Oral Tradition in Ancient Israel

Robert D. Miller II, SFO

CASCADE Books • Eugene, Oregon

ORAL TRADITION IN ANCIENT ISRAEL

Biblical Performance Criticism 4

Copyright © 2011 Robert D. Miller II. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.

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ISBN 13: 978-1-61097-271-0

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Cataloging-in-Publication data:

Miller, Robert D., II.

Oral tradition in ancient Israel / Robert D. Miller II.

Biblical Performance Criticism 4

xvi + 154 pp.; 23 cm—Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 13: 978-1-61097-271-0

1. Bible—O.T.—Criticism, interpretation, etc. 2. Oral tradition. 3. Folklore in the Bible. 4. Sagas—Criticism and interpretation. I. Title. II. Series.

BS535. M55. 2011

The nihil obstat and imprimatur are official declarations that a book or pamphlet is free of doctrinal or moral error. There is no implication that those who have granted the nihil obstat and the imprimatur agree with the content, opinions, or statements expressed therein.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

Introduction

1 Oral Formulaicism in Old Testament Study

2 The Bathos of the Oral Formulaic School

3 Models for Biblical Literature

4 Literacy and Orality in Preexilic Israel

5 What Lies behind the Written

6 Towards Identifying the Oral in the Old Testament

Epilogue: Orality and Historicism

Conclusion

Bibliography

Index

Acknowledgments

This book grew out of a desire to understand the process of authorship in ancient Israel, and it was originally intended as an essay for inclusion in a Festschrift for my teacher, Charles Krahmalkov. It quickly became apparent that the scope of the work was far larger than would suit such a chapter. Yet it should still be noted that many of the avenues explored herein owe their rudiments to discussions in Charles’ classes at Michigan over a decade ago.

I thank the School of Graduate Studies of the Catholic University of America for a Grant-in-Aid to further the research for this book. Great assistance was given by Professor Terry Gunnell of the University of Iceland, my e-mail dialogue partner for nine months, although all conclusions—including those about Icelandic literature—are my own. It was during a three-month period when my family was between houses and living in borrowed homes of generous, hospitable friends that the majority of the actual writing took place, and I must thank them all for the kitchen tables and other work space. My graduate students, Nathan LaMontagne ...