Description
Book SynopsisThe remarkable poem in Deut 32:143 is a triple conclusion to the life of Moses, to Deuteronomy and to the Pentateuch/Torah. In content and style, it is an encapsulation of history, prophecy, and wisdom, of a poetic quality hard to surpass. The song was supposed to be learned by heart, was given its own scroll in Qumran, and was, as far as we know, the first Hebrew text to be written colographically. Yet, the poem is shrouded in vagueness and ambiguity, and scholars have pondered its origins, function, meaning, and message.
The Origins of Deuteronomy 32: Intertextuality, Memory, Identity plunges into the debate. Extensive theoretical discussions form the foundations for an analysis of similarities and dissimilarities between Deut 32 and other texts from many different perspectives. This indicates a close relationship to the Persian period edition of the Book of Isaiah. In light of a reconstruction of Yehud, theories of social memory and social identity formation are emp
Trade Review
“It is to Tina Dykesteen Nilsen’s merit that she combines traditional exegetical methods with recent theories on memory and identity. By crossing these borders she argues that a scribal group who employed characteristics of Isaiah 56–66 wrote the ‘Song of Moses’ (Deut 32) between 530 and 450 BCE. It was inserted into Deuteronomy to form group identity by strengthening the memories of Moses, of key events in the group’s history, and of the law.” —Dr. Karl William Weyde, Professor, Old Testament Department, MF Norwegian School of Theology, Oslo
“What makes The Origins of Deuteronomy 32: Intertextuality, Memory, Identity unique is its combination of three perspectives in recent scholarship: studies of memory, identity formation, and production of written texts. It is especially the latter that gives this book its impetus. By regarding texts not as oral traditions but as scribal products, the book argues that texts—not only phrases and oral traditions—would cross boundaries between scribal schools working in Persian period Jerusalem. Applied to Deuteronomy 32, this is a genuine renewal of old ‘literary’ positions.” —Kåre Berge, Professor of Old Testament at NLA University College, Bergen
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements – Part I. Question and Text – Introduction – A History of Research – Preliminary Issues – Part 2. What and When? Intertextual Connections – Theories and Methods of Intertextuality – Similes and Metaphors – Lexemes and Phrases – Archaisms, Forms, Themes and Biblical Parallels – Diachronic Explanations – Part 3. Why and by Whom? Memory, Identity and Scribal Production – Theories of Social Memory and Identity Formation – Memory and Identity in Deuteronomy and the Function of Give Ear – Isaianic Memory and Identity and the Work of Scribes – Conclusion – Index of Modern Authors.
