• Conquest and Form: Narrativity in Joshua 5-11 and Historical Discourse in Ancient Judah

    Author(s):
    Ian Wilson (see profile)
    Date:
    2013
    Group(s):
    Ancient Jew Review, Ancient Near East, Biblical Studies, Historiography, Jewish Studies
    Subject(s):
    Bible, Historiography, Narration (Rhetoric)
    Item Type:
    Article
    Tag(s):
    Biblical studies, Hebrew bible, Narrativity
    Permanent URL:
    http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/M6MM32
    Abstract:
    One goal of this essay is to offer an exploratory, historiographical analysis of the conquest account in the book of Joshua, an analysis that focuses upon the sociocultural milieu of ancient Judah. I propose to show how this narrative of conquest might have contributed to discourse(s) among the literate Judean community that perpetuated the text, and I will offer a few thoughts on the potential relationship between the narrative and the supposed cultic reforms of the late seventh century b.c.e. A number of biblical scholars have argued that the late monarchic period gave rise to the conquest story as recounted in Joshua. In this essay, I would like to pay special attention to precisely how this narrative might have functioned within the milieu of the late monarchic period, thus refining our understanding of the narrative’s contribution to the discourses of this era and our knowledge of its relationship to other narratives that were probably extant at the same time. In other words, what particular features of the narrative might have had special import in this period? Specifically, I will argue that the narrative reveals certain discursive statements about Yahweh’s cultic supremacy and about important cultic sites in late monarchic Judah, and that this is evident in particular narratival features that are present in the text.
    Metadata:
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    Published as:
    Journal article     Show details
    Pub. Date:
    2013
    Journal:
    Harvard Theological Review
    Volume:
    106
    Page Range:
    309 - 329
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    6 years ago
    License:
    All Rights Reserved
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