Deuteronomist

Deuteronomy was formed by a complex process that reached probably from the 7th century BCE to the early 5th.[10] It consists of a historical prologue; an introduction; the Deuteronomic Code followed by blessings and curses; and a conclusion.[11]

The law code (chapters 12–26) forms the core of the book.[12] 2 Kings 22–23 tells how a "Book of the Law", commonly identified with the code, was found in the Temple during the reign of Josiah.[13] According to the story in Kings, the reading of the book caused Josiah to embark on a series of religious reforms, and it has been suggested that it was written in order to validate this program.[14] Notwithstanding, it is generally accepted that at least some of the laws are much earlier than Josiah.[13]

The introduction to the code (chapters 4:44–11:32) was added during Josiah's time, thus creating the earliest version of Deuteronomy as a book,[15] and the historical prologue (chapters 1–4:43) was added still later to turn Deuteronomy into an introduction to the entire Deuteronomistic history (Deuteronomy to Kings).[16]

The term was coined in 1943 by the German biblical scholar Martin Noth to explain the origin and purpose of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings. These, he argued, were the work of a single 6th-century BCE author/compiler seeking to explain recent events (the fall of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile) using the theology and language of the Book of Deuteronomy.[17] The author used his sources with a heavy hand, depicting Joshua as a grand, divinely guided conquest, Judges as a cycle of rebellion and salvation, and the story of the kings as recurring disaster due to disobedience to God.[18]

The late 1960s saw the beginning of a series of studies that modified Noth's original concept. In 1968 Frank Moore Cross made an important revision, suggesting that the history was in fact first written in the late 7th century BCE as a contribution to king Josiah's program of reform (the Dtr1 version), and only later revised and updated by Noth's 6th-century author (Dtr2).[19] Dtr1 saw Israel's history as a contrast between God's judgment on the sinful northern kingdom of Jeroboam I (who set up golden calves to be worshiped in Bethel and Dan) and virtuous Judah, where faithful king David had reigned and where now the righteous Josiah was reforming the kingdom.[20] The exilic Dtr2 supplemented Dtr1's history with warnings of a broken covenant, an inevitable punishment and exile for sinful (in Dtr2's view) Judah.[21]

Cross's "dual redaction" model is probably the most widely accepted,[22] but a considerable number of European scholars prefer an alternative model put forward by Rudolf Smend and his pupils.[23] This approach holds that Noth was right to locate the composition of the history in the 6th century, but that further redactions took place after the initial composition, including a "nomistic" (from the Greek word for "law"), or DtrN, layer, and a further layer concerned with the prophets, abbreviated as DtrP.[24]

For a time, the existence of the Deuteronomistic history enjoyed "canonical" status in biblical studies.[25] However, writing in 2000, Gary N. Knoppers noted that "in the last five years an increasing number of commentators have expressed grave doubts about fundamental tenets of Noth's classic study."[26]

The prose sermons in the Book of Jeremiah are written in a style and outlook closely akin to, yet different from, the Deuteronomistic history.[27] Scholars differ over how much of the book is from Jeremiah himself and how much from later disciples,[28] but the Swiss scholar Thomas Römer has recently identified two Deuteronomistic "redactions" (editings) of the Book of Jeremiah occurring some time before the end of the Exile (pre-539 BCE) – a process which also involved the prophetic books of Amos and Hosea.[29] In reference to the "authors" of the Deuteronomistic works, the biblical text records that Jeremiah the prophet used scribes such as Baruch to accomplish his ends.[30] It is also noteworthy that the Deuteronomistic History never mentions Jeremiah, and some scholars believe that the "Jeremiah" Deuteronomists represent a distinct party from the "DtrH" Deuteronomists, with opposing agendas.[31]

