Martin Noth

I.

The goal for this lecture are as follows A.

to explain several major literary phenomenon in the narrative hebrew bible

B.

to explain how various schools of though have attempted to explain these phenomenon

C.

In the following lecture, I will propose an alternative approach to understand these literary phenomenon.

II.

Elements that can be recognized in the Hebrew narrative. A.

Multiple names for Gott 1.

Multiple names for God are use, but two are the most commonly used.

2.

Elohim and YHWH a)

Sometimes narrative sections (Abschnitte) use the same name

b)

Sometimes both names are used in the same paragraph or sentence

3.

In Exodus [3.4] Als aber der HERR sah, daß er hinging, um zu sehen, rief Gott ihn aus dem Busch und sprach:

B.

Some stories are told more than once. 1.

Two creation accounts (Gen 1,2)

2.

Exod 19:16 cf 20:18

a)

[19.16] Als nun der dritte Tag kam und es Morgen ward, da erhob sich ein Donnern und Blitzen und eine dichte Wolke auf dem Berge und der Ton einer sehr starken Posaune. Das ganze Volk aber, das im Lager war, erschrak.

b)

[20.18] Und alles Volk wurde Zeuge von dem Donner und Blitz und dem Ton der Posaune und dem Rauchen des Berges. Als sie aber solches sahen, flohen sie und blieben in der Ferne stehen

C.

Some events are not in chronological order 1.

The days of creation in Genesis 1 and 2 are not in the same order

2.

In 2 Samuel, the major accomplishments of David’s life are not in chronological order

3.

Even in the book of exodus, the events are not in chronological order a)

First example (1)

[4.14] Da wurde der HERR sehr zornig über Mose [b] und sprach: [c]Weiß ich denn nicht, daß dein Bruder Aaron aus dem Stamm Levi beredt ist? [d]Und siehe, er wird dir entgegenkommen, [e]und wenn er dich sieht, wird er sich von Herzen freuen.

(2)

[4.27] Und der HERR sprach zu Aaron: [b] Geh hin Mose entgegen in die Wüste. [c]Und er ging hin [d]und begegnete ihm am Berge Gottes [e]und küßte ihn.

(3)

Note what the logical order is. [4.27a] Und der HERR sprach zu Aaron: [4.27b] Geh hin Mose entgegen in die Wüste. [4.27c]Und er ging hin, [4.14d]Und siehe, er wird dir entgegenkommen, [4.14e] und wenn er dich sieht, wird er sich von Herzen freuen, [4.27d]und begegnete ihm am Berge Gottes [4.27e]und küßte ihn.

b)

Second example: (1)

Exod 19:3-6, have announcement they will be a kingdom of priests, and they should keep the laws

(2)

Exod 24:4-8 have the radification of the written covenant and a proclaimation that they will keep the commandments.

D.

Some statements seem to contridict each other. 1.

As an example, Exod states that no one can see God and live; yet, God spoke to Moses as a man, face to face.

III.

Before we look at the different explanations for the phenomonom, we must understand several philosophies which have heavily influenced biblical scholarship. A.

Beginning in the enlightment, scholars argued that the bible could not be accept as true soley because one claimed that it was an infaliable Word of God. They argued that the bible should be analyzed critically like any other historical document..1

B.

Next Spinoza in 1670 argued that the historical books contained many inconsistent and conflicting statements and therefore could not be from the hands of the contemporary author.2

C.

In the field of philosophy, Hegel proposed that ideas and concepts are constantly changing. His well known concept of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis have been accepted for years..

D.

In the field of science, Darwin proposed the theory of evolution to explain the origin of the species which did not require a creator. In his theory, basic material elements became simple life by accident. The natural environment and accidental change modified the simple forms to become more complex life forms. Thus the the number of species increased over long periods of time. The fundamental concept of his theory is that the simple evolves into the more complex over long periods of time. This is the exact opposite of the Genesis account

1 <Merrill, n. d., Pentateuch@7>.

2 <Merrill, n. d., Pentateuch@7>.

where God created classes of life forms were made at the same time. The Genesis accounts specifically states that all the animal life was made at one time and that each reproduced according to its own kind. In other words, one species did not merge with another. IV.

From these basic concepts, several theorms are used for bible interpretation. A.

Supernatural events or miracles that are recorded in the bible are not possible. Stories that include supernatural events are either false or myths.

B.

Inspired authors did not write the bible. Rather the bible is the result of a long process of revision and modification from a large body of unknown and unnamed editors and contributors.

C.

