Reading Genesis–Joshua as a Unified Document from an Early Date: A Settler Colonial Perspective

Pitkänen, Pekka M A ORCID: 0000-0003-0021-7579 (2015) Reading Genesis–Joshua as a Unified Document from an Early Date: A Settler Colonial Perspective. Biblical Theology Bulletin: Journal of Bible and Culture, 45 (1). pp. 3-31. doi:10.1177/0146107914564822

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Abstract

This essay proposes based on literary-compositional considerations how two authors working together could have composed Genesis–Joshua. After this, it suggests that Genesis–Joshua can be seen to reflect a sociopolitical transformation of ancient Canaanite societies into an Israelite one(s) through a process that can be labeled as ancient settler colonialism, and that the document could have been written concomitantly. Subsequently, relevant ancient Near Eastern and archaeological evidence will be considered, suggesting compatibility with the idea that Genesis–Joshua has reused and readapted existing traditions together with creative narrative retelling for its socio-political purposes, and that this could have already taken place from the late second millennium Bce on. The essay concludes by drawing out some explicit contemporary implications of such a reading of Genesis–Joshua.

Item Type:	Article
Article Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	the Pentateuch; Joshua; Settler Colonialism; early history of ancient Israel; Old Testament theology
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religion B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BM Judaism B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BR Christianity B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BS The Bible C Auxiliary Sciences of History > CB History of civilization H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > School of Creative Arts
Research Priority Areas:	Culture, Continuity, and Transformation
Depositing User:	Pekka Pitkanen
Date Deposited:	23 Dec 2014 13:29
Last Modified:	31 Aug 2023 08:55
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/1130

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