• Bultman, Christoph (2001). "Deuteronomy". In John Barton; John Muddiman (eds.). Oxford Bible Commentary. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198755005.
• Craigie, Peter C (1976). The Book of Deuteronomy. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802825247.
• Miller, Patrick D (1990). Deuteronomy. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780664237370.
• Niditch, Susan (2008). Judges: a commentary. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664220969.
• Phillips, Anthony (1973). Deuteronomy. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780521097727.
• Rogerson, John W. (2003). "Deuteronomy". In James D. G. Dunn; John William Rogerson (eds.). Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802837110.
• Sweeney, Marvin (2007). I&II Kings: A Commentary. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664220846.
• Thompson, John Arthur (1980). The Book of Jeremiah. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802825308.
• Tsumura, David Toshio (2007). The First Book of Samuel. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802823595.

• Albertz, Rainer (2003). Israel in Exile: The History and Literature of the Sixth Century B.C.E. Society of Biblical Literature. ISBN 9781589830554.
• Albertz, Rainer (2000). "The riddle of the Deuteronomists". In Thomas Römer (ed.). The Future of the Deuteronomistic History. Leuven University Press. ISBN 9789042908581.
• Albertz, Rainer (1994a). History of Israelite Religion, Volume 2: From the Exile to the Maccabees. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664227203.
• Albertz, Rainer (1994b). History of Israelite Religion, Volume 1: From the Beginnings to the End of the Monarchy. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664227197.
• Ausloos, Hans, The Deuteronomist’s History. The Role of the Deuteronomist in Historical-Critical Research into Genesis–Numbers (Old Testament Studies, 67), Leiden – Boston: Brill, 2015
• Block, Daniel I (2005). "Deuteronomy". In Kevin J. Vanhoozer (ed.). Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible. Baker Academic. ISBN 9780801026942.
• Brueggemann, Walter (2002). Reverberations of Faith: A Theological Handbook of Old Testament themes. Westminster John Knox. ISBN 9780664222314.
• Brueggemann, Walter (2003). An Introduction to the Old Testament: The Canon and Christian imagination. Westminster John Knox. Brueggemann An introduction to the Old Testament: the canon and Christian imagination.
• Campbell, Antony F; O'Brien, Mark A (1993). Sources of the Pentateuch: Texts, Introductions, Annotations. Fortress Press. Sources of the bible.
• Campbell, Antony F; O'Brien, Mark A (2000). Unfolding the Deuteronomistic History: Origins, Upgrades, Present Text. Fortress Press. ISBN 9781451413687.
• Christensen, Duane L (1991). "Deuteronomy". In Watson E. Mills; Roger Aubrey Bullard (eds.). Mercer Dictionary of the Bible. Mercer University Press. ISBN 9780865543737.
• Cook, Stephen L (2004). The Social Roots of Biblical Yahwism. Society of Biblical Literature. ISBN 9781589830981.
• De Pury, Albert (2000). "Deuteronomistic historiography (DH): History of research and debated issues". In Albert de Pury; Thomas Römer; Jean-Daniel Macchi (eds.). Israël Constructs Its History: Deuteronomistic Historiography in Recent Research. Sheffield Academic Press. ISBN 9781841270999.
• Dillard, Raymond B.; Longman, Tremper (January 1994). An Introduction to the Old Testament (PDF, 3.5 MB). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. ISBN 978-0-310-43250-0. LCCN 2006005249. OCLC 31046001. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
• Gottwald, Norman, review of Stephen L. Cook, The Social Roots of Biblical Yahwism, Society of Biblical Literature, 2004
