Jean Louis Ska, «Old and New in the Book of Numbers», Vol. 95 (2014) 102-116
Among the numerous questions raised by the Book of Numbers, this article treats three of them: (1) The unique complexity of the Book of Numbers; (2) The four main types of solutions proposed by scholars, namely different versions of the documentary hypothesis; two main and three secondary redactional layers (R. Achenbach); a series of Fortschreibungen; a mere synchronic reading of Numbers; (3) The presence or absence of the Priestly Writer in Numbers.
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106 JEAN LOUIS SKA
These works follow different lines that can be divided, for practical
purposes, into four main categories 17. In the first place, several authors
continue to work with “sourcesâ€, and especially the classical sources, even
though most of these authors recognise the presence of later outgrowths
on these same sources in Numbers. Some are faithful to J. Wellhausen
and especially M. Noth 18, others belong to a group sometimes called the
“neo-documentarians†19. All of them, notwithstanding differences in the
results, distinguish continuous sources in Numbers in spite of the hetero-
geneous character of much of the material found in the book. There are
enough connections and common elements among narratives, laws, and
lists, to gather them into two or three baskets. What does not enter these
“baskets†is to be explained as later developments of these “sourcesâ€, or
later shoots grafted onto them 20.
The second group is lead by R. Achenbach and his mentor, E. Otto 21.
They see in Numbers one of the latest literary compositions of the Pentateuch
that is to be understood as the result of a redactional process. Put briefly, Num-
17
For more details, see L. SCHMIDT, “Literatur zum Buch Numeriâ€, TR
63 (1998) 241-266; ID., “Neuere Literatur zum Buch Numeri (1996-2003)â€,
TR 70 (2005) 389-407; H. SEEBASS, “Zum Stand der Pentateuchforschung.
Das Buch Numeriâ€, Perspectives in the Study of the Old Testament and Early
Judaism. A Symposium in Honour of Adam S. van der Woude on Occasion
of His 70th Birthday (eds. F. GARCÃA MARTÃNEZ – E. NOORT) (VTS 73;
Leiden 1998) 109-121; T. RÖMER, “De la périphérie au centre: Les livres du
Lévitique et des Nombres dans le débat actuel sur le Pentateuqueâ€, The
Books of Leviticus and Numbers (ed. T. RÖMER) (BETL 215; Leuven 2008)
3-34; H. SEEBASS, “Das Buch Numeri in der heutigen Pentateuchforschungâ€,
The Books of Leviticus and Numbers (ed. T. RÖMER) (BETL 215; Leuven
2008) 233-259; I. CARDELLINI, “Il libro dei Numeri alla luce degli studi
recentiâ€, Lateranum 76 (2010) 57-71.
18
See the commentaries listed in n. 16.
19
See especially B.J. SCHWARTZ, “Does Scholarship’s Critique of the Docu-
mentary Hypothesis Constitute Grounds for its Rejection?â€, The Pentateuch. In-
ternational Perspectives on Current Research (eds. T.B. DOZEMAN – K. SCHMID
– B.J. SCHWARTZ) (FAT 78; Tübingen 2011) 3-16; J. BADEN, J, E, and the Redac-
tion of the Pentateuch (FAT 68; Tübingen 2009); ID., The Composition of the
Pentateuch. Renewing the Documentary Hypothesis (Anchor Bible Reference
Library; New Haven, CT 2012).
20
This is the case of L. Schmidt and H. Seebass, for instance. See L. SCHMIDT,
Das vierte Buch Moses. Numeri 10,11–36,13 (ATD 7,2; Göttingen 2004) 2-4;
SEEBASS, “Das Buch Numeriâ€, 238-239.
21
See ACHENBACH, Die Vollendung der Tora; to be complemented by “Die
Erzählung von der gescheiterten Landnahme von Kadesch Barnea (Numeri
13–14) als Schlüsseltext der Redaktionsgeschichte des Pentateuchâ€, ZAR 9