Thomas Römer

Jean-Daniel Macchi

Albert de Pury

The thesis that the books of Deuteronomy to 2 Kings have undergone a redaction that made them into a 'Deuteronomistic History' has become since Martin Noth (1943) a widely accepted idea in Old Testament scholarship. But there is no consensus when this history was edited: under Josiah (622 BCE), during the exile (c. 560 BCE) or even later? And what was the intention of its redactors? Can we rely on the so-called Deuteronomistic History for the reconstruction of Israelite history? Or should we give up the thesis of a Deuteronomic redaction of the Former Prophets? This volume explores these and many other questions about this key topic in Old Testament scholarship. It results from a research seminar organized by the Swiss universities of Fribourg, Geneva, NeuchGtel and Lausanne. It contains contributions by the following scholars: R. Albertz, J. Briend, M. Detienne, W. Dietrich, J.J. Glassner, S. Japhet, E.A. Knauf, A.D.H. Mayes, S.L. McKenzie, S. Pisano, M. Rose, A. Schenker, F. Smyth, A. de Pury and T. R÷mer. Articles in French were translared by J. Edward Crowley

Deuteronomistic Historiography in Recent Research

Israel Constructs its History

Célèbre récit de l'Ancien Testament racontant le sauvetage d'une population juive sous le règne perse de Xerxès Ier, le livre d'Esther fait ici l'objet d'une analyse historique de pointe qui en montre les passionnants soubassements historiques et culturels. Le livre d'Esther fournit ainsi des informations fascinantes sur l'histoire des idées du judaïsme de l'Antiquité. Il s'agit d'un texte qui émane de groupes juifs profondément marqués par leur proximité avec la culture dominante du monde hellénistique et dont la rédaction a connu plusieurs strates que Jean-Daniel Macchi décortique ici avec brio.

Le livre d'Esther

The Book of Esther is one of the five Megillot. It tells the story of a Jewish girl in Persia, who becomes queen and saves her people from a genocide. The story of Esther forms the core of the Jewish festival of Purim. The commentary presents a literary analysis of the text, taking into account the inclusion and arrangement of different pericopes, and an analysis of the narration. Likewise, it will discuss the style, the syntax, and the vocabulary. The examination of the intellectual context of the book, biblical and extrabiblical textual traditions on which the book is based and with which it is in intertextual dialogue, leads to a discussion of the redactional process and the historical and social contexts in which the authors and redactors worked.

Esther

En outre, l'analyse des autres "systèmes tribaux" contenus dans l'Ancien Testament montre que la conception d'un Israël formé de douze tribus n'est guère antérieure à l'exil (6ème siècle avant J.C.).

Jean-Daniel Macchi

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