Introduction: The Oral-Written Model and the Formation of the
Hebrew Bible
Part One: Methodological Prologue: Textual Transmission in the
Ancient World and How to Reconstruct It
Chapter One: Memory Variants and Evidence of Oral-Written
Transmission of Israelite Literature
Chapter Two: Documented Cases of Transmission History, Part 1: Two
Cases
Chapter Three: Documented Cases of Transmission History, Part 2:
Broader Trends
Chapter Four: From Documented Growth to Method in Reconstruction of
Growth
Part Two: Excavating the History of the Formation of the Hebrew
Bible
Chapter Five: The Hasmonean Period: Finalization of Scripture in an
Increasingly Greek World
Chapter Six: The Hellenistic Period up to the Hasmonean Monarchy:
Priestly and Diaspora Textuality
Chapter Seven: The Persian Period: Textuality of Persian-Sponsored
Returnees
Chapter Eight: The Babylonian Period: Trauma, Exile and the
Transition to Post-Monarchal Textuality
Chapter Nine: Bible for Exiles: The Reshaping of Stories about
Israel's Earliest History
Chapter Ten: Textuality Under Empire: Reflexes of Neo-Assyrian
Domination
Chapter Eleven: From the Neo-Assyrian to Hasmonean Periods:
Preliminary Conclusions and Outlook
Part Three: The Shape of Literary Textuality in the Early
Pre-Exilic Period
Chapter Twelve: Early States in the Highlands of Judah-Israel and
Evidence for Literary Textuality in Them
Chapter Thirteen: Royal Psalms: Locating Judah and Israel's Early
Pro-Royal Literature
Chapter Fourteen: Proverbs and Israel's Early Oral-Written
Curriculum
Chapter Fifteen: Other Supposedly Solomonic Books: Song of Songs
and Qohelet
Chapter Sixteen: Other Biblical Texts Potentially from the Early
Monarchal Period
Chapter Seventeen: Toward a New Picture of Early Monarchal Texts in
the Hebrew Bible
Afterword
Select Bibliography
Select Index of Primary Text Citations
Index of Subjects
David M. Carr is Professor of Hebrew Bible at Union Theological Seminary.
"Carr's bold attempt to challenge one of the most practiced
methodologies in biblical studies is very welcome."
--Marginalia
"David Carr lays out a highly original method for reconstructing
the literary history of the Hebrew Bible. On the one hand, he sets
forth a paradigm of oral transmission assisted by writing in which
memorization plays a central role. On the other, he looks for signs
of early literature in such unconventional places as Psalms and the
Song of Songs. Refreshingly, Carr bases his proposals on
comparative and historical evidence. A major challenge to
current
trends on both right and left and a remarkable contribution, sure
to make a strong and lasting impact."
--Edward L. Greenstein, Professor of Biblical Studies and Straus
Distinguished Scholar, Bar-Ilan University, Israel
"David M. Carr offers an exciting new overview of the historical
development of the Hebrew Bible. Based upon his extensive knowledge
of the biblical texts, scholarship, and the process of writing in
the ancient world, Carr posits a model that traces the composition
of the Hebrew Bible from monarchic times through the Hasmonean
period. Carr's volume will be essential reading for all concerned
with Hebrew Bible studies."
--Marvin A. Sweeney, Professor of Hebrew Bible, Claremont School of
Theology
"David Carr's new book is a fresh approach to a highly debated
problem, the formation of the Hebrew Bible. His prudent methodology
is founded in observations on ancient Israel's and Judah's cultural
history and bases its reconstructions on documented cases of
transmission history. The result is an innovative and intriguing
picture of how the Hebrew Bible came about, a discussion embedded
in the most recent debates of global scholarship."
-- Konrad Schmid, Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Judaism,
University of Zurich, Switzerland
"David Carr's Formation of the Hebrew Bible is a fascinating
synthesis of his former studies on this topic. Starting with an
elaborate and well-documented methodological prologue, his
reconstruction of the history of the formation of the Hebrew Bible
creates a paradigm for accurate excavation in text archaeology.
Moreover, his book provides a well-informed overview of American,
European, and Israelite scholarship. Mature students and colleagues
will profit
richly."
--Jan Christian Gertz, Professor of Old Testament, University of
Heidelberg, Germany
"Carr does not brand his work as an Einleitung, but it certainly
could and should be used as such...Carr successfully provides us
with a well-illustrated foundation suited to the state of biblical
scholarship in the early twenty-first century."--H-Judaic
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