upon Deut 17:18 (mišneh hattôrâ hazzôt, “a copy of this instruction”) as an expression of the real essence or nature of the document.2 Unfortunately this notion of Deuteronomy as merely a copy or restatement of Exodus has led to a failure in many circles to appreciate the singular uniqueness and importance of the book. Deuteronomy, as will be demonstrated hereafter, is not a second law but an amplification and advancement of the covenant text first articulated to Moses and Israel at Sinai nearly