sequences of dates, and chap. 7 is linked with chaps. 8–12. In this way chap. 7 is associated with both halves of the book and forms a bridge between them. The Hebrew chap. 1 serves to form an enclosure with the later Hebrew chapters. Whether it was specially composed for this purpose is uncertain. The concern for purity in this chapter is not repeated in the tales. Yet chap. 1 sets the scene for chaps. 2–6 but does not anticipate the concerns of chaps. 7–12. It seems somewhat more probable that
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