RT Article
T1 The Gibeonite Deception: Reflections on the Interplay between Law and Narrative in Josh 9
JF Scandinavian journal of the Old Testament
VO 31
IS 2
SP 254
OP 274
A1 Berner, Christoph 1976-
LA English
YR 2017
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1639496009
AB The paper relates the redaction history of Josh 9 to the development of legal concepts in Deuteronomy and beyond. It shows that the earliest version of the text provided an impartial portrayal of a peace treaty between Gibeon and Israel, which prepared for the events recounted in Josh 10. After the emergence of the law of ḥērem (Deut 20,15-18), this original version of Josh 9 implied an open contradiction to Deuteronomy’s warfare legislation. As a result, a first Deuteronomistic editor (D 1) introduced the idea that the Gibeonites had tricked the Israelites into making a covenant and thus saved their lives with deceit. At this stage of the literary development, the prohibition of making a covenant with the inhabitants of the land (e.g. Deut 7,2) was not in view yet. Compared to the ḥērem, the respective prohibition represents a later stage in the development of the legal material (perhaps triggered by the D 1 version of Josh 9). It is only reflected in a second Deuteronomistic layer (D 2) of the chapter, which should afterwards receive one more major editorial reworking by a priestly hand.
K1 Bibel : Josua : 9
K1 Covenant
K1 Gibeonites
K1 Herem
K1 Josh 9
K1 law and narrative