| Linguistic Evidence for the Pre-Exilic Date of the Yahwistic Source Contributor(s): Wright, Rick (Author), Mein, Andrew (Editor), Camp, Claudia V. (Editor) |
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ISBN: 0567041212 ISBN-13: 9780567041210 Publisher: T&T Clark OUR PRICE: $217.80 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: June 2005 Annotation: For the past few decades a growing number of scholars have attempted to overthrow the traditional Wellhausian view that the so-called 'Yahwist' or 'J' source of the Pentateuch is the oldest of the four major sources. These scholars have argued that J was composed during the exilic or post-exilic periods of ancient Israel. Their arguments have focused on the literary, historiographic, and theological characteristics of 'J'. This book attempts to re-evaluate on linguistic grounds such efforts to place the Yahwist source in the exilic or post-exilic periods. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Religion | Biblical Criticism & Interpretation - Old Testament - Religion | Biblical Reference - Language Study - Religion | Biblical Studies - General |
| Dewey: 221.106 |
| LCCN: 2005041850 |
| Series: Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement |
| Physical Information: 0.88" H x 6.14" W x 9.6" (1.05 lbs) 220 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - Ancient (To 499 A.D.) - Religious Orientation - Christian - Religious Orientation - Jewish |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: For the past few decades a growing number of scholars have attempted to overthrow the traditional Wellhausian view that the so-called 'Yahwist' or 'J' source of the Pentateuch is the oldest of the four major sources. These scholars have argued that J was composed during the exilic or post-exilic periods of ancient Israel. Their arguments have focused on the literary, historiographic, and theological characteristics of 'J'. This book attempts to re-evaluate on linguistic grounds such efforts to place the Yahwist source in the exilic or post-exilic periods. The study employs the methodology developed most prominently by Avi Hurvitz for identifying characteristic features of post-exilic Hebrew ('Late Biblical Hebrew'). This divides the language of the Hebrew Bible into three main chronological stages: Archaic Biblical Hebrew (ABH), Standard Biblical Hebrew (SBH), and Late Biblical Hebrew (LBH). Wright examines 40 features of J for which useful comparisons can be made to LBH and finds no evidence of LBH in the entire Yahwist source. Therefore it is unlikely that J was composed during the post-exilic period. Moreover since Hurvitz has shown that the exilic period was a time of transition between SBH and LBH such that late features began to occur in exilic texts, the author concludes on linguistic grounds that J was most likely composed during the pre-exilic period of ancient Israel. |
Contributor Bio(s): Mein, Andrew: - Andrew Mein is Tutor in Old Testament, Westcott House, Cambridge. Camp, Claudia V.: - Claudia V. Camp is Professor of Religion at Texas Christian University, USA and was on the steering committee of the Seminar. She is currently co-general editor of the LHBOTS series, as well as the author or editor of 4 books and numerous articles. |