Table of Contents
Acknowledgements xi
Sigla xiii
Abbreviations xv
Introduction 1
Methodological Approach 2
Select Examples 7
The Scope of This Study 11
Plausibility 12
The Israelites Composed Poetic Historical Narratives 12
Prose Supplements Often Intrude on Biblical Poetry 15
Composition Layers Exist in the Priestly Source 17
P's Language and Style Are Carefully Crafted 17
Beginning a Discussion 18
Chapter 1 Identifying Poetic Features in Biblical Texts 21
Terminology 23
Introduction to Parallelism 28
1 Literary Study 31
Linguistic Parallelism 36
2 Grammatical Study 37
3 Lexical Study 43
Special Types of Lexical Parallelism 47
4 Phonological Study 49
Structural Devices 52
5 Chiasmus 52
6 Inclusio Structure 57
7 Word Order 60
Stylistic Concerns 63
8 Diction 63
Terseness 63
Marked Phrasing 65
Acrostics 66
Archaisms and Archaizing 67
Refrains 69
Rhetorical Devices: Metaphor and Simile 69
Other Rhetorical Devices 72
9 Rhythm 73
Meter 74
Balance 77
Prose versus Poetry 79
Prosaic versus Poetic 83
Summary 84
Chapter 2 Differentiating Poetic and Prosaic Texts 89
Poetic Sub-Features 90
Poetic Texts 91
Prosaic Texts 96
Proposing a Four-Part System to Differentiate Prosaic and Poetic Texts 99
1 Count Sub-features 100
2 Weigh the Strength of the Sub-features 102
The Usefulness of Weak and Unranked Poetic Sub-features 109
3 Consider Context 110
4 Determine Poetic Dominance 111
Poetic Lines Inset in Prose 112
Chapter 3 Poetic Elements in Priestly Narrative 121
Case Study: Poetic Features in Gen. 17:1-14 125
The Number and Strength of the Poetic Sub-features 133
The Context of the Poetic Lines 141
The Dominance of the Poetic Features 142
Emerging Trends in the Poetic and Prosaic Material 144
Excursus 1 Theories Concerning Prosaic Supplementations in Gen. 17:1-14 149
Excursus 2 Wiederaufnahmen 149
Summary 151
Chapter 4 Poetic and Prosaic Strata in Genesis 6-9 153
Poetic Material in Genesis 6-9 158
Scholarship on Genesis 6-9, Briefly Noted 160
On MT in Genesis 6-9 162
Previewing Poetic-P 163
Case Study: Genesis 6-9 167
Introducing Noah: 6:9-10 168
Earths Evil: 6:11-13 172
Building the Ark: 6:14-16 179
Excursus 3 P, Non-P, and Mesopotamian Flood Traditions 183
Before the Flood: 6:17-22 186
The Flood Begins #1: 7:6, 8-9 195
The Flood Begins #2:7:11 200
Entering the Ark: 7:13-16a 202
The Flood: 7:18-22, 24 206
The Flood Subsides #1: 8:1-2a 211
The Flood Subsides #2: 8:3b-5,7,13a, 14 213
Leaving the Ark: 8:15-19 216
Blessings and Responsibilities; 9:1-7 223
A New Covenant: 9:8-17 236
Poetic Features in the Yahwistic (Non-P) Source 243
Summary 246
Chapter 5 The Priestly Source in Scholarship 257
Critical Theories of Pentateuchal Development 257
The Classical Documentary Hypothesis 260
The Jerusalem School 263
Abandoning the Documentary Hypothesis 266
The Neo-Documentary Hypothesis 271
Critical Theories Concerning P 273
P's Completeness 273
P's Strata 276
P's Ending 282
An Understanding of P's Compositional History 284
Identifying P's Strata Anew 286
Chapter 6 Preliminary Divisions between Poetic and Prosaic Priestly Strata 288
An Overview of Poetic-P and Prosaic-P 289
Poetic Features in Poetic-P 298
The Nine Primary Poetic Features 298
Prosaic Features in Poetic-P 302
Poetic Cola, Lines, and Stanzas 303
Preliminary Trends in Prosaic-P's Supplementations 305
A Preliminary Stratification of Poetic-P and Prosaic-P 308
Creation: Gen. 1:1-2:3 310
Generations: Gen. 2:4a; 5:1-28,30-32 317
Noah; Gen. 6:9-22; 7:6, 8-9,11,13-16a, 18-22,24; 8:l-2a,3b-5,7,13a, 14-19; 9:1-17 320
Generations, Continued: Gen. 9:28-29; 10:1-7, 20, 22-23,31-32; 11:11-26 325
Abraham's Introduction: Gen, 11:27-32; 12:4b-5; 13:6, llb-12ba; 16:1a,3,15-16 327
