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.
The Chronological Framework of the Deuteronomistic History 419
Philistine oppression mentioned in Judg 13,1 (16). Since Eli died of shock at the
news of the defeat at Eben-hezer, it is clear that the last 19 years of Eli
overlapped the first period of the Philistine oppression, just as Samson judged
Israel “in the days of the Philistinesâ€. Eli’s term of office goes back to the
beginning of the long period of decline and oppression that started after the
death of Gideon. This conclusion corresponds perfectly with the negative
attitude of the author of the pre-deuteronomistic edition of the Book of Samuel
to the house of Eli, expressed in detail in the first chapters of the Book of
Samuel (cf. 1 Sam 1,14; 2,12-17, 22-36; 3,11-14). Eli and his two sons, Hophni
and Phinehas, are also described as leaders that disappointed, so the three of
them joined the three other failed leaders: Abimelech, Jephthah and Samson,
who were active at exactly the same period. The 61 years from the death of
Gideon to the end of the Philistine oppression is divided in the Book of Judges
into three sub-periods (Abimelech [3]; Ammonite oppression [18]; Philistine
oppression [40]). This period of 61 years corresponds to the 61 years from the
beginning of the period of Eli to the beginning of the epoch of Samuel. This era
is also divided into three sub-periods: 40 years of Eli (1 Sam 4,18); seven
months of the ark in the land of the Philistines, and about 20 years of the ark in
Beth-shemesh and Kiriath-jearim (see table, gray part).
Figures for the periods of Joshua and Samuel are missing in the MT. Yet,
the suggestion that each epoch lasted 40 years corresponds perfectly with the
chronological data in the Books of Joshua and Samuel. Josh 14,7-10 indicates
clearly that the conquest of Cisjordan took 5 years, since Caleb says that he is
now 85 years old, and that 45 years elapsed between the sending of the spies
into Canaan (in the first year of the wandering in the wilderness) and the
allotment of the land among the Israelites. Caleb’s age (85=40+45) may
indicate that Joshua’s lifetime (110 years – Josh 24,29; Judg 2,8) was divided
into three main periods: 40+40+30. He was 40 years old when he was sent as
a spy to Canaan, same as Caleb (“Forty years old was I when Moses … sent
me … to espy out the land†– Josh 14,7); and, he lived 40 years in the desert;
and he led the people of Israel for 30 years. Accordingly, he was 80 years old
when he was nominated as leader, the same as Moses. To the 30 years of the
leadership of Joshua, the Dtr probably added a period of 10 years for the
epoch of the “elders that outlived Joshua†(Josh 24,31). In Judg 2,9-10 it is
pointed out that the “period of the judges†started only after the death of all
the generation of Joshua, just as the period of Joshua started only after the
generation of Moses had passed away. Since only the Israelites that were
born in the desert entered to the land, and since, at the end of the epoch of
Joshua, all his generation had passed away, it is impossible to suppose that
the period of Joshua was of five years only. On the contrary, only a long
period of 40 years would accord with all the traditions mentioned above. The
conclusion is that the generation of Joshua passed away after 40 years, like
the generation of Moses.
As for the 40 years of the epoch of Samuel, it is important to look at the
lifetimes of the leaders of Israel mentioned in the DH. There is a clear line of
decline in the lifetime of these leaders, according to the schematic numbers
mentioned by the Dtr: Moses lived 120 years; Joshua – 110; Eli – 98 (1 Sam
(16) For this proposal see NOTH, The Deuteronomistic History, 22.