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Lecture 11 in the Intro to the Old Testament by Christine Hayes at Open Yale Courses.
This lecture, focusing on Moses’s final address to the Israelites and transfer of authority to Joshua, describes Moses as the paradigmatic leader of biblical tradition. The structure of Deuteronomy is then outlined. Attention is given to updated and revised laws within Deuteronomy which exemplify the activity of adaptive interpretation of earlier tradition. The main themes of Deuteronomy are presented and include the notion of God’s chosen people and chosen city, social justice, covenantal love and the centralization of cultic worship. 00:00 – Chapter 1. Moses as the Paradigmatic Leader of Biblical Tradition 08:46 – Chapter 2. Basic Structure of Deuteronomy 22:16 – Chapter 3. Updated and Revised Laws According to New Ideas 37:31 – Chapter 4. Major Themes in Deuteronomy.
During the lecture, she recommends Bernard Levinson’s intro to Deuteronomy in the Jewish Study Bible, page 339.
From BAR Library here.
There is something very strange about the structure of the Book of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy 11:26 begins, “Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse” (author’s translation). This continues for several verses, stipulating that the blessing and curse are to occur on Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal. But then the narrative breaks off abruptly. What about the blessing and curse? We don’t find out; instead, we encounter chapter after chapter of laws. These laws run from chapter 12 all the way through to chapter
26, and make up the legal code that gives Deuteronomy (meaning “second law”) its name. Then, all of a sudden in chapter 27, toward the end of the book, we’re back at Gerizim and Ebal, and we finally hear the rest of the narrative from chapter 11. This is an odd literary structure, to put it mildly, and it suggests that the laws were inserted secondarily into the Gerizim and Ebal passage. Amazingly, V’s version [Valediction of Moses, aka the Shapira Scrolls] of the episode is uninterrupted, and the entire Deuteronomic law code is nowhere to be found. By Idan Dershowitz.
Dershowitz, Idan, and James D. Tabor. “The Shapira Scrolls: The Case for Authenticity,” Biblical Archaeology Review 47.4 (2021): 47–53.
The text below is from the slides in Lesson 8 of Bart Ehrman’s lecture series “Finding Moses” at SBA. See pdf in DropBox.
- Name: “The Second Law”
- Narrative Context
- On the verge of conquest
- New generation, new commitment to the Law
- Moses’s farewell address
- Source Issues
- Finally, the D source (7th century)
- With some P modifications (6th century?)
- And some internal tensions
Literary Overview
- Moses’s Opening Speeches (Deut. 1-11)
- Historical review and exhortation to obedience
- The revelation at Horeb (including the Decalogue) [Mt. Sinai is Mt Horeb in the D Source]
- New Giving of the Law (Deut. 12-26)
- Renewal of the Covenant (Deut. 27-28)
- Final Speech and Death of Moses (Deut. 29-34)
The Seventh-Century Context of “D”
- Mighty Assyria
- Conquest of Israel (Northern Kingdom; 722 BCE)
- Royal Appeasements from Judah (Southern Kingdom; e.g. Hezekiah; 2 Kings 18:13-18)
- Increased Religious Syncretism
- An Empire in Decline? (end of 7th c.)
- Good King Josiah (640-609 BCE; 2 Kings 22-23)
- Temple reconstruction
- Hilkiah and the “book of the Law”
- Renewed commitment
- Cleaning House
- Worship of Baal and Asherah
- Idolatrous priests
- Sacred male prostitutes
- Other places of worship (Gehenna!)
- Is Deuteronomy the Book?
The Deuteronomic Code (Chs. 12-26)
- Foci of Josiah’s Reform (Not “Return”)
- Suppression of non-Yahweh cults (Baals, Asherahs)
- Proscriptions of sacrifice outside Jerusalem [allows sacrifices only in the temple in Jerusalem]
- Cf. 1 Sam 7:9, 17; 1 Kings 18:20-46
- Now: Deut. 12:13-14. [Nowhere but Jerusalem]
- Legal Discrepancies from the First Go-Around?
- E.g., treatment of women slaves
- Exodus 21:2-4 vs. Deut 15:12-28
- More Socio-Historical Context: Assyrian Vassal Treaties (discovered 1956)
- Comparable to Hittite Suzerainty treaties
- But No Blessings [for obedience], Only Curses
- Cf. Deuteronomy!