Abrahams Circumcision Covenant: Gen. 17:1-27 329
Cities Destroyed, Lot Spared: Gen. 19:29 337
Isaac's Birth: Gen. 21:1b, 2b-5 338
Sarah's Death and Burial: Gen. 23:1-20 338
Abraham's Death and Burial: Gen. 25:7-1 la 341
Ishmaels Genealogy: Gen. 25:12-18 341
Isaac's Progeny: Gen. 25:19-20, <…>, 26b 342
Jacob (and Esau) Take Wives: Gen. 26:34-35; 27:46; 28:1-9 343
Jacob Returns to Canaan: Gen. 31:18; 35:6, 9-15 345
Jacob's Sons & Isaac's Death: Gen. 35:22b-29 346
Esau's Genealogy: Gen. 36:1-8 347
Esau's Genealogy, Continued: Gen. 36:9-43 348
Jacob's Sons: Gen. 37:1-2; <…>; 41:46a; <…>; 46:6-7 349
Jacob's Genealogy: Gen. 46:8-27 353
Jacob Before Pharaoh: Gen. 47:5*, 5b-6a, 7-11,27b-28 353
Jacob Blesses Joseph: Gen. 48:3-6 355
Jacob's Burial: Gen. 49:1a, 28b-33; 50:12-13 355
Israel's Sons: Exod. 1:1-5, 7 359
The Israelites in Slavery: Exod. 1:13-14; 2:23aβ-25 360
Moses's Calling: Exod. 6:2-13 362
Moses's Genealogy: Exod. 6:14-27 364
Moses's Calling, Continued: Exod. 6:28-7:7 365
The Serpent Sign: Exod. 7:8-13 366
The Plagues: Blood (Exod. 7:19, 20aaa, 21b-22); Frogs (8:1-3); Gnats (8:12-15); and Boils (9:8-12) 367
The Pesach Sacrifice: Exod. 12:1-14 370
The Matzah Festival: Exod. 12:15-20,28 374
Leaving Egypt: Exod. 12:40-41; 13:20; 12:42 375
The Pesach Festival: Exod. 12:43-51 376
Pillar of Cloud and Fire: Exod. 13:21-22 377
The Sea Sign: Exod. 14:1-4,8-9, 10bβ, 15-18,21aα, 21b-23, 26-27aα, 28-29 377
Wilderness Itinerary: Exod. 15:22a, 27; 16:1 380
Manna: Exod. 16:2-3,6-13,16-2la, 22-26,31-36 380
Sinai Theophany: Exod. 17:la-bα; 19:1-2, 18; 24:15b-18a 386
Overview of Exodus 25-31 387
Tabernacle-Material: Exod. 25:1-9 390
Tabernacle-The Ark: Exod. 25:10-22 391
Tabernacle-The Table: Exod. 25:23-30 392
Tabernacle-The Lampstand: Exod. 25:31-40 393
Tabernacle-The Curtain: Exod. 26:1-14 393
Tabernacle-The Structure: Exod. 26:15-30 394
Tabernacle-The Interior: Exod. 26:31-37 395
Tabernacle-The Altar: Exod. 27:1-8 396
Tabernacle-The Courtyard: Exod. 27:9-19 397
Tabernacle-The Oil: Exod. 27:20-21 397
Priestly Vestments: Exod. 28:1-43 398
Excursus 4 Literary Parallelism in Poetic-P, Reiterated & Expanded 401
Ordination Ritual: Exod. 29:1-46 403
Tabernacle-The Incense Altar: Exod. 30:1-10 408
Census and Tax: Exod. 30:11-16 409
Tabernacle-The Bronze Basin: Exod. 30:17-21 410
Tabernacle-Spices: Exod. 30:22-38 410
Tabernacle-Bezalel and Oholiab: Exod. 31:1-11 412
Shabbat Observance: Exod. 31:12-17 413
Moses's Shining Face: Exod. 34:29-35 414
Building the Tabernacle: Exod. 35:1-40:33a 415
God Inhabits the Tabernacle: Exod. 40:33b-38 415
Overview of Leviticus 416
Theophany: Lev. 9:22-24 417
Alien Fire: Lev. 10:1-11 418
Wilderness Census: Num. 1:1-46 419
The Levites: Num. 1:47-4:49 420
The Nazirite: Num. 6:1-21 423
The Priestly Blessing: Num. 6:22-27 424
Stocking the Tabernacle: Num. 7:1-89 424
Levites Offered to YHWH: Num. 8:5-26 426
The Israelites Depart: Num. 9:23-10:28 427
The Scouts: Num. 13:1-15,25-26, 32; 14:1-3,5-10,26-39 428
The Korah Rebellion: Num. 16:1a, 2aβ-11, 15-24,27a, 35-17:28 431
The Waters of Meribah: Num. 20:1-13 436
Aaron's Death: Num. 20:22-29 438
Phineas: Num. 22:1; 25:6-18 439
Joshua as Leader: Num. 27:12-23 440
Settling Transjordan: Num. 32:2,4, 5aβ, 13,16-24,28-32 442
Instructions for Dispossessing the Canaanites: Num. 33:50-56 444
Moses Dies and Joshua Begins: Deut. 34:1 a, 7-9 445
Chapter 7 Conclusion 448
Possible Implications 452
Speculation on Authors and Dating 458
Future Research 462
Appendix: The Nine Primary Poetic Features 464
Bibliography 468
Index of Ancient Texts 508
Index of Selected Authors and Subjects 519