEXATEUCH, OR ENNEATEUCH? Ancient Israel and Its Literature Steven L. McKenzie, General Editor Editorial Board Suzanne Boorer Victor H. Matthews Th omas C. Römer Benjamin D. Sommer Nili Wazana Number 8 PENTATEUCH, HEXATEUCH, OR ENNEATEUCH? Identifying Literary Works in Genesis through Kings PENTATEUCH, HEXATEUCH, OR ENNEATEUCH? Identifying Literary Works in Genesis through Kings edited by Th omas B. Dozeman Th omas Römer Konrad Schmid Society of Biblical Literature Atlanta PENTATEUCH, HEXATEUCH, OR ENNEATEUCH? Identifying Literary Works in Genesis through Kings Copyright © 2011 by the Society of Biblical Literature All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by means of any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permit- ted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed in writing to the Rights and Permissions Offi ce, Society of Biblical Literature, 825 Houston Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30329 USA. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Pentateuch, Hexateuch, or Enneateuch : identifying literary works in Genesis through Kings / edited by Th omas Dozeman, Th omas Römer, and Konrad Schmid. p. cm. — (Society of Biblical Literature : ancient Israel and its literature ; v. 8) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-58983-542-9 (paper binding : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-58983-543-6 (electronic format) 1. Bible. O.T. Pentateuch—Criticism, interpretation, etc. 2. Bible. O.T. Former Prophets—Criticism, interpretation, etc. I. Dozeman, Th omas B. II. Römer, Th omas, 1955- III.
    [Show full text]
  • The Torah U-Madda Journal Devoted to the Interaction Between Torah and General Culture
    THE TORAH U-MADDA JOUR NAL DEVOTED TO THE INTERACTION BETWEEN JUDAISM AND GENERAL CULTURE EDITOR : DAVID SHATZ EDITORIAL ASSISTANT : MEIRA MINTZ FOUNDING EDITOR : JACOB J. SCHACTER , 1989–1999 VOLUME EIGHTEEN • 2020-21 The Torah u-Madda Journal Devoted to the interaction between Torah and general culture. Copyright © 2021 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, an affiliate of Yeshiva University. David Shatz, Editor Meira Mintz, Editorial Assistant Jacob J. Schacter, Founding Editor A publication of The Torah u-Madda Project Max Stern Division of Communal Services Center for the Jewish Future Yeshiva University 500 West 185th Street New York, NY 10033 The Torah u-Madda Project gratefully acknowledges the support of the Joseph J. and Bertha K. Green Memorial Fund at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. The Torah u-Madda Journal publishes articles that either (1) address the question of Judaism’s relationship to general culture, whether in the broad sense or in the context of a specific discipline or field; or (2) exemplify the integration of Jewish and general knowledge in the treat - ment of a specific topic. Correspondence should be sent to Dr. David Shatz at [email protected]. Back issues of the journal are available online at www.yutorah.org. Design and production by David Olivestone PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA p This issue is dedicated in memory of Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm and Mrs. Mindella Lamm הרב נחום בן מאיר שמואל ופעריל מינדל בת שלום וטויבע העסא ת u נ u צ u ב u ה p A A q q Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm zz.
    [Show full text]
  • Judah Bookends.Pdf
    Vetus Testamentum 65 (2015) 401-413 Vetus Testamentum brill.com/vt Judah Bookends The Priority of Israel and Literary Revision in the David Narrative Mahri Leonard-Fleckman 45 Hickory Dr., Worcester, MA 01609 [email protected] Abstract The story of David as king in 1-2 Samuel is defined by rule of Israel. In contrast, Judah’s centrality in the David narrative is limited to two sections: David’s anointing over Judah in 2 Sam 2:4a (part of a larger unit in vv. 1-4a) and the end of the Absalom lore in 19:9bβ-15, 16b-18a; and 19:41-20:5. These Judah additions or “bookends” interrupt the flow of the narrative, shifting and reorienting the reader’s direction in favor of Judah. Considered as a whole, the secondary nature of Judah in the David narrative invites us to reconsider the political and social landscape of the early monarchy. For the majority of its textual growth, the David material is defined not by a United Monarchy, nor by a clear political division between Israel and Judah, but by one important entity: Israel. Keywords David – 1-2 Samuel – Israel – Judah Scholars have long since recognized editorial work linking the books of Joshua through Kings.1 Unique to the books of Samuel, however, is core material * Earlier versions of this article were presented at the 2012 and 2014 Annual Meetings of the Society of Biblical Literature. The ideas in this article are expanded upon in my doctoral dis- sertation (The House of David: Between Political Formation and Literary Revision [New York University, 2014]), currently under revision into book form.
    [Show full text]
  • The Deuteronomistic History Hypothesis: a Reassessment
    Zurich Open Repository and Archive University of Zurich Main Library Strickhofstrasse 39 CH-8057 Zurich www.zora.uzh.ch Year: 1989 The Deuteronomistic History Hypothesis: A Reassessment O’Brien, Mark A Abstract: This book undertakes a reassessment of the Deuteronomistic History in response to recent developments which raise questions about Martin Noth’s understanding of the history as a unified and well planned work. The reassessment is carried out via a literary critical, linguistic and contextual analysis of the text, in particular those passages which are generally regarded as Deuteronomistic compositions. The author argues that the history was indeed a well planned and unified work, but one that ended at2 Kgs 23:23 with the reign of Josiah. It was principally a story of Israel’s leaders and Moses and Joshua (Deuteronomy to Judg 2: 10), the period of Israel from the judges to the monarchy (Judg 2:11 to 1 Sam 11:15), and the period of Israel under the prophets and kings (1 Sam 13:1 to 2 Kgs 23:23). Subsequent redaction was carried out in three main stages. The first was a fairly straightforward updating of the history to stage accounted for the exile by applying the history’s critique of the northern kings to the Davidic dynasty. The third stage transferred its attention to the people and sought to transform the history from a story of Israel’s leaders into a story of the people’s failure to observe the law. Posted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich ZORA URL: https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-152171 Monograph Published Version Originally published at: O’Brien, Mark A (1989).
    [Show full text]
  • The Deuteronomist(S)' Interpretation of Exilic Suffering in an African
    Adamo: Exilic Suffering in African Perspective OTE 23/1 (2010), 9-27 9 The Deuteronomist(s)’ Interpretation of Exilic Suffering in an African Perspective 1 REV . PROF DAVID TUESDAY ADAMO (UNISA) ABSTRACT The question of the identity of the Deuteronomist(s) has been de- bated and is still in debate. While some believe he was an individual author, editor, or compiler who sought to interpret as honestly as possible the history of Israel in the light of his personal under- standing of the crisis that befell Judah, others believe that the Deu- teronomists are groups, schools, prophets or scribes. Be that as it may, both Deuteronomistic and African slave theologies of suffering hold similar interpretations of exilic suffering despite the events not being the same. Both interpret their suffering as retributive, divine disciplinary, redemptive, revelational, probational and eschatologi- cal. A INTRODUCTION This article is a critical examination of the Deuteronomistic theology of suf- fering as it affects the disaster that befell Judah in 597 and 586 B.C.E. in African perspective. It further examines the Deuteronomistic theology in the light of an African theology of suffering especially as it relates to the suffering associated with slavery in Africa. Should Africans understand the suffering of slavery, that is, the forceful exile of Africans, in accordance with the Deuteronomistic theol- ogy? Does African slavery put Africans and African Diasporas in a better posi- tion to understand a biblical theology of suffering in the light of Deuterono- mistic interpretation? To answer these questions this article will briefly discuss who is/are the Deuteronomist(s).
    [Show full text]