Jag sluter nu ett förbund med er : En kritisk forskningsöversikt med syftet att nå ett rimligt grundat svar på frågan om Sinaiförbundets ursprung
(2014) TEOM71 20132Centre for Theology and Religious Studies
- Abstract
- Several texts in the Old Testament discuss the Sinaitic covenant but not all of them present an established covenant form and concept. It is the elaborate and conscious covenant form that will be the focus of this thesis and we can see such an established covenant form e.g. in Deuteronomy. The thesis will critically evaluate and synthesize the major research positions regarding the origins of the Sinaitic covenant, for the purpose of finding out from where this established covenant from may have come, when we can see it attested in the Biblical texts and also, what its function may have been for the people of Israel. Five Old Testament texts will prove important when determining from where and when the covenant, in its established form,... (More)
- Several texts in the Old Testament discuss the Sinaitic covenant but not all of them present an established covenant form and concept. It is the elaborate and conscious covenant form that will be the focus of this thesis and we can see such an established covenant form e.g. in Deuteronomy. The thesis will critically evaluate and synthesize the major research positions regarding the origins of the Sinaitic covenant, for the purpose of finding out from where this established covenant from may have come, when we can see it attested in the Biblical texts and also, what its function may have been for the people of Israel. Five Old Testament texts will prove important when determining from where and when the covenant, in its established form, came. These texts are Deuteronomy, Exod. 19-24; 34; Josh. 24 and Hos. 6:7; 8:1.
Similarities between covenantal texts in the Old Testament and political treaties from the Hittite Empire and Assyria were discovered in the middle of the 20th century, and scholars have since then attempted to show an influence from the treaties on the biblical texts. I follow in their footsteps in this study and while I do not agree with G. E. Mendenhall that Exod. 19-24 is directly influenced by the Hittite treaties, I do agree with D. J. McCarthy, who argues that it is in fact the Assyrian treaties that have influenced Deuteronomy.
The original book of Deuteronomy, Urdeuteronomium, is often regarded as a composition from the time between the fall of the Kingdom of Israel (721 BCE) and the reign of Josiah (ca. 640-609 BCE) which strongly suggests that at this time Israel knows of an established covenant with YHWH. We find additional support for this in Josh. 24, which clearly speaks of a covenant between YHWH and Israel. L. Perlitt convincingly argues that Josh. 24 came about during the reign of Manasseh (ca. 687-642 BCE) and Exod. 34 is also by some scholars considered to be a seventh century composition.
A setting in Judah in the seventh century BCE for the established and structured covenant between YHWH and Israel is highly probable. Assyria is at this time very powerful, the Kingdom of Israel has fallen and Judah is an Assyrian vassal. It is at this point the Sinaitic covenant is consciously drafted as an analogy of the Assyrian treaties. By doing this, it makes the covenant a polemic counteract against Assyria, with the purpose of preserving Israel’s belief in and worship of YHWH. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/4285920
- author
- Alm, Jessica LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- TEOM71 20132
- year
- 2014
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Sinai, covenant, Deuteronomy, Exod. 19-24, 34, Josh. 24, Hosea, Hittite and Assyrian treaties
- language
- Swedish
- id
- 4285920
- date added to LUP
- 2014-02-07 13:09:10
- date last changed
- 2015-12-14 13:35:30
@misc{4285920,
abstract = {{Several texts in the Old Testament discuss the Sinaitic covenant but not all of them present an established covenant form and concept. It is the elaborate and conscious covenant form that will be the focus of this thesis and we can see such an established covenant form e.g. in Deuteronomy. The thesis will critically evaluate and synthesize the major research positions regarding the origins of the Sinaitic covenant, for the purpose of finding out from where this established covenant from may have come, when we can see it attested in the Biblical texts and also, what its function may have been for the people of Israel. Five Old Testament texts will prove important when determining from where and when the covenant, in its established form, came. These texts are Deuteronomy, Exod. 19-24; 34; Josh. 24 and Hos. 6:7; 8:1.
Similarities between covenantal texts in the Old Testament and political treaties from the Hittite Empire and Assyria were discovered in the middle of the 20th century, and scholars have since then attempted to show an influence from the treaties on the biblical texts. I follow in their footsteps in this study and while I do not agree with G. E. Mendenhall that Exod. 19-24 is directly influenced by the Hittite treaties, I do agree with D. J. McCarthy, who argues that it is in fact the Assyrian treaties that have influenced Deuteronomy.
The original book of Deuteronomy, Urdeuteronomium, is often regarded as a composition from the time between the fall of the Kingdom of Israel (721 BCE) and the reign of Josiah (ca. 640-609 BCE) which strongly suggests that at this time Israel knows of an established covenant with YHWH. We find additional support for this in Josh. 24, which clearly speaks of a covenant between YHWH and Israel. L. Perlitt convincingly argues that Josh. 24 came about during the reign of Manasseh (ca. 687-642 BCE) and Exod. 34 is also by some scholars considered to be a seventh century composition.
A setting in Judah in the seventh century BCE for the established and structured covenant between YHWH and Israel is highly probable. Assyria is at this time very powerful, the Kingdom of Israel has fallen and Judah is an Assyrian vassal. It is at this point the Sinaitic covenant is consciously drafted as an analogy of the Assyrian treaties. By doing this, it makes the covenant a polemic counteract against Assyria, with the purpose of preserving Israel’s belief in and worship of YHWH.}},
author = {{Alm, Jessica}},
language = {{swe}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Jag sluter nu ett förbund med er : En kritisk forskningsöversikt med syftet att nå ett rimligt grundat svar på frågan om Sinaiförbundets ursprung}},
year = {{2014}},
}