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The Last Days of Judah

The Last Days of Judah. Our goal is to look at Chronicles and the Dtr We have been examining how history is different in the Bible, and today we will expand that investigation

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The Last Days of Judah

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  1. The Last Days of Judah • Our goal is to look at Chronicles and the Dtr • We have been examining how history is different in the Bible, and today we will expand that investigation • Today we want to not only ask how the past events are portrayed, but we want to ask if the criteria for how they are portrayed can change? If so, we must return to the “deceptive” question.

  2. Deuteronomy • First thing to notice: doublet • Repeats the law and 10 commandments • Setting in time of Josiah for Deuteronomistic History (Huldah reads the law) • Theory is that Deut was written during Hezekiah’s or Josiah’s reign

  3. Reforms of Hezekiah and Josiah • Both kings centralized the cult to Jerusalem • These reforms were political as much as theolgoical • Previous to Hezekiah, worship of Yahweh was more “pluralistic” • People’s experience was that contact with the nations resulted in defeats, so theology evolves that emphasizes trusting solely in Yahweh (see origination of kingship on Friday.

  4. Reforming Exodus by Deuteronomy Ex. 20:22 The LORD said to Moses: Thus you shall say to the Israelites: “You have seen for yourselves that I spoke with you from heaven. Ex. 20:23 You shall not make gods of silver alongside me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold. Ex. 20:24 You need make for me only an altar of earth and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your offerings of well-being, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you. Ex. 20:25 But if you make for me an altar of stone, do not build it of hewn stones; for if you use a chisel upon it you profane it. Ex. 20:26 You shall not go up by steps to my altar, so that your nakedness may not be exposed on it.”

  5. Reforming Exodus by Deuteronomy Deut. 12:20 ¶ When the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he has promised you, and you say, “I am going to eat some meat,” because you wish to eat meat, you may eat meat whenever you have the desire. Deut. 12:21 If the place where the LORD your God will choose to put his name is too far from you, and you slaughter as I have commanded you any of your herd or flock that the LORD has given you, then you may eat within your towns whenever you desire. Deut. 12:22 Indeed, just as gazelle or deer is eaten, so you may eat it; the unclean and the clean alike may eat it. Deut. 12:23 Only be sure that you do not eat the blood; for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the meat. Deut. 12:24 Do not eat it; you shall pour it out on the ground like water. Deut. 12:25 Do not eat it, so that all may go well with you and your children after you, because you do what is right in the sight of the LORD. Deut. 12:26 But the sacred donations that are due from you, and your votive gifts, you shall bring to the place that the LORD will choose. Deut. 12:27 You shall present your burnt offerings, both the meat and the blood, on the altar of the LORD your God; the blood of your other sacrifices shall be poured out beside the altar of the LORD your God, but the meat you may eat.

  6. Existence of Dtr • Characteristic language not in Pentateuch • Repetition of the law in Deut • Unity in speeches • Moses’ speech in Deut • Joshua (Jos 1): how to get land • Joshua (Jos 23): how to keep land • Jud 2:11-22: Dtr summary opens period of Judges • Samuel (1 Sam 12): opens period of the monarchy • Nathan: 2 Sam 7 • Solomon: 1 Kg 8: dedicates temple • Dtr summary: 2 Kg 17: prepares for fall of north

  7. 2 redactions of Dtr • Eternal maintence strange after 587 • “to this day”-- only makes sense if Judah is still around • Reacquisition of the north under Josiah doesn’t make sense in Exile • Length of narrative on Josiah-- suggests him! • No concluding discourse on fall of Jerusalem as in 2 Kg 17 • Last 4 kings no longer rated to David

  8. Background on Chronicles • Written about 300 years after Kings • A re-interpretation of Israel’s history • Chronicles uses Kings as its major source • It is debated if Chronicles had other sources • There are definitely places where Chronicles changes the story in King to make a theological point

  9. The big problem: • Did the Chronicler invent the material about Hezekiah? • One option is that the Chronicler invented the material to make a theological point • Another option is that the Chronicler had a source other than Kings that had material favorable to Hezekiah

  10. Rosenbaum’s possible solution-- • Kings written in Josiah’s reign, so there was a reason to exclude material favorable to Hezekiah if the material was not vital to the history in Kings • Chronicles was written 300 years later, so the writer did not need to exclude the material about Hezekiah. • Rather, Hezekiah is glorified in Chronicles because he supported the priests and Levites

  11. Observations about “solution” • There are presuppositions here: • Kings written during Josiah’s reign • Chronicles had another source • Does this “solution” mean both Kings and Chronicles are deceptive?

  12. Did Hezekiah Support Priests? • Evidence from Beersheba • Evidence from Arad

  13. Beersheba

  14. Beersheba Altar

  15. Beersheba: altar found dismantled

  16. Arad

  17. Arad Temple: destroyed in late eight century

  18. Regions of Israel and Judah

  19. Lachish Levels II & IIIestablishes absolute chronology

  20. tel 40 residential 132 farming 45 fortress 8 sngl structure 13 isolated find 38 tel 18 residential 15 farming 1 fortress 0 sngl structure 1 isolated find 3 Shephelah Settlement comparison Late Eighth Century Late Seventh Century

  21. Graphic Comparison of centuries in area (in dunams)

  22. Shephelah during late eighth century Shephelah during late seventh century

  23. Evidence for storehouses • lmlk [=to the king] jars indicate kingdom-wide trade and infrastructure • the distribution of these jars indicate storage depots • shipments seemed to have been made from various centers in Judah

  24. lmlk handle

  25. Evidence for storehouses • lmlk [=to the king] jars indicate kingdom-wide trade and infrastructure • the distribution of these jars indicate storage depots • shipments seemed to have been made from various centers in Judah

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