Deuteronomy and the Pentateuch

by Jeffrey Stackert

Overview

This indispensable monograph synthesizes current debates and offers a new historical and literary analysis of the book of Deuteronomy
 
“In this exciting addition to the Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library, Stackert offers something genuinely new: he brilliantly weaves together biblical scholarship, cuneiform literature, and contemporary literary theory. This clearly written and engaging volume examines how the concept of scripture shaped ancient readers’ understanding of Deuteronomy.”—Bernard M. Levinson, University of Minnesota
 
The book of Deuteronomy introduces and develops many of the essential ideas, events, and texts of both Judaism and Christianity, and it has thus been a resource—and in some instances even a starting point—for investigations of themes and concepts beyond it. In this volume, Jeffrey Stackert deftly guides the reader through major topics in the interpretation of Deuteronomy and its relationship to the other four pentateuchal books. Considering subjects such as the relationship between law and narrative, the role of Deuteronomy in Israel’s history, its composition and reception history, the influence of cuneiform legal and treaty traditions, textual and archaeological evidence from the Levant and Mesopotamia, and the status of Deuteronomy within the larger biblical canon, this book introduces ongoing debates surrounding the book of Deuteronomy and offers a contemporary evaluation of the latest textual and material evidence.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780300167511
Publisher:	Yale University Press
Publication date:	04/26/2022
Series:	The Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Jeffrey Stackert is professor of Hebrew Bible at the University of Chicago. He is the author of Rewriting the Torah: Literary Revision in Deuteronomy and the Holiness Legislation and A Prophet Like Moses: Prophecy, Law, and Israelite Religion. He lives in Chicago, IL.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

List of Abbreviations ix

Introduction: The Importance of Deuteronomy and the Challenge of Its Interpretation 1

1 What Is Deuteronomy? 15

2 Literary Revision in Deuteronomic Composition 52

3 Ancient Near Eastern Influence in Deuteronomic Composition 86

4 Deuteronomic Reception and the Compiled Pentateuch 110

5 Dating Deuteronomic Composition 134

Conclusion: Literature in History and the Scriptural Pentateuch 159

Notes 163

Bibliography 211

Index of Ancient Sources 241

Index of Names and Subjects 247

Editorial Reviews

Deuteronomy is arguably the most important book in the Pentateuch, if not in the entire Hebrew Bible. With his trademark clarity and rigor, Stackert compellingly explains what Deuteronomy is, what it does, and how it works, both on its own and in its broader literary context. Deuteronomy and the Pentateuch is unquestionably the best book out there on this central biblical text, and should be standard reading for scholars and students alike.”—Joel Baden, Yale Divinity School

“Jeffrey Stackert is known for his thoughtful and theoretically informed contributions to Pentateuchal scholarship. In this new work, he tackles the range of complex issues surrounding the compositional history of Deuteronomy with characteristic acumen and clarity.”—Molly Zahn, author of Genres of Rewriting in Second Temple Judaism

“Stackert’s new volume on the book of Deuteronomy is a priceless contribution to the field. His analysis is incisive and accessible in equal measure. This book should be required reading for anyone interested in Deuteronomy, from its inception to its early reception.”—Shimon Gesundheit, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

“A compelling and original exploration of Deuteronomy, its composition, its use of earlier sources, its use in later sources, its ancient Near Eastern influences, and its date.”—Marc Zvi Brettler, Duke University

“In this exciting addition to the Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library, Stackert offers something genuinely new: he brilliantly weaves together biblical scholarship, cuneiform literature, and contemporary literary theory. This clearly written and engaging volume examines how the concept of scripture shaped ancient readers’ understanding of Deuteronomy.”—Bernard M. Levinson, University of Minnesota

From the Publisher