ENGLISH

Reading Law: The Rhetorical Shaping of the Pentateuch

By James W. Watts

Book information

Publisher
Sheffield Academic Press
Year
1999
ISBN
1850759979, 9781850759973
Language
english
Format
PDF
Filesize
11 MB (11236250 bytes)
Series
Biblical Seminar 59
Pages
190\191
Topic
Religion
DPI
200
Orientation
portrait
Paginated
yes
Scanned
yes
Time added
2014-03-24 05:01:16

Description

Watts here argues that conventions of oral rhetoric were adapted to shape the literary form and contents of the Pentateuch. The large-scale structure-stories introducing lists of laws that conclude with divine sanctions-reproduces a common ancient strategy for persuasion. The laws' use of direct address, historical motivations and frequent repetitions serve rhetorical ends, and even the legal contradictions seem designed to appeal to competing constituencies. The instructional speeches of God and Moses reinforce the persuasive appeal by characterizing God as a just ruler and Moses as a faithful scribe. The Pentateuch was designed to persuade Persian-period Judaeans that this Torah should define their identity as Israel.

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