The Origins of the Decalogue
The Decalogue was not originally part of the Sinai theophany but was added later, both in Exodus and Deuteronomy. Its origins lie in wisdom literature.
Cynthia Edenburg
Dr.
Dr. Cynthia Edenburg taught at the Open University of Israel and Tel Aviv University. She received her Ph.D. in biblical studies from Tel Aviv University. Many of Edenburg’s publications focus on Deuteronomy, biblical historiography, and exegetical method. She is currently preparing a commentary on the Book of Joshua.
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Books by the Author
Is Samuel Among the Deuteronomists?
Dismembering the Whole: Composition and Purpose of Judges 19-21
King Saul in the Historiography of Judah
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A King Who Reads Torah
Deuteronomy envisions a king constantly reading torah and limiting his wealth and resources. Is this how kings are described in the rest of the Bible? What was kingship like in the ancient Near East?
Deuteronomy’s Uncompromising Demand for Women’s Sexual Fidelity
From the range of responses to women’s sexual offenses in ancient Near Eastern legal traditions, why does Deuteronomy select the harshest options? The scribes who composed these laws drew an analogy between women’s fidelity to their husbands and fathers and Israel’s fidelity to YHWH, viewing both forms of exclusive allegiance as essential to the wholeness of society.
