Norman K. Gottwald - The Hebrew Bible-A Socio-Literary Introduction

Contents

Illustrations

Abbreviations

Preface

PART I
THE TEXT IN ITS CONTEXTS

Chapter 1: Angles of Vision on theHebrew Bible

1. A Wealth of Methods inBiblical Studies

2. The Confessional ReligiousApproach to the Hebrew Bible

3. The Historical-CriticalApproach to the Hebrew Bible

3.1 The Bible as a HumanCreation

3.2 Source Criticism and FormCriticism

3.3 Authorship of BiblicalBooks

3.4 Biblical History andArchaeology

4. Interaction BetweenReligious and Historical-Critical Approaches to Biblical Studies

4.1 Collision and Accommodationof Conflicting Methods

4.2 Attempts at a Synthesis:Existentialism and Biblical Theology

4.3 Breakdown of Consensus inBiblical Studies

5. Emergence of New Literaryand Social Science Approaches to the Hebrew Bible

5.1 Perceived Limits ofHistorical and Religious Approaches

5.2 Newer Literary Methods

5.2.a The Bible as Literatureand New Literary Criticism

5.2.b Structural Criticism

5.3 Social Science Methods

5.3.a Social Reconstruction ofEarly Israel

5.3.b Social Reconstruction ofProphecy and Apocalyptic

5.3.c Varieties of SocialScientific Criticism

5.4 Common Ground in NewLiterary Criticism and Social Scientific Criticism

6. Creative Ferment inContemporary Biblical Studies

6.1 A Common-sense Assessmentof Options

6.2 A Preview of BiblicalStudies to Come

Chapter 2: The World of the HebrewBible

7. Physical and EconomicGeography

7.1 The Ancient Near East

7.2 Palestine

7.3 Subregions Important toBiblical Israel

7.3.a The Coastal Plain

7.3.b The Hill Country of Judah

7.3.c The Hill Country ofSamaria

7.3.d The Hill Country ofGalilee

7.3.e The Rift Valley

7.3.f The Hill Country ofGilead

7.3.g Ammon, Moab, and Edom

8. Archaeology: Material andWritten Remains

8.1 Archaeology of the AncientNear East

8.2 Archaeology of Palestine

9. Political, Cultural, andSocial History of the Ancient Near East

Chapter 3: The Literary History ofthe Hebrew Bible

10. Relation of the HebrewBible to Other Bodies of Literature

10.1 Independent NationalLiteratures: The Ancient Near Eastern Texts

10.2 Jewish and ChristianLiteratures Dependent on the Hebrew Bible

10.2.a Apocrypha andPseudepigrapha

10.2.b Dead Sea Scrolls

10.2.c New Testament and Talmud

11. How the Hebrew Bible Cameto Be

11.1 Formation of the SeparateLiterary Units

11.1.a Processes of LiteraryComposition

11.1.b Oral Tradition andLiterary Genres in the Composition Process

11.2 Final Formation of theHebrew Bible

11.2.a The AuthoritativeCollections,

The Law

The Prophets

The Writings

11.2.b Factors in the CanonicalClosure: From Ezra to the Rabbinic Assembly at Jamnia

11.3 Preservation andTransmission of the Hebrew Bible

11.3.a The Transmission ProcessExtending to the Stabilization of the Consonantal Text, ca. 100 c.e.

11.3.b The Transmission ProcessExtending to the Stabilization of the Vocalic Text, ca. 1200 c.e.

11.3.c Printed Editions of theHebrew Bible

12. Translations of the HebrewBible

12.1 Ancient Versions

12.1.a Greek Septuagint

12.1.b Other Greek Versions andHexapla

12.1.c Aramaic Targums

12.1.d Old Syriac, Peshitta,and Syro-Hexapla

12.1.e Old Latin and Vulgate

12.2 English Versions andTranslations

12.2.a English Versions andTranslations Through 1952

12.2.b English Versions andTranslations Since 1952

PART II
INTERTRIBAL CONFEDERACY: ISRAELS
REVOLUTIONARY BEGINNINGS

Prologue: On the Sources forIsraels Premonarchic History

13. The Great Traditionists ofAncient Israel

13.1 The Yahwist (J)

13.2 The Elohist (E)

13.3 The DeuteronomisticHistory (DH)

13.4 The Priestly Writer (P)

13.5 The Redaction of JEP

13.6 The Common Source ofYahwist and Elohist (G)

14. The Bearing of the LiteraryTraditions on the Early History of Israel

14.1 Nongovernmental and OralOrigins of the Traditions

14.2 United Tribal Israel asthe Subject of the Traditions

14.3 Expansion and Elaborationof the History-like Themes of the Traditions

14.4 Summary and MethodologicalImplications

Chapter 4: Traditions About theFathers and Mothers of Israel

15. The Shape of the Traditionsin Genesis 1250

15.1 Distribution of theTradition Units in J, E, and P

15.2 Analysis of the TraditionUnits by Literary Genres

15.3 Composite Unity of theTraditions

15.3.a Saga Cycles and SagaChains

15.3.b Itinerary and Chronology

15.3.c Motifs of DivinePromises to the Ancestors

15.3.d Type-Scenes and OtherLiterary Features

15.4 Individual FamilyTraditions or Tribal Group Traditions?

16. Sociohistoric Horizons ofthe Ancestor Traditions

16.1 Chronology and Archaeology

16.2 Political and GeographicalData

16.3 Customs and Laws

16.4 Social Struggles in theAncestor Traditions

16.4.a The UncertainSocioeconomic Niche of the Ancestors

16.4.b Concerns AboutProduction, Reproduction, and Self-defense

Chapter 5: Traditions About Moses:Exodus, Covenant, and Lawgiving

17. The Shape of the Traditionsin Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers

17.1 Distribution of theTradition Units by Sources and Literary Genres

17.2 Complex Editing of theMoses Traditions

18. Historical-CriticalApproaches to the Moses Traditions

18.1 The Egyptian Context

18.2 Moses: FormativeInfluences and Leadership Roles

18.3 Unity of Action in Exodusand Wandering

19. Religion of Moses and theExodus-Wilderness Israelites

19.1 Covenant

19.2 Covenant Stipulations:Laws

19.2.a Priestly Instructionsand Regulations

19.2.b Collections of CustomarySocioeconomic and Religious Laws

19.2.c Terse Lists ofProhibitions: The Ten Commandments

19.3 The Divine Name

19.4 Cultic Rites and Objects

20. Newer Literary Approachesto the Moses Traditions

20.1 Folk Tale Plot-motifs andTraditional Episodes