Has the Lord Indeed Only Spoken Through Moses? A Study of the Biblical Portrait of Miriam (review)

Hebrew Studies 32 (1991) 82 Reviews it will draw more attention to this central metaphor and that its implications will fmd their way into exegetical studies as well as OT theologies. Gary V. Smith Bethel Theological Seminary St Paul, MN 55112 HAS THE LORD INDEED ONLY SPOKEN THROUGH MOSES? A STUDY OF THE BIBLICAL PORTRAIT OF MIRIAM. By Rita J. Burns. SBL Dissertation Series 84. pp. vi + 142. Atlanta: Scholars, 1987. Cloth, $16.95 I Paper, $9.95. The goal of this book is to formulate, based on the seven brief passages in which her name is mentioned, a portrait of Miriam as she was viewed in the biblical tradition. The seven passages in question are Exod 15:20-21; Num 12:1-15; Mic 6:4; Num 26:59; 1 Chron 5:29; Deut 24:9; and Num 20:1. Bums disregards Exod 2 because of its legendary character and because Moses' sister in this passage is not named. In pursuit of her goal, the author undertakes a detailed analysis of each of the seven passages, concluding that Miriam was neither a prophetess nor sister of Moses and Aaron as usually described; but a cultic figure, a leader in Israel's wilderness community, and later styled the sister of Moses and Aaron to emphasize her cultic role. Some weaknesses in Bums' methods should be addressed. One is her tendency to build arguments on what appear to be shaky foundations. In chap. 2 in the discussion of Exod 15, she argues (pp. 16ff.) that Miriam's song was cultic and ritual in nature because, unlike the victory song of Jephthah's daughter in Judg 11 :34 and the women who praised David's victories in 1 Sam 18:6 and elsewhere, the warrior hero in Miriam's song was not a human but Yahweh. Her own further comment (p. 17, n. 22), however, argues effectively against her: all Israel's battles, as holy war, ascribed the victory ultimately to Yahweh; in Israel, Yahweh was always considered to be the war hero "Yahweh of hosts." Furthermore, the assumption that because the hero in the Song of the Sea is Yahweh makes the song cultic, and ritual is unfounded. Apparently the argument assumes that anything ascribing glory to Yahweh must be cultic. Hebrew Studies 32 (1991) 83 Reviews The author also attempts to prove that the dance of Exod 15:20-21 is a cultic ritual reflecting mock battle. This is based on the argument that the incident of the golden calf (Exod 32) reflects, in reality, a mock battle in celebration of Yahweh's deliverance from Egypt (pp. 19-21). Bums continues the argument with an elaborate analysis to prove that David's dance before the Ark was also a mock battle (pp. 22-24). These, as well as a study of other passages, show finally that "dance was a recurring feature in celebrations among the Hebrews" and that "the dance in victory celebrations functioned as a rehearsal of the battles of Yahweh" (p. 29). This chapter concludes, then, "that Exod 15:20-21 is cultic through and through ... " and that "the original Sitz im Leben for this text was not a spontaneous celebration (e.g., like that of Jephthah's daughter) but a liturgical event at the Hebrew shrine" (pp. 39-40). Although the author's use of critical techniques is impressive, it sometimes seems as if a large part of her goal is just to show that she knows how to use them. At the least, her method tends to become tedious. An example can be found in her examination of Miriam's role in Num 12:2-9 (pp. 48ff.). After presenting this issue, the author divides it into sub-questions, deals with each in sometimes excruciating detail by taking each subquestion apart, and then gradually rebuilds them. There is a great deal of repetition as she reminds us periodically of what she has proven so far, but this is necessary so that the reader does not get lost. Bums' detailed critical study of each passage leads to the expectation that she is building a very elaborate argument needing to be constructed on a complex knowledge of intra...