Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Ian Hutchesson <mc2499 AT mclink.it>]

Ray Clendenen wrote:
>According
>to the biblical text as it stands, not only was the cult already
>centralized when Lev. 17 was written, but Israel was living at the time
>surrounding the sanctuary. 

This should of course indicate that Lev. (at least 17) was written in Judea
around the sanctuary at Jerusalem.

>If this was actually the case, this would
>explain why profane slaughter could be forbidden, since it could all be
>done at the sanctuary. Deuteronomy was written in preparation for entry
>into the land when the tribes would be dispersed. 

I don't think you would really want to argue this strenuously. Take a look
at the move to centralize the cultus in Deut18:6-8. Clearly we are dealing
with the situation of living in Judea, having the smaller shrines around
Jerusalem and providing a means for the Levites to come to Jerusalem from
the towns with the smaller shrines. This would be well after the
hypothetical entry into the promised land.

>This is why Deut. would
>change the law for animal slaughter. In the historical context within which
>the Pentateuch is written, the point of Deut 12 is not the institution of a
>centralized cult but the maintaining of it in the face of Canaanite
>pressure.

And why can't the Deut material be earlier, ie that the other stuff marks
the change?


Cheers,


Ian