Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- General Editors' Preface
- Author's Foreword
- List of Abbreviations
- Maps
- PART I
- PART II
- 6 The Synagogue
- 7 Law, Prophets and Writings
- 8 Greek Versions, Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha
- 9 The Qumran Writings
- 10 Early Rabbinic Judaism
- 11 Christian Writings
- 12 Writers, other than Jewish or Christian, in the Roman Empire 200 bc to ad 200
- Appendix I Dates
- Appendix II The Literature
- Appendix III Chronological Tables
- Bibliography
- Index
7 - Law, Prophets and Writings
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 June 2011
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- General Editors' Preface
- Author's Foreword
- List of Abbreviations
- Maps
- PART I
- PART II
- 6 The Synagogue
- 7 Law, Prophets and Writings
- 8 Greek Versions, Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha
- 9 The Qumran Writings
- 10 Early Rabbinic Judaism
- 11 Christian Writings
- 12 Writers, other than Jewish or Christian, in the Roman Empire 200 bc to ad 200
- Appendix I Dates
- Appendix II The Literature
- Appendix III Chronological Tables
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
THE LAW
The Pentateuch consists of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Their composite nature is here taken for granted, and no explanation is attempted of the processes by which these books were given their present form. It suffices to remark that the whole Pentateuch was formed largely by replacement of older bodies of law by new ones, but this replacement took place in practice and not in the actual literature, which was enlarged to incorporate new collections with the old rather than to discard the old. The Laws of Deuteronomy (D) may most readily be seen as offering an extension of earlier material such as is found in the socalled ‘Book of the Covenant’ in Exod. 20-3. An alternative or replacement for the D material is in some respects offered by the ‘Priestly Code’ (P) which is to be found in parts of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, and incorporates an independent collection usually termed ‘The Holiness Code’, Lev. 17-26. Only minor additions and alterations followed, and the text norm was fixed by 350-300 BC. This is evidenced by its recognition by the Chronicler and by the Samaritan version (for the latter does not deviate substantially from the Masoretic version, and the Samaritans separated from the Judaeans c. 300), and by the similar parallel between the Masoretic text and the Septuagint (p. 153).
PROPHETS
These comprise Joshua, Judges, the books of Samuel, the books of Kings (each of these two latter items counting as one book), Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the Twelve Prophets (counting as one book though including Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi).
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Jewish and Christian World 200 BC to AD 200 , pp. 149 - 152Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1984