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.
418 Gershon Galil
48 years: from the first period of sin and the subsequent oppression by
Cushan-rishathain, which lasted eight years, to the people’s outcry, the
deliverance by Othniel, and the peace of 40 years, at the end of this cycle
(Judg 3,8,11); (2) The second cycle of 98 years: including 18 years of the
Moabite oppression (Judg 3,14), ending with salvation by Ehud, and 80 years
of peace after the death of Eglon (Judg 3,30); (3) The third cycle of 60 years:
20 years of subjection by Jabin, the Canaanite king, and 40 years of peace
after the victory of Barak and Deborah (Judg 4,2-3; 5,31); (4) The fourth cycle
of 47 years: seven bad years of ravage by the Midianites followed by 40 years
of peace in the time of Gideon (Judg 6,1; 8,28). These four temporal cycles
were followed by three sub-periods, which came immediately after the death
of Gideon: (1) The short period of Abimelech (three years: Judg 9,22); (2) 18
years of Ammonite oppression (Judg 10,8); (3) 40 years of Philistine
oppression (Judg 13,1). Rest and peace are not mentioned after Jephthah’s
victory over the Ammonites; just a slaughter of 42,000 Israelites and a
faithless sacrifice of his only daughter. Moreover, the Ammonite oppression
was directly followed by 40 years of the Philistine oppression, as it is stated in
Judg 10,7: “The Lord was angry with Israel, and he sold them to the
Philistines and to the Ammonitesâ€. Note the order of the foes (first the
Philistines), and the fact that this sentence is located in the introduction to the
story of Jephthah. This indicates that in the Dtr’s eyes, the Ammonite
oppression and the Philistine oppression are one continuous epoch.
The total of the figures discussed above is 400 years: 40 years in the
desert, 46 years of Saul, David and Solomon (=86 years) and 314 years of
the period of the judges. The difference between 480 and 400 is 80, and this
is the time that the Dtr reckoned for the two links that are missing in this
puzzle: the period of Joshua and the time of Samuel, each, in the Dtr’s
opinion, lasting 40 years.
Two important questions are still unanswered: (1) To when should
we date the periods of Samson and Eli? (2) Is the round figure of Israel’s
300 years settlement in southern Transjordan in accordance with the Dtr’s
system?
The key to the understanding of first question is Judg 15,20. It points out
clearly that the 20 years of Samson are located within the period of the 40 years
of the Philistine oppression: “Samson was judge over Israel for twenty years, in
the days of the Philistinesâ€. This fact is also reflected in Judg 15,11, and in the
words of the angel to Samson’s mother in 13,5: “He will strike the first blow to
deliver Israel from the power of the Philistinesâ€. Samson has nothing to do
with the ending of the Philistine oppression, since no matter what damage he
caused them, in the end he died as a prisoner of the Philistines. Actually, there
is no evidence of the termination of the Philistine oppression until the defeat of
the Philistines by the Lord in the time of Samuel (1 Sam 7,7-14; cf. also 1 Sam
4,9). The battle of Eben-hezer was fought about 21 years before Samuel’s
victory over the Philistines. This view is clearly deduced from the ark tradition,
especially from the chronological notes in 1 Sam 6,1 and 7,2. The ark had been
in the Philistine cities for seven months (6,1), then in Beth-shemesh, probably
for a short period (6,11-21), and finally in Kiriath-jearim for 20 years (7,2).
The conclusion is manifest: the fatal defeat at Eben-hezer, and probably the
destruction of Shilo too, happened about halfway through the 40 years of the