Inconsistency in the Torah : ancient literary convention and the limits of source criticism / Joshua A. Berman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Berman, Joshua, 1964- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bible. Old Testament--Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Bible.

Bible. Old Testament.

Genre:

Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Physical Description:

xi, 307 pages ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2017]

Summary:

"Rather than viewing inconsistencies in the Torah as signs of revision, this book identifies precursors for these phenomena in ancient Near Eastern writings. It claims that Enlightenment and German historicist influences corrupted critical study of the Bible, and calls for a return to the more modest agenda set out by Spinoza"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Part I Inconsistency in Narrative

Setting Conflicting Histories Side by Side

1 Diverging Accounts within the Kadesh Inscriptions of Ramesses II 17

2 The Exodus Sea Account (Exod 13:17-15:19) in Light of the Kadesh Inscriptions of Ramesses II 35

Disparity in the Sovereign's Recounting of History to His Vassal

3 Divergent Histories between Original and Renewal Treaties in Hittite Diplomatic Literature 63

4 Retold History in the Book of Deuteronomy in Light of the Hittite Treaty Tradition 81

Part II Inconsistency in Law

5 The Pivotal Characterization: Ancient Law as Non-Statutory Law 107

6 The Misapplication of "Strict Construction" and the Semblance of Contradiction 118

7 Honoring a Law Code and Diverging from Its Dictates in the Neo-Babylonian King of Justice and in the Book of Ruth 137

8 Blending Discordant Laws in Biblical Narrative 148

9 Legal Revision in the Torah Law Collections: Supersessionist or Complementary? 171

10 Redacting the Torah's Conflicting Laws: New Empirical Models 192

Part III Renewing Pentateuchal Criticism

11 A Critical Intellectual History of the Historical-Critical Paradigm in Biblical Studies 201

12 The Abuses of Negation, Bisection, and Suppression in the Dating of Biblical Texts: The Rescue of Moses (Exodus 2:1-10) 227

13 Source Criticism and Its Biases: The Flood Narrative of Genesis 6-9 236.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Other Format:

Online version: Berman, Joshua, 1964- Inconsistency in the Torah.

ISBN:

9780190658809

0190658800

OCLC:

959698471