Following the general concepts of evolution, the biblical stories, content, or text grow from the simple to the complex. In other words, the original stories were short and simple oral stories. 1.

Each story begins as a simple story that raises in a parcular setting or culture. Early stories were simple and were passed by oral tradition. Each generation added material and changed it.As the story is retold and passed to following generations, the story changes and more detail is added.

2.

Thus the bible we have today is the end or final result of a long process of change and growth. Thus a complex narrative text is always later than a simple one.

3.

At some late point in the growth process, the stories were written down. An editor incorporated all the stories and pieces of written documents into the final form we have today.

D.

In summary, the historical books are not a record of the historical events that shaped the relationship between God and His people, but rather the history of the changes in the relegion of Israel over the ages.

V.

These biblical observations and the secular philosophies are the basis for the various theories for the formation of the biblical texts. We will examin them in the order in which they developed. A.

The Documentary Hyopthesis 1.

Several early scholars argued that the Pentateuch contain at two source documents. The source could be identified solely on the use of the divine name, elohim or JHWH. The sources were called the E and J documents depending upon the name that is used for God.. These scholars includt Astruc, J. G. Eichhorn, H. G. A. Ewald.

2.

In 1805 W. M. L. DeWette proposed the third, or D document. He based his argument on 2 Kgs 22 where Josiah found a copy of Deuternomny. Rather that accepting the text as stated, that a copy of Deuternomy was found which inspired a reform, he argued that the Josiah started the political reform and wrote

Deuternomy to justify it. Thus the book of Deuternomy is dated to 622 BC, the date it was found.3 3.

In 1853 Hermann Hepfeld argued the what was considered “E” could be divided further into two other documents based on linguistic features and theological message. In other words, there appeared to be two different theological messages, one that was dealt with the priesthood and the cult and one that did not. Thus anything that dealt with the cult or priesthood was considered to be a “P” or priestly document.

4.

At this point, it was considered that none of the four sources to the Pentateuch had beenn written by Moses.

5.

In line with what I mentioned earlier, K. Graf maintained that the highly organized cultic religion such as that outlined in the P texts is always the last stage of expression andnot the earliest. Religion always progressed from the primitive animism, to pantheism, to polytheism, to heotheism and finally to monotheism. Because the “P” document is so elaborate, it just be dated to the post-exilic date.

6.

In 1884, Julius Wellhausen articulated the documentary hypothesis. Although Wellhausen is generally credited with the documentary hypothesis, or the theory of the JEDP documents, he actually borrowed from the work of the earlier schholars.

3 <Merrill, n. d., Pentateuch@9>.

7.

Although there is a lot of disagreement over the dates of the documents, most of these scholars would date the “P” as post exilic, “D” at 622 BC and J and E in the 7-8th century BC. Note that this dates the writing of the events in the Pentateuch at least 5 centuries after the time the events recurred.

B.

Form Criticisms 1.

Hermann Gunkel rejected the documentary hypothesis primarily because it did not explain the sources for the sources. In other words, it did not explain the origin of the sources that were used to form the biblical text. Again, returning to a evolutionary perspective, Gunkel proposed that the original content of the sources came from stories that were passed from one generation to the next orally. Because the stories became more embellished, the original story must be short, simple. It would likewise be difficult to recognize because so much had been added to it over the generations.

2.

Gunkel proposed that rather than following documents, the stories followed forms. In other words, a particular type of story would always be told in a particular form. Each form had a particular style and structure. Each form originated from a particular socio-cultural-religion background. Thus if one could identify the form, he could identify the source of the original story.

3.

Gunkel was heavily influenced by Grimm brothers. He adapted a similar process for the formation of the biblical text. (See Kurus) See reading

C.

Tradition Criticism 1.

the attempts of Gunkel and subsequent generations of form critics to trace the source of the oral and written traditions which gave rise to the present literary compositions led inevitably to still another method – the tratio-historical criticism.4 This criticism assumes that both oral and written continuities play a role in the shaping of the traditions that finally culminated in Scripture.

2.

Von Rad and Martin Noth advanced Gunkel’s basic concept that the basis for the biblical texts were more than simple stories, but were rather collections of stories that had become part of the primitives societies.

3.

Von Rad argued that the Pentateuch was based unto collections of stories that centered around three sections of schripture that contained professions of faith (Deut 6:20-24; 26:5b-9; Josh 24:2b-13). Because these passaged refer to the Exodus, wilderness and conquest (not Sinai), he argued these traditions were incorporated into the cultic worship.5 Martin Noth argued

4 <Merrill, n. d., Pentateuch@11>.

