7 - Law, Prophets and Writings

Summary

THE LAW

The Pentateuch consists of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Their composite nature is here taken for granted, and no explanation is attempted of the processes by which these books were given their present form. It suffices to remark that the whole Pentateuch was formed largely by replacement of older bodies of law by new ones, but this replacement took place in practice and not in the actual literature, which was enlarged to incorporate new collections with the old rather than to discard the old. The Laws of Deuteronomy (D) may most readily be seen as offering an extension of earlier material such as is found in the socalled ‘Book of the Covenant’ in Exod. 20-3. An alternative or replacement for the D material is in some respects offered by the ‘Priestly Code’ (P) which is to be found in parts of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, and incorporates an independent collection usually termed ‘The Holiness Code’, Lev. 17-26. Only minor additions and alterations followed, and the text norm was fixed by 350-300 BC. This is evidenced by its recognition by the Chronicler and by the Samaritan version (for the latter does not deviate substantially from the Masoretic version, and the Samaritans separated from the Judaeans c. 300), and by the similar parallel between the Masoretic text and the Septuagint (p. 153).

PROPHETS

These comprise Joshua, Judges, the books of Samuel, the books of Kings (each of these two latter items counting as one book), Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the Twelve Prophets (counting as one book though including Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi).