The Pentateuch as Torah

Since antiquity, the five books of Moses have served as a sacred constitution, foundational for both Jews and Samaritans. However long the process of accepting the Pentateuch as authoritative tōrâ (“instruction”) took, this was by all accounts a monumental achievement in the history of these peoples and indeed an important moment in the history of the ancient world. In the long development of Western societies, the Pentateuch has served as a major influence on the development of law, political philosophy, and social thought. The question is: how, where, and why did this process of acceptance occur, when did it occur, and how long did it take?

“There are many . . . very fine essays in this volume, and anyone interested in pentateuchal and/or Achaemenid studies would greatly benefit from every one of them.”—Charles Halton, Bulletin for Biblical Research

“The Pentateuch as Torah stimulates thinking, keeps the debate alive, and is a good resource for pentateuchal studies.”—Patrick Mazani, Andrews University Seminary Studies

“This significant volume . . . will be appreciated by all scholars who are engaged in the recent Pentateuchal discussion, to which it has made a remarkable contribution.”—Rainer Albertz, Journal for the Study of Judaism

“This highly innovative collection of essays effectively orients students of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament to the many facets of contemporary Pentateuch studies. One of the major benefits of the volume is that it truly offers several ‘new models’ for Pentateuch studies that are not hampered by tenuous and lengthy discussions of redaction criticism. Further, these new models are informative for as well as intelligible to non-specialized audiences.”—Andrew B. Perrin, Toronto Journal of Theology

“Even though the central theme is the emergence of an authoritative Pentateuch, the authors touch on a number of topics that can be valuable for the scholarly interests of readers in the wider field of biblical studies and Judaica.”—Robert Gnuse, Catholic Biblical Quarterly

“This informative and well-written volume provides an excellent entry-point for scholars, advanced undergraduates and graduate students to explore the fast-changing world of Pentateuchal theory and the relationship of the Torah to its literary and cultural environment.”—Daniel M. O’Hare, Journal of Ancient Near Eastern Religions

“This is a useful volume for anyone who wants to come up to speed with what is happening in Pentateuchal studies.”—Gregory Goswell, Australian Biblical Review

“While the editors offer thanks and apologies for the work they imposed on the authors, they need make no apologies to the readers of the final volume. The extensive review process shows in the consistently high quality of the work included.”—David A. Bosworth, Journal of Hebrew Scriptures

“This volume significantly advances our understanding of the processes leading to the establishment of the Torah in its present forms as the foundation document of the Jewish and Samaritan communities. . . . A contribution which no future work on the subject will be able to ignore.”—W. J. Houston, Vetus Testamentum

“The editors are to be congratulated for focusing on ‘cutting edge’ issues, helping to transpose these conference papers into tightly-organized but accessible essays (with all lengthy German and French quotations translated into English), and bringing these provocative pieces of first-class scholarship to a wider audience speedily.”—Gordon J. Hamilton, Studies in Religion

“...an outstanding perspective into the current state of research on the Pentateuch.”—Tobias H. Duncker, Zeitschrift für altorientalische und biblische Rechtsgeschichte

“Overall, this collection provides a representative overview of current research on the final stages and authorization of the Pentateuch. The collection thereby offers a quick access into this important area of ​​research and is . . . highly recommended.”—Raik Heckl, Orientalistische Literaturzeitung

Abbreviations

How, When, Where, and Why Did the Pentateuch Become the Torah? Gary N. Knoppers and Bernard M. Levinson

Part 1. Ratifying Local Law Codes in an International Age

The Persian Imperial Authorization as a Historical Problem and as a Biblical Construct: A Plea for Distinctions in the Current Debate Konrad Schmid

The Rise of Torah David M. Carr

Local Law in an Imperial Context: The Role of Torah in the (Imagined) Persian Period Anselm C. Hagedorn

Temple and Torah: Reflections on the Legal Status of the Pentateuch between Elephantine and Qumran Reinhard G. Kratz

The Pentateuch in Ancient Mediterranean Context: The Publication of Local Lawcodes Gary N. Knoppers and Paul B. Harvey, Jr.

Part 2. Prophets, Polemics, and Publishers: The Growing Importance of Writing in Persian Period Judah

From History Writing to Library Building: The End of History and the Birth of the Book Jean-Louis Ska

Scribal Scholarship in the Formation of Torah and Prophets: A Postexilic Scribal Debate between Priestly Scholarship and Literary Prophecy— The Example of the Book of Jeremiah and Its Relation to the Pentateuch Eckart Otto

Part 3. The Torah as a Foundational Document in Judah and Samaria

The Torah between Samaria and Judah: Shechem and Gerizim in Deuteronomy and Joshua Christophe Nihan

The “Publication” of Legal Texts in Ancient Judah Joachim Schaper

The Samaritans and Their Pentateuch Reinhard Pummer

Part 4. The Translation, Interpretation, and Application of the Torah in Early Jewish Literature

The Second Temple and the Legal Status of the Torah: The Hermeneutics of the Torah in the Books of Ruth and Ezra Sebastian Grätz

The Septuagint of the Pentateuch and Ptolemaic Rule Arie van der Kooij

The Use of the Pentateuch in the Temple Scroll and the Damascus Document in the Second Century B.C.E. Sidnie White Crawford

The Torah as the Rhetoric of Priesthood James W. Watts