5 <Merrill, n. d., Pentateuch@13>;;;

that the Pentateuch was compiled from five different traditions that originated independent of each other. they include the Deliverance from Egypt, settlement in the land, promise to the patriarchs, leadershhip in the wilderness and the revelation at Sinai. Noth believes that these various tehems were lriginally known only to individual tribes or tribal associations which over a long period of time, began to form a twelve-tribe confederation. (amphictyony) 4.

For example, the festivals at different times of the years used the stories in the celebrations. For exmple story of Santa Claus is part of our Xmas tradition.

5.

Both scholars recognized that historical events could be either the origin of a tradition or were incorporated later into a tradition. However, both claimed that the traditions had evolved so much that any history that may be part of the tradition could not be recognized.

6.

Scholars were also proposing that the biblical text was a collection of traditions that were collected into the final version. In some cases, the traditions may have contributed to the sources.

7.

Noth did identify the five major narrative sections of the ExodusJoshua books called them the Exodus, the Wanderings, the Conquest, and the revelation at Sinai. He proposed that each

tradition originally separately and was later incorporated into the biblical narrative. 8. VI.

Summary: These critical methods deny the verbal-plenary inspiration of the bible,

reject the nnotion of direct, propositional revelation, insists on treating hte biblical text as the product of human reflection on the acts of God in history and circumstances and assumes that the biblical record is not historically reliale but is a theological interpretation of real or imagined events by succedding generations of Israelite traditionists. The Pentateuch thus is not the work of Moses, but, in tis present form, the final edition of a centuries-long accumulation fo texts and traditions wich may or may not confirm to theh realities of thich tehy testify.6 VII.

The reason for this explanation. A.

As you read the literature, you note references to many of these theories. For example, there will be discussions of the sources, either J, E, D, or P, or even some variant of these.

B.

You will also read about the traditions. In commentaries on the book fo exodus, you will read about the various traditions, the exodus,Sinai, or the wanderings traditions. There will be lots of references to the insertion, rearrangement, and expansion of various sources or traditions.

6 <Merrill, n. d., Pentateuch@13>.

LECTURE 3

VIII.

Another important point is that biblical scholars have generally regarded the narrative books as history rather than theological books. A.

They have viewed the narrative as primarily a history of the religion of Israel. In other words, it describes the evolution of the practice of religion in Israel though its history.

B.

But the narrative books are nor primarily history, but rather theological. Each author, in this case Moses, wrote the book because they wanted to explain the present condition or status of the people in their lifetime. Or they wanted to warn a future generation or they wanted to explain why something might happen in the future. The best examples are Kings and Chronicles. Kings tends to explain the reason for the exile. Chronicles tends to set the expectataion for the coming King of Israel

C.

Exodus is the same. As stated in the syllubus, your primary job for this course is to discover and write a paper than explains why Moses wrote the book of Exodus.

IX.

An alternative proposal. A.

There are multiple passages in the OT that specifically state that a particular person wrote a part of the text (deut 1:5;4:44; 31:9; 33:4; Josh 8:31-34; 1 Kgs 2:3; 2 Kgs 14:6; 23:25; Ezra 3:2; Neh 8:1; Mal 4:4)7

7 <Merrill, n. d., Pentateuch@1>.

The narrative texts, in particular the book of Exodus was written by one author. B.

Propose that the Hebrew narrative is neither history nor fiction as defined by contemporary standards. 1.

Although the narrative man record events that actually happened, the goal of the writer it not to provide a comprehensive and detailed historical account of the things that actually happened.

2. C.

The primary purpose of the Hebrew narrative is to

There was a unique narrative style that was used by the ancient writers. 1.

Just reading the OT and the NT, one notices that narrative style is very different. The NT style is easier to read because it is closer to a modern style.

2.

3.

Some of the narrative style is still used in modern literature. a)

For example, flashback

b)

Commentary

c)

Background information

Some of the narrative techniques are present today a)

Telling the story twice from different perspectives. See movie “point of view.”

b)

Telling the most important facts first. For example, a newspaper articles typically gives the most important details first, and then may retell the parts of the story several times to provide more detail

D.

In the next lecture, we will look at these narrative techniques in more detail.

E.

For our exegesis, we will assume that the author, in this case Moses, wrote the entire book of Exodus and that He had a purpose for doing so. 1.

Exodus, like most of the Old Testament.

Exod 3:4, 13, 14

Flashback: Exod 4:19

Theming to show break: Exod 4:19, 20 4:21