The elders of the city : a study of the elders-laws in Deuteronomy / Timothy M. Willis.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Willis, Timothy M.

Series:

Society of Biblical Literature monograph series ; no. 55.

Monograph series / The Society of Biblical Literature ; no. 55

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Older people in the Bible.

Bible. Deuteronomy--Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Bible.

Bible. Deuteronomy.

Leadership in the Bible.

Jewish law.

Physical Description:

xiii, 353 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Atlanta, Ga. : Society of Biblical Literature, [2001]

Contents:

Chapter 1 "The Elders of the City": Preliminary Considerations 1

Previous Studies of Israelite Elders 1

The Present Study: Its Scope and Methodology 6

Elders in the Hebrew Bible: An Overview 8

[characters not reproducible] ("City") in the Hebrew Bible 14

Assumptions Regarding the Social Context of Israel's City Elders 19

Kinship-Based Communities 19

Kinship Ideology and Power Struggles in Ancient Israel 27

Chapter 2 The Judicial System of the Deuteronomic Code 33

Previous Studies 36

Association with Prior Royal Reform 37

Association with the Centralization of the Cult 42

Association with Utopian Ideals 45

Cross-Cultural Analogies to Israel's Judicial System 50

Judicial Systems in Contemporary Kinship-Based Societies 51

Ancient Near Eastern Judicial Systems 67

Reevaluation of the Judicial System of the D Code 82

Chapter 3 Homicide, Asylum, and City Elders (Deut 19:1-13) 89

Comparative Evidence 90

Homicide in Contemporary Kinship-Based Societies 90

Homicide in Ancient Near Eastern Societies 106

Homicide in the Hebrew Bible 110

Redaction of Deut 19:1-13 111

Traditio-Historical Considerations 118

The Deuteronomic Asylum-Law 131

Chapter 4 Elders and the Purity of the Land (Deut 21:1-9) 145

Comparative Evidence 146

Contemporary Kinship-Based Societies 146

Ancient Near Eastern Societies 147

Redaction-Critical Matters 149

Interpretation of the Pre-Deuteronomic Law (21:1a[alpha gamma]b, 2-5a[alpha], 6-8a[alpha]b) 153

Deuteronom(ist)ic Expansions (21:1a[beta], 5a[beta]b, 8a[beta], 9) 159

Chapter 5 Elders, Parents, and the Rebellious Son (Deut 21:18-21) 163

Comparative Evidence 164

Contemporary Kinship-Based Societies 164

Roman Law 167

Ancient Near Eastern Societies 168

Redaction-Critical Matters 169

Traditio-Historical Considerations 171

Interpretation of the Pre-Deuteronomic Law (21:18-20a, 21a[alpha]) 174

Deuteronom(ist)ic Expansions (21:20b, 21a[beta]b) 181

Chapter 6 Accusing a Bride of Unchastity (Deut 22:13-21) 187

Comparative Evidence 188

Contemporary Kinship-Based Societies 188

Ancient Near Eastern Societies 193

Redaction-Critical Matters 206

Other Biblical References to Sexual Misconduct 207

Evidence from Legal Materials 207

Evidence from Narrative Sources 215

Evidence from Prophetic and Wisdom Writings 219

Interpretation of the Pre-Deuteronomic Law (22:13-21a) 222

Deuteronom(ist)ic Expansion (22:21b) 228

Chapter 7 The Levirate Law (Deut 25:5-10) 235

Definition of Levirate Marriage 235

Comparative Evidence 238

Contemporary Kinship-Based Societies 238

Ancient Near Eastern Societies 243

Redaction-Critical Matters 250

Traditio-Historical Considerations 251

Genesis 38 253

Ruth 4:1-17 262

The Elders in Ruth 4 277

Preliminary Conclusions 281

Interpretation of Deut 25:5-10 283

The Levirate Law and the D Code 301

Summary of Findings Regarding City Elders in Deuteronomy 307

The Elders-Laws and the D Code 308

Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies 313

Sociological and Ethnographic Studies 330.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 313-339) and indexes.

ISBN:

158983013X

OCLC:

47254265