Reading and Discussion Questions for Deuteronomy
Special Vocabulary:
sacred mountain is called Horeb, natives of promised land called Amorites
Asherah - Canaanite goddess. In some traditions wife of El. In others wife of Baal. Often associated with fertility. The word asherah can also refer to a religious object-either a large tree or something carved from living wood–associated with Asherah, the goddess. Some translations call these sacred poles. (Astarte - a Canaanite goddess sometimes confused with Asherah; also the wife or consort of Baal in some traditions. Anat - is a goddess also associated with Baal as a consort.)
Baal - when used as a name: Canaanite male deity, associated with Storm, brought rains, a fertility god. As a common noun, baal simply means lord or husband.
high places - worship centers
1. There is much emphasis in Deuteronomy on the following themes:
One God - Only YHWH - Covenant Tie
One Sanctuary (Only in Jerusalem?) - One Faith
One People - One Covenant
Blessing and Curse: Choose Life (promise of land, etc. conditional)
Explain the meaning and significance of each theme.
2. Chapters 17-18 seem to spell out roles for priests, kings, and prophets. How do these chapters portray each? In addition Moses is defined in prophetic terms throughout Deuteronomy and 18:15-22 speaks of a prophet like Moses. What does the role of a prophet seem to entail and how can one judge someone who claims to be a prophet according to Deuteronomy as a whole?
3. How does a comparison with a suzerainty covenant help to explain the literary form of Deuteronomy and/or its theology?
NOTE: Many historical critics argue that Deuteronomy or the core of Deuteronomy is the "Book of the Law" found in the reign of the southern King Josiah during renovation of the Temple in Jerusalem (see 2 Kings 22:1-23:30). For Bandstra’s take on this see pp. 195-97. Much of the program of reform instituted by Josiah resembles what is required by Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy contains many traditions that seem likely to have come from Northern sources, especially those emphasizing the covenant with a ceremony at Mts. Ebal and Gerizim in the North and Moses as the key leader. So speculation is that Deuteronomy may contain Northern traditions, but was expanded with southern emphases, especially the notion of a single correct worship center, i.e., Jerusalem. Some argue that the core of Deuteronomy may have been brought south following the fall of the Northern kingdom to Assyria in 721 BCE. The idea is that it was found and revised during Josiah’s reign, circa 622/1 BCE. Then further revisions may have taken place when it was incorporated into the Deuteronomistic History (Dt., Josh. Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1 and 2 Kings) and again during or shortly after the Babylonian exile.
Bibliography:
B. Bandstra, pp. 195-97
L. Boadt, "Reading Guide to the Pentateuch, The Catholic Study Bible. eds. D. Senior et al. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990, 105-115.
Richard D. Nelson, "Deuteronomy" in HarperCollins Bible Commentary. 2nd ed. ed. James L Mays, San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2000, 189-213.