• Knight, Douglas A (1995). "Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomists". In James Luther Mays; David L. Petersen; Kent Harold Richards (eds.). Old Testament Interpretation. T&T Clark. ISBN 9780567292896.
• Knoppers, Gary N. (2000). "Is There a Future for the Deuteronomistic History?". In Thomas Römer (ed.). The Future of the Deuteronomistic History. Peeters.
• Laffey, Alice L. (2007). "Deuteronomistic theology". In Orlando O. Espín; James B. Nickoloff (eds.). An Introductory Dictionary of Theology and Religious Studies. Liturgical Press. ISBN 9780814658567.
• Lipschits, Oded (2005). The Fall and Rise of Jerusalem. Eisenbrauns. ISBN 9781575060958.
• McConville, J.G (2002). "Deuteronomy". In T. Desmond Alexander; David W. Baker (eds.). Dictionary of the Old Testament: The Pentateuch (PDF). Eisenbrauns. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-04-13. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
• McDermott, John J (1989). Reading the Pentateuch: A Historical Introduction. Paulist Press. ISBN 9780809140824.
• McKenzie, Steven L (2000). Covenant. Chalice Press. ISBN 9780827205888.
• McKenzie, Steven L (1995). "Postscript". In Linda S Schearing; Steven L McKenzie (eds.). Those elusive Deuteronomists: The Phenomenon of Pan-Deuteronomism. T&T Clark. ISBN 9781841270104.
• Rabin, Elliott (2006). Understanding the Hebrew Bible: A Reader's Guide. KTAV Publishijg House. p. 127. ISBN 9780881258714. sources.
• Richter, Sandra L (2002). The Deuteronomistic History and the Name Theology. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 9783110173765.
• Rofé, Alexander (2002). Deuteronomy: Issues and Interpretation. T&T Clark. ISBN 9780567087546.
• Römer, Thomas (2000). "Deuteronomy In Search of Origins". In Gary N. Knoppers; J. Gordon McConville (eds.). Reconsidering Israel and Judah: Recent Studies on the Deuteronomistic History. Eisenbrauns. ISBN 9781575060378.
• Römer, Thomas (1994). "The Book of Deuteronomy". In Steven L. McKenzie; Matt Patrick Graham (eds.). The History of Israel's Traditions: The Heritage of Martin Noth. Sheffield Academic Press. ISBN 9781850754992.
• Römer, Thomas (1995). "How did Jeremiah Become a Convert to Deuteronomistic Ideology?". In Linda S. Schearing; Steven L McKenzie (eds.). Those Elusive Deuteronomists: The Phenomenon of Pan-Deuteronomism. T&T Clark. ISBN 9781841270104.
• Schearing, Linda S (1995). "Introduction". In Linda S Schearing; Steven L McKenzie (eds.). Those Elusive Deuteronomists: The Phenomenon of Pan-Deuteronomism. T&T Clark. ISBN 9781841270104.
• Ska, Jean-Louis (2006). Introduction to Reading the Pentateuch. Eisenbrauns. ISBN 9781575061221.
• Sparks, Kenton L (1998). Ethnicity and Identity in Ancient Israel. Eisenbrauns. ISBN 9781575060330.
• Spieckermann, Hermann (2001). "The Former Prophets: The Deuteronomistic History". In Perdue, Leo G (ed.). The Blackwell companion to the Hebrew Bible. Blackwell. ISBN 9780631210719.
• Tigay, Jeffrey (1996). "The Significance of the End of Deuteronomy". In Michael V. Fox; et al. (eds.). Texts, Temples, and Traditions: A Tribute to Menahem Haran. Eisenbrauns. ISBN 9781575060033.
• Van Seters, John (2015) [1999]. The Pentateuch: A Social-Science Commentary. Bloomsbury T&T Clark. ISBN 978-0-567-65880-7.
• Van Seters, John (1998). "The Pentateuch". In Steven L. McKenzie; Matt Patrick Graham (eds.). The Hebrew Bible Today: An Introduction to Critical Issues. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664256524.
• Viviano, Pauline A. (1999). Stephen R. Haynes; Steven L. McKenzie (eds.). To each its own meaning: an introduction to biblical criticisms and their application. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664257842.
• Wells, Roy D (1991). "Deuteronomist/Deuteronomistic Historian". In Watson E. Mills; Roger Aubrey Bullard (eds.). Source criticism=Mercer Dictionary of the Bible. Mercer University Press. ISBN 9780865543737.