Joshua, the guide who meditates and practicing the Torah
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/BPTh.2015.027Keywords
Joshua, the Book of Joshua, the guide, the leader, the TorahAbstract
The research on the Book of Joshua usually has not centred about the figure of main character, usually because he is predominantly styled as Moses redux, but also because the narrator never relates the substance of thoughts or reports an interior monologue by him. Recently some suggests that Joshua is styled in his Book as second servant of Yhwh (in the light of the title ascribed to him in Josh. 24:29), a prophet (according the presentation in Ch. 1), or – if one accepts the hypothesis of Deuteronomistic History – a sort of prototypical Josiah.
The contribution shows that, in light of the general outlook of the Book, the main character doesn’t become clear in relation to his predecessor, neither in light of the historical implementations in the ensuing narrative, notably Josiah.
Joshua typify a model of leader who will not find real followers, tacitly preparing the reader of the subsequent history for the unlucky end of the monarchic experience. The postexilic community, which waits for the realization of the divine promises of renewal, will not be ruled by a king, but will have as permanent point of reference – for the guides and for the members – the Book, and anyone will be called to take on the task of the leader, should – like Joshua – hear, meditate and act in accordance of the Torah.
References
Béré P., Le second Serviteur de Yhwh. Un portrait exégétique de Josué dans le livre éponyme (OBO 253), Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2012.
Budd P.J., Numbers (WBC 5), Word Books, Waco (TX) 1984.
Butler T.C., Joshua 1–12 (WBC 7A), Zondervan, Grand Rapids (MI) 22014.
Carrière J.-M., «Le pouvoir de tout un chacun (Dt 16,18–18,22)», in D. Luciani – A. Wénin (edd.), Le Pouvoir. Enquêtes dans l'un et l'autre Testament (LD 248), Cerf, Paris 2012, 43– 61.
Chapman S.B., «Joshua Son of Nun: Presentation of a Prophet», in J.J. Ahn – S.L. Cook (eds.), Thus Says the Lord. Essays on the Former and Latter Prophets in Honor of Robert R. Wilson (LHB/OTS 502), T & T Clark, New York–London 2009, 13–26.
Dalla Vecchia F., Giosuè. Introduzione, traduzione e commento (Nuovissima versione della Bibbia dai testi antichi 6), San Paolo, Cinisello Balsamo (MI) 2010.
Dalla Vecchia F., «Il potere del re», in G. Canobbio – F. Dalla Vecchia – R. Maiolini (edd.), Il potere (Quaderni Teologici del Seminario di Brescia 24), Morcelliana, Brescia 2014, 79– 98.
Hawk L.D., Joshua (Berit Olam), Liturgical Press, Collegeville (MN) 2000.
Knauf E.A., Josua (ZBK), Theologischer Verlag, Zürich, 2008.
Launderville D., Piety and Politics. The Dynamics of Royal Authority in Homeric Greece, Biblical Israel, and Old Babylonian Mesopotamia, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids (MI) 2003.
Levine B.A., Numbers 21–36. A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary (AncB 4A), Doubleday, New York (NY) 2000.
Levinson B.M., «The Reconceptualization of Kingship in Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomistic History’s Transformation of Torah», VT 51 (2001) 511–534.
Liverani M., Guerra e Diplomazia nell’Antico Oriente, Laterza, Roma–Bari 1994.
Lohfink N., «Separazione dei poteri. Le leggi del Deuteronomio sugli uffici come progetto di una costituzione che prevede la separazione dei poteri e il diritto canonico cattolico», in Id., Le nostre grandi parole. L’Antico Testamento su temi di questi anni, Paideia, Brescia 1986, pp. 65–85.
Momigliano A., Le Radici classiche della storiografia moderna. Sather Classical Lectures, Sansoni, Firenze 1992.
Nelson R.D., «Josiah in the Book of Joshua», JBL 100 (1981), 531–540.
Nelson R.D., Joshua. A Commentary (OTL), Westminter John Knox Press, Louisville (KY) 1997.
Nelson R.D., Deuteronomy. A Commentary (OTL), Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville-London 2002.
Otto E., «Mosè e la legge. Il personaggio di Mosè come progetto di teologia politica antitetico all'ideologia reale neoassira del VII sec. a.C.», in Id., (ed.), Mosè. Egitto e Antico Testamento (StBib 152), Paideia, Brescia 2006, 53–104.
Paganini S., Deuteronomio. Nuova versione, introduzione e commento (I libri biblici. Primo Testamento 5), Paoline, Milano 2011.
Porter J., «The Succession of Joshua», in J. Durham – J. Porter (eds.), Proclamation and Presence. Old Testament Essays in Honour of Gwynne Henton Davies, SCM Press, London 1970, 102–132.
Rofé A., «Joshua Son of Nun in the History of Biblical Tradition», Tarbiz 73(2003/4), 333–364 (ebraico).
Rösel H.N., Joshua (HCOT), Peeters, Leuven 2011.
Schäfer-Lichtenberger Ch., Josua und Salomo. Eine Studie zu Autorität und Legitimität des Nachfolgers im Alten Testament (VT.S 58), Brill, Leiden 1995.
Vignolo R., «Antitipo come controtipo. Giosuè “uomo-libro” pieno Salomone “uomo-libro” mancato», in G. Benzi – D. Scaiola – M. Bonarini (edd.), La profezia tra l’uno e l’altro Testamento. Studi in onore del prof. Pietro Bovati in occasione del suo settantacinquesimo compleanno (AnBib-Studia 4), G & BP, Roma 2015, 191–203.
Zenger E. (ed.), Introduzione all’Antico Testamento Queriniana, Brescia 32013.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
CC BY ND 4.0. The Creator/Contributor is the Licensor, who grants the Licensee a non-exclusive license to use the Work on the fields indicated in the License Agreement.
- The Licensor grants the Licensee a non-exclusive license to use the Work/related rights item specified in § 1 within the following fields: a) recording of Work/related rights item; b) reproduction (multiplication) of Work/related rights item in print and digital technology (e-book, audiobook); c) placing the copies of the multiplied Work/related rights item on the market; d) entering the Work/related rights item to computer memory; e) distribution of the work in electronic version in the open access form on the basis of Creative Commons license (CC BY-ND 3.0) via the digital platform of the Nicolaus Copernicus University Press and file repository of the Nicolaus Copernicus University.
- Usage of the recorded Work by the Licensee within the above fields is not restricted by time, numbers or territory.
- The Licensor grants the license for the Work/related rights item to the Licensee free of charge and for an unspecified period of time.
FULL TEXT License Agreement
Stats
Number of views and downloads: 498
Number of citations: 0