HET KARAKTER VAN DE VEROVERINGSVERHALEN IN JOZ. 1–12

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SUMMARY

I.

Since Alt and Noth it has been, for many an exegete, an exegetical commonplace that the first part of the Book Joshua, Josh. 1–12, chiefly consists of originally indépendant etiological narratives of the tribe of Benjamin, at home in Gilgal, that are of little or no historical value; that these narratives have been gathered in a deuteronomical Joshua-book, part of a great deuteronomistic work of history. As every commonplace also this one needs an exegesis. In the first part an attempt will be made at such an exegesis by studying some relevant publications, that have appeared since Noth until recently. These publications are those of P. Auvray (1949), A. George (1950), H. J. Kraus (1951), J. Dus (1960), K. D. Schunck (1963), S.Wagner (1964), E. Voght (1965), J. A. Soggin (1966), F. Langlamet (1969; 1971). From this study a few provisional conclusions will be drawn, to wit: 1. That the cultic character of a number of the narratives in Josh. 1–12 should be stressed as much, if not more, as the etiological character; 2. that the connection of several narratives with the Exodus is much greater than Noth conceded, though that connection has, according to the author, not received full attention in the above mentioned publications; 3. that the situation of Gilgal in the border-region of Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasse, as well as the analysis of several narratives make dubious the statement, that Josh. 2–9 belongs only to the tribe of Benjamin; 4. that the role Joshua played in the conquest has been greater than the merely cultic role ascribed to him by Noth; 5. that the deuteronomistic influence, though undeniable, is not such as to justify the name „deuteronomistic Joshua-book” given to it by Noth; 6. finally, again against Noth, that there exist indications of relations with the known Penteteuchal sources.

II.

The above mentioned publications were chiefly occupied with studying the origin of the conquest-narratives, but there exists a tendency in present exegesis to give one's whole attention to the now existing text. Making use of hat exegetical method, the author has tried to describe the characteristic features of the narratives in Josh. 1–12, assuming that the last redactors have tried to reach a unity, a unity that appears to be a „polyphonic” unity: 1. The etiological woof is undoubtedly still there, but it has become a mark for authenticating the conquest; 2. the narratives are miracle-narratives, that make the conquest one single „operation-of-Yahweh”, in which all Israel under the leadership of Yahweh's paladin Joshua participates; 3. in a certain sense the narratives are Exodus-narratives, they are as it were „imbibed” with allusions to the Exodus-events; 4. they are undoubtedly „liturgical” narratives, the liturgical „atmosphere” is always there for hearers and readers; 5. the narratives are „herem-narratives”, the herem to be principally understood as an extirpation of every form of idolatry.

This polyphonic unity renders the conquest „present” to hearers and readers, not so much diachronically as synchronically; when confronted with the text during liturgical ceremonies they participate „sacramentally” in the conquest-salvation. That conquest is based on history, taken in a broad sense, the invasion under Joshua starting the last and definite phase of the occupation of the promised land.