Gershon Galil, «The Chronological Framework of the Deuteronomistic History», Vol. 85 (2004) 413-421
This article points out that the series of the minor judges were not included in the deuteronomistic edition of the Book of Judges, and therefore did not form part of the Dtr’s chronology. In the author’s opinion the Dtr constructs a chronological framework spanning 480 years from the Exodus to the establishment ofthe Temple (1Kgs 6,1) and correlates it with the chronological data in Deuteronomy–Samuel.
420 Gershon Galil
4,15); and David only 70 years (2 Sam 5,4). No king of the house of David
reached the age of 70 (Manasseh [67], and Uzziah [68] were close). The age
of Samuel matches this pattern well: he “judged†Israel 40 years; about 21
years intervened from the battle of Eben-hezer to Samuel’s victory over the
Philistines; and it is stated that Samuel was a teenager (“na’arâ€) at the death
of Eli (1 Sam 3,1) (17). These calculations are also in harmony with the
descriptions of Samuel as an old man in the last years of his period (1 Sam
8,1.5; 12,2; 28,14).
The 300 years of Israel’s settlement in Transjordan (Judg 11,26) is a
round figure, and it should not be adhered to exactly. This said, it is clear that
it corresponds perfectly with the chronological framework proposed above:
274 years passed from the beginning of the oppression by Cushan-rishathim to
the end of the Ammonite oppression, so the end of the epoch of “300 yearsâ€
falls in the first half of the period of Joshua. This conclusion corresponds with
Josh 22,1-6, which points out that “many days†passed till Joshua sent the
tribes of Transjordan to settle in their allotments. It is also obvious that the
chronological data in Judg 11,26 contradicts the suggestion that the series of
the minor Judges, with the dates assigned to them, were included in the DH.
Adding the 45 years of Tola and Jair, to the period of the Judges, would put
the end of the epoch of the “300 years†after the time of Joshua, namely about
19 years after Joshua and of all his generation had passed away.
*
**
The series of the minor judges were not included in the deuteronomistic
edition of the book of Judges, and therefore did not form part of the Dtr’s
chronology. Once this conclusion is reached, the Dtr’s calculations become
very simple and lucid. He constructs a chronological framework spanning
480 years from the Exodus to the establishment of the Temple, and correlates
it with the chronological data in Deuteronomy–Samuel. He opens the DH
with a 40 years epoch assigned to the leadership of Moses, and concludes the
480 years era with a period of 40 years plus 4 years assigned to David and
Solomon (see table). The next two main links are those of the periods of the
two leaders from the tribe of Ephraim, Joshua and Samuel, each lasting 40
years. The period between Joshua and Samuel, spanning 314 years,
comprises 10 links, arranged by the Dtr in a pattern of 4 + 3 + 3: four periods
of the successive judges (Othniel, Ehud, Deborah and Gideon), each divided
into four stages (sin, oppression, outcry and salvation); three periods related
to the three disappointing Judges (Abimelech, Jephthah and Samson),
paralleled by a similar overlapping period also divided into three sub-periods,
and also related to three unsuccessful leaders: Eli and his two sons, Hophni
and Phinehas (see table, gray part).
Department of Jewish History Gershon GALIL
University of Haifa, Mount Carmel
Haifa, 31905 Israel
(17) Josephus conjectured that Samuel was 12 years old when the Lord called him
(Antiquities, V, 348).