The Elohist: A Seventh-Century Theological Tradition
Ebook
Though many Old Testament scholars prefer no longer to speak of the Elohist source in the Pentateuch, Gnuse seeks to defend the existence of this pentateuchal tradition by responding to scholarly critics, isolating texts belonging to the source and offering a theological assessment of these texts. Dream reports in ancient Near Eastern texts from the seventh and sixth centuries BCE bear striking familiarity with the biblical dream reports in the Elohist. Prophetic narratives in the books of Samuel and Kings appear to have inspired the subsequent creation of the Elohist narratives in the Pentateuch. Thus, Gnuse situates the Elohist tradition in the seventh century BCE after the fall of the state of Israel in the north in 722 BCE, which is a later date than scholars have attributed to this source in the past. Because of this setting the Elohist texts may be assessed differently than they have been in the past. The texts might have spoken to exiles from the northern state with themes that bespeak devotion to one God, hope of restoration, and absolute obedience to a transcendent deity who is revealed through dreams, fire, and prophets. The author also ponders what these texts say to our modern age.
"In this study, the product of many years of thinking about the
Elohist, Robert Gnuse has produced a valuable guide to the central
texts and themes of this often overlooked and underappreciated
biblical author. The Elohist is well deserving of greater
attention, and Gnuse is to be commended for engaging it
head-on."
--Joel Baden, Professor of Hebrew Bible, Yale University
"Robert Gnuse has returned to an old question in the critical study
of Israelite tradition. He does so with fresh insight and
theological imagination. By mobilizing a wide and deep array of
scholarship he exposits a particular strand of the tradition that
on the one hand attests the transcendence of God, and on the other
exhibits the urgency of civil disobedience. His book is compelling
evidence of the way in which critical study of the Scriptures
serves contemporary theological interpretation."
--Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary
"Against the grain of much contemporary scholarship, Gnuse presents
a formidable case for the Elohist as a seventh-century BCE source
in the Pentateuch. The analysis brilliantly brings the Elohist
narratives to life as a northern theological response to the fall
of Israel in 722 BCE Gnuse also illustrates the theological
relevance of the Elohist to modern readers who struggle with issues
like the hiddenness of God, the world-wide increase of refugees,
and the insufficient supply of food for many people in the world.
Biblical scholars and theologians alike will benefit greatly from
this book."
--Stuart A. Irvine, Louisiana State University
"Robert Gnuse brings an impressive knowledge of Pentateuchal
scholarship to bear on the long-debated question of the existence
and purpose of the Elohist. He builds a strong case for regarding
these traditions as distinct cycles of tales crafted largely during
the century after the Assyrian conquest to help the exiles deal
theologically with this defeat. Carefully comparing these texts
with the early prophetic and later Yahwistic traditions, Gnuse
offers an illuminating contribution to the discussion."
--Douglas A. Knight, Drucilla Moore Buffington Professor of Hebrew
Bible, Emeritus, Vanderbilt University
Product Details
- Title : The Elohist: A Seventh-Century Theological Tradition
- Author: Gnuse, Robert Karl
- Publisher: Cascade Books
- Publication Date: 2017
- ISBN: 9781498295420