Covenant in the Persian Period: From Genesis to Chronicles ed. by Richard J. Bautch and Gary N. Knoppers (review)

This volume, as indicated in the introduction, is a collection of twenty-two essays (coincidentally the same number as characters in the Hebrew alphabet) offered by a diverse group of scholars that "explore the tremendous range of covenantal perspectives that emerge during the Persian period, and it establishes the importance of each within its religious, social, and historical context" (p. 1). During these increasingly changing time periods, the motif of covenant () proved to be important for Jewish intellectual life; however, comparatively little research has been carried out on the motif of covenant in the postmonarchic period. It is this lacuna that this collection of essays seeks to fill. In other words, scholars interested in covenant had reached an impasse, but all were agreed that "a relative lack of interest in covenant during the Persian period" is apparent. Bautch and Knoppers refer to this former view as unfortunate (p. 3) and make clear that the aim of this present collection of essays is to rectify matters and demonstrate that the reverse is the case.

This collection of essays is in five parts, and it is noted in the introduction that "typically, the writer of a given chapter is a specialist on the biblical book in question and brings his or her command of the text to the study of the covenant" (p. 4). Part 1 deals with the Pentateuch and includes Jacob Wöhrle, "Abraham amidst the Nations: The Priestly Concept of Covenant and the Persian Ideology"; Andreas Schüle, "The 'Eternal Covenant' in the Priestly Pentateuch and the Major Prophets"; Wolfgang Oswald, "Correlating the Covenants in Exodus 24 and Exodus 34"; Thomas Hieke, "The Covenant in Leviticus 26: A Concept of Admonition and Redemption."

Part 2 treats the (Deuteronomistic) History books and comprises Reinhard Achenbach, "'The Unwritten Text of the Covenant': Torah in the Mouth of the Prophets"; Ehud Ben Zvi, "A Balancing Act: Settling and Unsettling Issues Concerning Past Divine Promises in Historiographical Texts Shaping Social Memory in the Late Persian Period"; Cynthia Edenburg, "From Covenant to Connubium: Persian Period Developments in the Perception of Covenant in the Deuteronomistic History."

Part 3 explores prophecy: Dalit Rom-Shiloni, "The Covenant in the Book of Jeremiah: On the Employment of Family and Political Metaphors"; Matthew Sjöberg, "Inner-Biblical Interpretation in the Redaction of Jeremiah 33:14-26"; J. Todd Hibbard, "Breaking an Eternal Covenant: Isaiah 24:5 and Persian-Period Discourse about the Covenant"; James Nogalski, "Presumptions of 'Covenant' in Joel"; John Kessler, "Curse, Covenant, and Temple in the Book of Haggai"; Richard J. Bautch, "Zechariah 11 and the Shepherd's Broken Covenant"; Elie Assis, "The Reproach of the Priests (Malachi 1:6-2:9) with Malachi's Conception of Covenant"; Christine Mitchell, "Achaemenid Persian Concepts Pertaining to the Covenant and Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi."

Wisdom literature is the subject of part 4: W. H. Bellinger Jr., "The Psalms, Covenant, and the Persian Period"; Carol J. Dempsey, "Poems, Prayers, and Promises: The Psalms and Israel's Three Covenants"; Jamie A. Grant, "'When the Friendship of God Was upon My Tent': Covenant as Essential Background to Lament in the Wisdom Literature"; Thomas M. Bolin, "Qoheleth and the Covenant: Some Preliminary Observations."

Finally, part 5 looks at Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah and includes Douglas J. E. Nykolaishen, "Ezra 10:3: Solemn Oath? Renewed Covenant? New Covenant?"; Mark J. Boda, "Reenvisioning the Relationship: Covenant in Chronicles"; Louis C. Jonker, "'The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord': The Place of Covenant in the Chronicler's Theology." Space does not permit this review to engage with the full range of insights and erudition in this collection of essays; therefore two essays, picked at random, are addressed in some detail below.

Hieke analyzes the topic of covenant in the third book of the Torah, Leviticus. He notes that, with the exception of Lev 2:13 and 24:8, the Hebrew term ("covenant...