A Tale of Two Cities (review)

Hebrew Studies 34 (1993) 161 Reviews situation? Nor do I believe we know enough about events in the period ca. 550-450 B.C. to correlate Isaiah 40-55's (purported) strands with particular periods within that century the way Kratz does. In sum, Kratz's "results" have a definiteness and precision about them that obscures just how uncertain and open to question they ultimately are on the basis of other presuppositions. Christopher T. Begg Catholic University ofAmerica Washington, D.C. 20064 A TALE OF TWO CITIES. By James A. Loader. Contributions to Biblical Exegesis and Theology 1. Pp. 150. Kampen, Netherlands: J. H. Kok, 1991. Paper. This study of the Sodom and Gomorrah traditions in the Hebrew Scriptures, early Christianity, and early Judaism has some intriguing aspects . It is, for the most part, a good collection of these traditions with an original analysis of the relevant texts, particularly those in the Hebrew Scriptures. The hypothesis of the study is stated on p. 13: "The Sodom and Gomorrah stories in Genesis 18-19 form a unit which inspired a rich tradition in early Jewish and Christian literature, but which also, together with other texts in the Old Testament, shows signs of the existence of earlier Sodom and Gomorrah traditions." Loader's analysis of Genesis 18-19 is the most innovative section of the study, establishing the categories utilized in the remainder of the study. Departing from the literary analysis found in commentaries such as that of Brueggemann, he argues that these two chapters form a narrative unit. He then outlines a chiastic structure for the unit in which the story of the destruction of Sodom in 19:1-26 forms the central section. He also proposes that 18:1-16 and vv. 6-7 within that unit are chiasms. The presence of both singular and plural traditions within that chapter suggest an integration of polytheistic and monotheistic structures. Loader attributes the retention of both viewpoints to the skill of the author of the final edition of Genesis, not the redactor. It is primarily in chap. 19 that he finds evidence of very ancient traditional material utilized by the author of this section. The volcanic activity alluded to in 19:24-25 is "evidence of the reminiscence of an ancient experience which made an indelible impact on the collective memory of the inhabitants of the region where it took place" and Hebrew Studies 34 (1993) 162 Reviews represents the oldest part of the narrative. On the basis of a contrast between an anti-urban attitude found in 19:4-9 and a nomadic ideal of hospitality found earlier in the story, the author proposes a date of composition in the eighth/seventh centuries B.C.E. (p. 43), thereby supporting a late date for the work of the Yahwist (p. 46). While his presentation is original, doubts about methodology begin to surface. Has Loader, for example, developed the literary implications of his proposal that these two chapters form a chiastic structure? If the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah forms its interpretative center, this contrasts with other proposals which find God's redemptive activity to be the center of the book. Do these two chapters provide some contrast with the remainder of Genesis or does his literary analysis call such a viewpoint of the biblical book into question? No recognition of such a problem is found in the study. There are, in fact, some literary studies on Genesis absent from the bibliography. The work could have benefited from other narrative studies. for example. George Coats, Genesis: With an Introduction to Narrative Literature (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. 1983). It is apparent, for example, that the proposal for a Sodom cycle contrasts with analyses which place these stories within an extended narrative centering on Abraham or Abraham-Lot. In the latter case Gen 18:1-16, centering on the heir of Abraham and Sarah, does hold a different place within the structure of this section. Since the author understands his work primarily as a literary study, these omissions are important. The scholar will benefit from the literary analysis proposed in this section, but it is not the last word on the subject. The thematic emphases...