From Joshua To Samuel: Some Remarks On The Origin Of The Book Of Judges

Abstract

The basic problem or challenge a modern commentator on books such as Joshua and Judges faces is that he/she has to take a deliberate stand in the ongoing discussion on the Deuteronomistic history. This chapter shows that it is possible to profit from the arguments used in both the diachronic and the synchronic approach- they are often the same though interpreted differently-in an attempt to offer a plausible sketch of the origin of the book. There appear to bemany good reasons to assume that the book of Judges in its present form can be explained as a bridge that was laid relatively late between the books of Joshua and Samuel. In her recent monograph on Judges 1 Mareike Rake makes a new, impressive effort to explain the inconsistencies, contradictions, and unexpected repetitions the reader comes across in the transition from the book of Joshua to the book of Judges. Keywords: Book of Judges; Deuteronomistic history; Joshua; Samuel