ToC | Reading the Old Testament. . . Chapter 5. Deuteronomy | ToC

D. Deuteronomistic History

Deuteronomy represents a theological tradition that is reflected in other books of the Hebrew Bible, including many of the prophetic books and Joshua through Kings. It is the theological lens through which Israel's greatest historian focused attention on the national epic. The history of Israel's monarchy, including the events leading up to the formation of the nation, are contained in Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. This material is not historiography in a social-scientific sense, but then it does not pretend to be. It tells the story of the nation from the theological perspective that Israel prospered or suffered in relation to how obedient or disobedient they were to the covenant. As went their faith, so went their national standard of living.
   The writer of Joshua through Kings is called the Deuteronomistic historian (Dtr) because he derived his basic theology from Deuteronomy. After closely examining the book of Deuteronomy, authorities have suggested that most of the prologue, chapters 1-3, are in fact the work of the Deuteronomistic historian and not the Deuteronomist himself. Here's how the theory goes. The Deuteronomistic historian, writing at the time of Josiah, took Deuteronomy (which probably only consisted of chapters 5-26 and 28), and prefaced it with his own historical introduction (what is now chapters 1-3). He then used all that material as the first part of his magnum opus, the Deuteronomistic History (or DH for short). Many scholars think that the DH was edited later by an exilic theologian who added Deuteronomy 4:1-40, chapter 27, and chapters 29-34.
    The Deuteronomistic historian really set out to answer significant questions concerning Israel's national destiny. First, by writing theological history he attempted to answer the question, "Why did Israel, the Northern Kingdom, fall to the Assyrians?" Second, he attempted to shed light on the question, "Why is Josiah trying to reform the religious practices of Judah?" We will examine his answers in Part 2.
ToC | Reading the Old Testament. . . Chapter 5. Deuteronomy | ToC