The Pentateuch: Exodus–Deuteronomy

________

389.    [Exodus; Leviticus; Deuteronomy] Michael Konkel, “Wie und wann kamm die Tora an den Sinai? Neuere Kommentare zu Exodus, Leviticus und Deuteronomium,” VF 64 (2019) 33–49.

K.’s contribution focuses on the legal corpora in the Pentateuch as these are treated in more recent commentaries on the books of Exodus (G. Fischer/D. Markl and R. Albertz), Leviticus (T. Hieke), and Deuteronomy (E. Otto). In a brief summation of his findings he comes to the conclusion that the Book of the Covenant was, at a secondary stage but still prior to the insertion of the Decalogue, inserted into a narrative sequence which would have contained a theophany and sacrificial festival (Exodus 19*; 20:18, 20; 24:4aβ-5) such that the Book of the Covenant as the oldest biblical lawbook was also the first legal corpus to become part of the Sinai pericope. K.’s discussion is of interest not only with regard to the literary criticism of the Pentateuch, but also for what concerns the question of how exegesis ought to deal with “difficult” biblical texts. [Translated and adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.]

390.    [Moses in Exodus] Maria Grazia Masetti-Rouault, “Au delà de Sargon: Influences syro-mésopotamiennes dans la construction littéraire de l’histoire de Moïse dans le livre de l’Exode,” Figures de Moïse, 15–28 [see #769].

The Syro-Mesopotamian influence on the OT is obvious. The discoveries of the tablets of Ugarit offered further evidence of such influence. Comparison of the biblical Moses figure with the Syro-Mesopotamian evidence sheds some light on who Moses is not. Even if Moses could be compared to a Mesopotamian king and even to a storm god, Moses is never explicitly qualified as such in the Bible. The Book of Exodus tends to make him disappear behind his function.—P.P.

391.    [Exodus] Kathleen Rochester, “Reading the Exodus Story Alongside Case Studies of Abuse and Betrayal in Family Relationships,” Expository Times 129 (2018) 158–64.

By paying attention to the emotional aspects of the key characters in the Exodus story, we can discover stories in the midst of trauma that can be helpful to people of faith today who have suffered trauma. People who are victims of abuse and betrayal may find a carefully guided reading of texts like the Exodus story prove therapeutic. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.]

392.    [Exodus 1–18] Thomas Römer, “Auszug aus Agypten oder Pilgerreise in die Wüste? Überlegungen zur Konstruktion der Exodustradition(en),” Tradition(en) im alten Israel, 89–107 [see #774].

In the OT, one finds a dominant tradition of an “exodus,” in which, under the leadership of Moses and Aaron, the Israelites definitively leave Egypt for the land promised them by their God, Yhwh. In both the exodus story of Exodus 1–18 and other OT contexts, there are, however, also traces of an alternative account of Israel’s departure from Egypt, i.e. as a “pilgrimage” into the desert to offer sacrifice to Yhwh who dwelt there; in this form of the tradition the role of the Israelite overseers of their enslaved compatriots in initiating the process is highlighted as well (see, e.g., Exodus 5). As R. further points out, the account of Exodus 1–18 preserves traces of still other variants to the dominant exodus tradition with, e.g., the reference to Pharaoh’s fear that the Israelites might join themselves to other enemies of Egypt in attacking their host country (see 1:10) and the allusion to Moses’ (temporary) leprosy in 4:6–9, motifs that were subsequently picked up by the Egyptian author Manetho and given an anti-Jewish character by him.—C.T.B.

393.    [Exodus 1–2; Genesis 6–9, etc.] Konrad Schmid, “Moses Geburt und ihr literarisches Nachleben. Die innerbiblische Rezeptionsgeschichte von Ex 2,1–10 in Ex 1 und Gen 6–9,” Schriftgelehrte Fortschreibungs- und Auslegungsprozesse, 159–77 [see #773].

According to S., Exodus...