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Ancient Israelite and Early Jewish Literature

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Ancient Israelite and Early Jewish Literature Ancient Israelite and Early Jewish Literature Ancient Israelite and Early Jewish Literature Translated by Brian Doyle by T.C. Vriezen A.S. van der Woude BRILL LEIDEN • BOSTON 2005 Translated with financial support from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data Vriezen, T.C. (Theodoor Christiaan), 1899–1981. [Oudisraëlitische en vroegjoodse literatuur. English] Ancient Israelite and early Jewish literature / translated by Brian Doyle ; by T.C. Vriezen, A.S. van der Woude. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 90-04-14181-2 (alk. paper) 1. Bible. O.T.—Introductions. 2. Bible. O.T. Apocrypha—Introductions. 3. Apocryphal books (Old Testament)—Introductions. 4. Dead Sea scrolls. I. Woude, A.S. van der. II. Title. BS1140.3.V7513 2004 296.1—dc22 2004057552 ISBN 90 04 14181 2 © Copyright 2005 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden The Netherlands Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill Academic Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. The Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright ©1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used with permission. All rights reserved. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Brill provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910 Danvers, MA 09123, USA. printed in the netherlands CONTENTS Translator’s Note ........................................................................ ix A. Ancient Israelite and Ancient near Eastern Literature 1. The sources of Ancient Israel’s literature ............................ 3 2. Ancient Israelite literature in its Ancient Near Eastern context ...................................................................... 21 3. Authors and authorship ........................................................ 40 B. The Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) 4. The Old Testament as canon .............................................. 53 5. The transmission of the Old Testament ............................ 71 6. The literary genres of the Old Testament .......................... 102 a. Poetry ................................................................................ 102 1. Introduction .................................................................. 102 2. Profane poetry .............................................................. 107 3. Religious poetry .......................................................... 111 b. Prose .................................................................................. 119 1. Legal material .............................................................. 119 2. Official records ............................................................ 121 3. Narrative literature ...................................................... 123 7. The problem of dating ........................................................ 129 8. Israel’s grand historical masterpiece: (Genesis—II Kings) .. 136 a. Introduction ...................................................................... 136 b. The history of Pentateuch research ................................ 141 c. Origins and evolution ...................................................... 169 d. The Book of Genesis ...................................................... 182 1. Content ........................................................................ 183 2. The primeval history (Genesis 1–11) ........................ 188 3. The patriarchal narratives (Genesis 12–50) .............. 198 e. Exodus and Numbers ...................................................... 211 vi contents 1. Content .................................................................... 213 2. The Exodus narratives ............................................ 217 3. The narratives in Numbers and Deuteronomy 31 ...................................................... 229 f. The laws of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers .............. 230 1. The Decalogue ........................................................ 231 2. The Book of the Covenant .................................... 237 3. Legislation concerning the tabernacle .................... 240 4. The sacrificial laws .................................................. 242 5. The purification laws .............................................. 244 6. The Holiness Code .................................................. 246 7. Various levitical and priestly laws .......................... 250 g. Deuteronomy .................................................................. 252 h. Joshua .............................................................................. 264 i. Judges .............................................................................. 276 j. I–II Samuel .................................................................... 284 k. I–II Kings ........................................................................ 296 9. The prophetic literature ...................................................... 305 a. Introduction .................................................................... 305 b. The Major Prophets ...................................................... 312 1. Isaiah ........................................................................ 312 a) Proto-Isaiah (Isaiah 1–39) .................................. 313 b) Deutero-Isaiah (Isaiah 40–55) ............................ 325 g) Trito-Isaiah (Isaiah 56–66) ................................ 332 2. Jeremiah .................................................................... 334 3. Ezekiel ...................................................................... 344 c. The Twelve Minor Prophets ........................................ 351 1. Hosea ........................................................................ 353 2. Joel ............................................................................ 360 3. Amos ........................................................................ 364 4. Obadiah .................................................................... 371 5. Jonah ........................................................................ 374 6. Micah ........................................................................ 378 7. Nahum ...................................................................... 386 8. Habakkuk .................................................................. 390 9. Zephaniah ................................................................ 395 10. Haggai ...................................................................... 399 11. Zechariah .................................................................. 402 a) Zechariah 1–8 .................................................... 403 b) Deutero-Zechariah (9–14) .................................. 408 12. Malachi .................................................................... 412 contents vii 10. The remaining literature (The Writings) .......................... 417 a. The Psalms ...................................................................... 417 b. Job .................................................................................... 427 c. Proverbs .......................................................................... 438 d. The five megilloth (scrolls) ............................................ 446 1. Ruth ............................................................................ 447 2. Songs of Songs .......................................................... 451 3. Qoheleth .................................................................... 457 4. Lamentations .............................................................. 462 5. Esther .......................................................................... 466 6. Daniel ........................................................................ 472 e. The Chronistic history .................................................. 483 1. Ezra-Nehemiah .......................................................... 485 2. Chronicles .................................................................. 495 C. The Literature of Early Judaism 11. Introduction .......................................................................... 503 a. The Elephantine papyri ................................................ 506 b. The Samaritan papyri .................................................... 509 c. The Zenon papyri .......................................................... 510 12. Apocrypha ............................................................................ 512 a. III Ezra ............................................................................ 516 b. Tobit ................................................................................ 520 c. Judith .............................................................................. 524 d. The Wisdom of Solomon .............................................. 529 e. Jesus Sirach .................................................................... 532 f. I Baruch .......................................................................... 538 g. The Letter of Jeremiah .................................................
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