Week 7: Emergence in Canaan (Joshua & Judges) Flashcards
What books are a part of the Deuteronomistic History (DH)?
Joshua, Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings
What is the Deuteronomistic History (DH)?
The Deuteronomistic History (DH) is a modern theoretical construct holding that behind the present forms of the books of Deuteronomy and Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings (the Former Prophets in the Hebrew canon) there was a single literary work.
Explain the Deuteronomistic History (DH)
The DH is the shared theological perspective of Deuteronomy.
- Combines the histories of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms
- Establishment of the kingdom and monarchy to the babylon exile
- Various strands of historical material
- Historical, deals with events in Israelite history
- More secure ground in terms of dating, because these texts were likely written during the monarchy when there was an established scribal nature, and we can match the dates with historical documents and other nations
- Contains some folklore and legend material
Emphasizes:
(1) God’s utter supremacy
(2) Israel’s obligation and fidelity
(3) Israel’s absolute distinctiveness vis-a-vis the peoples around them.
What does the DH emphasize?
(1) God’s utter supremacy
(2) Israel’s obligation and fidelity
Israel’s absolute distinctiveness vis-a-vis the peoples around them
The Deuteronomic Principle
“hear and obey”
If you listen, you will learn to obey. If you obey, you will be rewarded.
Explain the Deuteronomic Principle
“hear and obey”
If you listen, you will learn to obey. If you obey, you will be rewarded.
Strict correlation between sin and punishment, obedience and reward.
They will be rewarded with the promise of land.
The promise and maintenance of the land is dependent on meeting two obligations:
(1) correct worship
(2) correct treatment of others
“If you heed these ordinances, by diligently observing them, the LORD your God will maintain with you the covenant loyalty that he swore to your ancestors…”
The Book of Joshua: Overarching Theological Approach (Joshua as the New Moses)
First book in the Deuteronomic History.
Jewish Canon: First of the Former Prophets
Christian Canons: First of the Historical Books
Associated with the Northern region of Ephraim
Joshua is appointed by Moses, and Moses changes Hoshea’s name to Joshua and lays hands on him
Hoshea: “He saves” → Joshua: “Yahweh saves”
Moses lays his hands on Joshua to transfer him, it is a paternal action where Moses becomes like a father to Joshua. This is a sign that Joshua is like the new Moses.
Joshua does Moses-like things (e.g. parting body of water to allow Israelites into the Promised Land).
Repetition: “Be strong and courageous”
The book of Joshua is a very militaristic book…it describes a series of attacks on Canaanite holdings. God is the primary holder on these attacks, and God will be described as the ultimate warrior .
Joshua and the herem
Herem: “devoted to destruction”
Prohibited: the “ban”
Spoils of War: any assets of the people who the Israelites are conquering (e.g. money, food, grain, weapons, people; anything that contributes to the wealth of society in the ancient world).
The spoils of war are devoted to God, because none of it could be kept to make the Israelites more prosperous. The spoils of war are devoted to God to show that it is only God who prospers. A lot of it, including people, would be burned.
It is understood that a Holy War should not be one of prosperity, and people from other cities had to be burned so that they would not commit idolatry. It is not clear how much of this was actually practiced, although it takes place in the writings.
Destruction Layers: when they dig down in archaeology, they find that entire cities have been burned.
Joshua 7:
The Isralites broke faith in regard to devoted things, and the anger of the Lord burned against the Israelites.
They go through all the tribes, clans and father’s houses to find who took the devoted things, until they find Akin, who admits to taking the spoils of war.
It is unclear how much of this is prescriptive (in order to deter people) or descriptive (describing actual events).
Major Theme in Joshua: Devotion (to God).
The Person of Joshua
Joshua 2: The Story of Rahab, the Prostitute
Joshua 2: The Story of Rehab
Joshua was one of the 12 male spies sent by Moses to scout the land of Canaan, and they end up at Rahab’s (a prostitute) house. Note: when a woman is named in the OT, it tells us something significant about her. Rahab is the only one who is named in this chapter, aside from Joshua.
Rahab is a Canaanite, foreign woman, and she helps the Israelites capture the land of Canaan. She uses the language of “I know that your God is the most powerful.” All of the prophetic books insist that God is the one who saved.
Even though Rahab is a prostitute, she makes linen, too. She has a livelihood that is not associated with her sexuality. (We also see the theme of deception and hiding, involving clothing in some way.)
Hesed: “Deal kindly with” (steadfast love and devotion)
Images of Foreign Women as Dangerous
Foreigeness and prostitution are classic categorizations of danger for Israelites (they are code for failing to worship God properly),
Israel is described as God’s wife, who is accused of being adulterous and unfaithful.
Female imagery: a nation is being characterized as wife (Idolatry = Adultery)
Joshua: Etiologies
- Rahab, the Canaanite Prostitute
- How the Canaanites came to be living among the Israelites
- Peace Treaty with the Gibeionites
- The City of Ai
The Book of Judges: Date
Unfolds over about 200 years (~1200-1000 BCE)
Carries us from entry of land into Canaan up until just before the monarchy.
Charismatic hero figures; non-dynastic leaders: Gideon, Deborah (a female), Sampson (association of manliness and strength with hariness).
The Book of Judges: Patterns of Events
The Pattern in Judges:
11 Then the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and worshiped the Baals; 12 and they abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; they followed other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were all around them, and bowed down to them; and they provoked the Lord to anger. 13 They abandoned the Lord, and worshiped Baal and the Astartes.
Israel sins by worshiping false gods
God punishes Israel by sending enemies to attack them
Israel cries out to God to save them
God sends Israel a deliverer in the figure of a judge (12 of them)
Israel is saved and there is peace in the land
Repeat!
The Book of Judges: Judges in the Pre-Monarchic Period
Repetition: “In those days, there was no king in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes” (17:6, 18:1, 19:1, 21:25)
Israel needs a king
Descending spiral (Judg 19-21)
The state of civil unrest in Israel is symbolically expressed by terrible injuries committed against this woman
Her bodily injuries symbolize Israel
Israel’s establishment in the PL takes a lot longer than the Book of Joshua makes it seem
All of this leads to the big Q: how did it happen?
The Book of Judges: How are the judges depicted?
Charismatic hero figures; non-dynastic leaders: Gideon, Deborah (a female), Sampson (association of manliness and strength with hariness).
We get the idea that the spirit of the Lord will take possession in one of the judges (this tells us that, what is important about leadership, is the presence of the Lord)…
Theological Outlook: staying obedient to the law and always putting God first is the litmus test for approval.
Gideon’s call to be a judge echoes themes seen elsewhere: disbelief, reluctance, displays of power, intense commitment to God.
“The spirit of the LORD took possession of Gideon…” (Judges 6:34)
