The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School College of the Liberal Arts MAPPING EARLY JEWISH TRADITIONS: THE CASE OF MT AND LXX NEHEMIAH 11-12 A Dissertation in History and Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies by Deirdre N. Fulton © 2011 Deirdre N. Fulton Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy December 2011 The dissertation of Deirdre N. Fulton was reviewed and approved* by the following: Gary N. Knoppers Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies, Relgious Studies, and Jewish Studies Dissertation Advisor Baruch Halpern Chaiken Family Chair in Jewish Studies, Professor of Ancient History, Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies, and Religious Studies Paul B. Harvey, Jr. Professor of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies, History, and Jewish Studies Ann E. Killebrew Professor of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies, Jewish Studies, and Anthropology Kenneth Hirth Professor of Anthropology David Atwill Associate Professor of History Graduate Program Director for the Department of History *Signatures are on file in the Graduate School iii ABSTRACT This dissertation is an examination of the MT and LXX versions of Nehemiah 11- 12. Nehemiah 11-12 includes material that focuses on the people who settled in Jerusalem, a catalog of settlements around the region of Judah, and lists of temple personnel in Jerusalem. These chapters in Nehemiah also contain a narrative of the dedication of the walls as well as a description of the people connected to the dedication ceremony in Jerusalem. Scholars have noted that the lists in Nehemiah 11-12 are particularly problematic when compared to other lists in Ezra and Nehemiah, such as Ezra 2//Nehemiah 7, and Nehemiah 3, since much of the material is unique to these two chapters. Thus, several scholars have attempted to reconcile the textual discrepancies between Nehemiah 11-12 and other lists in Ezra and Nehemiah. Little is said, however, concerning the textual divergences that are present within Nehemiah 11-12. The material is preserved in the Hebrew Masoretic Text (MT) of Nehemiah and the Greek Septuagint (LXX) of 2 Esdras, of which the MT preserves the longer version. These textual divergences are significant since Nehemiah 11-12 contain names and positions of temple personnel, areas of settlement, and a narrative of the events surrounding the rededication of the walls, which are commonly used in modern scholarly discussions of Jerusalem during the Persian period. In fact, any discussion of the cultic institutions in Jerusalem, during this important period in Judean history, must consider the lists in Nehemiah 11-12. In this study, I examine the lists in MT and LXX Nehemiah 11-12 for the purpose of ascertaining the base lists, or what reflects the earliest traditions of these different iv types of lists and genealogies. This investigation has two main components: A detailed study of the texts and a detailed study of the archaeological sites. As a result of this analysis, I argue that the various lists within Nehemiah 11-12, as fully developed in the MT, reflect a Maccabean reality retrojected into Persian Period Judah. The LXX retains aspects of late-Persian and Hellenistic period lists since key genealogies continue for several generations. But ultimately, the LXX preserves the earlier material. This research is significant for any scholars studying lists in Ezra and Nehemiah. It is also significant for any scholarly examination attempting to reconstruct the composition of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. v TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES .....................................................................................................viii LIST OF TABLES.......................................................................................................ix ABBREVIATIONS ....................................................................................................x ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.........................................................................................xii Chapter 1 Introduction ................................................................................................1 1. Background ......................................................................................................1 2. The History of Scholarship of Nehemiah 11-12 ..............................................4 3. The Implications to the Divergences in MT and LXX Nehemiah 11-12 ........13 4. Dissertation Outline ........................................................................................17 5. Cambridge Versus Göttingen Critical Editions ............................................... 22 Chapter 2 The Cultic and Civic Settlement of Jerusalem: MT and LXX Neh 11:1- 24………………………………………………………………………………..24 1. Introduction......................................................................................................24 2. A Taxonomy of the Lists in MT and LXX Neh 11:1-24.................................27 3. A Literary Critical and Form Critical Analysis of MT Neh 11:1-24 …..........28 3.1. The Literary Critical Analysis...............................................................32 3.2. The Structure and Form of MT Neh 11:1-24 ........................................37 4. A Literary and Form Critical Analysis of LXX Neh 11:1-24 .........................66 5. MT and LXX Textual Divergences .................................................................69 5.1 Analysis of the Variants Between MT and LXX Neh 11:1-24 ..............71 6. A Comparison with Parallel Lists....................................................................83 7. The Compositional Process of MT and LXX Neh 11:1-24.............................86 8. Conclusion .......................................................................................................88 Chapter 3 Where Did the Judahites, Benjaminites, and Levites Settle? An Evaluation of MT and LXX Neh11:25-36............................................................90 1. Introduction......................................................................................................90 2. A Literary Critical and Form Critical Analysis of MT Neh 11:25-36.............92 2.1. The Literary Critical Analysis...............................................................94 vi 2.2. The Structure and Form of MT Neh 11:25-36......................................96 3. A Literary Critical and Form Critical Analysis of LXX Neh 11:25-36..........111 4. MT and LXX Neh 11:25-36 Textual Differences ...........................................117 Chapter 4 The Scope of Settlement: A Comparison of the Judahite, Benjaminite, and Levitical Settlement Lists ..............................................................................133 1. Introduction .....................................................................................................133 2. A Comparative Analysis of Neh 11:25-36 to other Settlement Lists ..............135 2.1 A Comparison of MT and LXX Neh 11:25-36 to MT and LXX Joshua 15 and 18 ....................................................................................135 2.2 A Comparison of MT and LXX Neh 11:25-36 to Ezra 2:20-33//Neh 7:25-38.....................................................................149 2.3 A Comparison of MT and LXX Neh 11:25-36 to Nehemiah 3..............154 2.4 A Comparison of MT and LXX Neh 11:25-36 to other Levitical Settlement Lists.......................................................................157 2.5 Excursus: The Rehov Synagogue Inscription........................................160 3. The Compositional Process of MT and LXX Neh 11:25-36...........................163 4. Conclusion .......................................................................................................165 Chapter 5 The Cultic Personnel and the Dedication of the Walls in Jerusalem: MT and LXX Nehemiah 12 .........................................................................................170 1. Introduction......................................................................................................170 2. A Literary Critical and Form Critical Analysis of MT Nehemiah 12 .............173 2.1. Introduction ...........................................................................................173 2.2. The Literary Critical Analysis...............................................................179 2.3. The Structure and Form Critical Analysis of MT Nehemiah 12 ..........183 3. A Literary Critical and Form Critical Analysis of LXX Nehemiah 12 ...........201 4. MT and LXX Textual Divergences ..................................................................208 4.1. Large Scale Differences.........................................................................212 4.2. Small Scale Differences .........................................................................220 5. Parallel Priestly Lists .......................................................................................225 6. Parallel Levitical Lists .....................................................................................227 7. The Compositional Process of LXX and MT Nehemiah 12............................228 8. Conclusion .......................................................................................................231 Chapter 6 Mapping the Persians, Judahites, and Benjaminites: An Archaeological And Historical Examination of MT and LXX Neh 11:25-36 .....236 vii 1. Introduction......................................................................................................236