- The Subversive Intent of the Code: Whom Shall We Serve?
The Broader Concerns of Deuteronomy
- Blessings: [only] 10 verses (Deut. 28:3-13)
- Curses: 53 verses. (Deut. 28:15-68) [Many curses like the Assyrian Treaties that are all curses]
- Foreshadowing: The Deuteronomistic History – [What happens, after Moses, when Israel does not obey God?]
- Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings
- From the conquest of the land to the destruction of the nation(s)
- [Theological theme] A history of disobedience and punishment
- Textual History of Deuteronomy
- The D source (Deuteronomic Code) [discovered by Hilkiah]
- The Introduction to the Deuteronomistic History
- The conclusion of the Pentateuch
The Death of Moses (Deut. 34)
- Sin and Punishment (Numbers 20:2-12)
- Moses’ Successor: Joshua
- Moses goes up on Mount Nebo, opposite Jericho [where they first attack so he gets to see where he could not go.]
- Burial: No One Knows Where [on Mt. Nebo]
- Moses Lives On: The Divine Man. [See Philo of Alexandria, at the time of Paul, who maintains that Moses is more than a man.]
From ChatGPT, 11/23/2024.
Outline of the Writing of the Book of Deuteronomy: Historical-Critical View
1. When Was Deuteronomy Written?
- Deuteronomy was likely composed in the late 7th century BCE, during King Josiah of Judah’s reign (640–609 BCE).
- This timing aligns with Josiah’s religious reforms, as recorded in 2 Kings 22–23, which emphasize centralized worship in Jerusalem and the eradication of idolatry.
- Portions of the text may have been revised or expanded during the Babylonian Exile (6th century BCE) to address the exilic community’s struggles with maintaining identity and covenant loyalty.
2. Who Wrote Deuteronomy?
- Deuteronomy is attributed to a group of scribes and theologians collectively known as the Deuteronomists. This group played a pivotal role in editing and compiling other historical books, such as Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings.
- The internal structure of Deuteronomy (e.g., its legal codes and sermonic style) suggests contributions from Levite priests or court scribes advocating for reform.
3. Where Was Deuteronomy Written?
- Deuteronomy was likely composed in Judah, particularly in Jerusalem, where the focus on centralized worship in the Temple is most evident.
- This reflects the text’s emphasis on worship in “the place which Jehovah your God shall choose” (Deuteronomy 12:5, ASV).
4. Why Was Deuteronomy Written?
- To Centralize Worship: Deuteronomy seeks to establish Jerusalem as the exclusive site of worship, forbidding local shrines and altars:
- “But unto the place which Jehovah your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come” (Deuteronomy 12:5, ASV).
- To Promote Covenant Fidelity: It emphasizes loyalty to Jehovah as a response to the threat of foreign influence and idolatry:
- “Take heed to thyself, lest thou be snared by following them… and lest thou inquire after their gods, saying, How do these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise” (Deuteronomy 12:30, ASV).
- To Reinforce National Identity: During times of crisis, such as the Babylonian Exile, the text reminded Israel of their unique covenant relationship with God:
- “And Jehovah commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear Jehovah our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as at this day” (Deuteronomy 6:24, ASV).
- To Define the Consequences of Obedience and Disobedience: The blessings and curses in Deuteronomy 28 stress the covenantal rewards and punishments:
- “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of Jehovah thy God… all these blessings shall come upon thee” (Deuteronomy 28:1–2, ASV).
- “But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of Jehovah thy God… all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee” (Deuteronomy 28:15, ASV).
Summary of Historical-Critical Context
Deuteronomy is seen as a theological and political text reflecting the efforts of Judah’s leaders to unify worship, affirm Israel’s covenant identity, and address challenges posed by external threats and internal disobedience. Its repeated call for monotheistic worship and covenantal faithfulness marks it as central to Israelite religious reforms.
Sources
- Richard Elliott Friedman: Who Wrote the Bible? (1987).
- John J. Collins: Introduction to the Hebrew Bible (3rd Edition, 2018).
- Walter Brueggemann: Theology of the Old Testament (1997).
- Michael D. Coogan: The Old Testament: A Historical and Literary Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures (4th Edition, 2018).
