This book examines the doctrine of transgenerational punishment found in the Decalogue-that is, the idea that God punishes sinners vicariously and extends the punishment due them to three or four generations of their progeny. Though it was “God-given” law, the unfairness of punishing innocent people merely for being the children or grandchildren of wrongdoers was clearly recognized in ancient Israel. A series of inner-biblical and post-biblical responses to the rule demonstrates that later writers were able to criticize, reject, and replace this problematic doctrine with the alternative notion of individual retribution. From this perspective, the formative canon is the source of its own renewal: it fosters critical reflection upon the textual tradition and sponsors intellectual freedom.
To support further study, this book includes a valuable bibliographical essay on the distinctive approach of inner-biblical exegesis showing the contributions of European, Israeli, and North American scholars. An earlier version of the volume appeared in French as L′Herméneutique de l′innovation: Canon et exégèse dans l′Israël biblique. This new Cambridge release represents a major revision and expansion of the French edition, nearly doubling its length with extensive new content. Legal Revision and Religious Renewal in Ancient Israel opens new perspectives on current debates within the humanities about canonicity, textual authority, and authorship.
Bernard M. Levinson holds the Berman Family Chair of Jewish Studies and Hebrew Bible at the University of Minnesota. His research focuses on biblical and cuneiform law, textual reinterpretation in the Second Temple period, and the relation of the Bible to Western intellectual history. His book Deuteronomy and the Hermeneutics of Legal Innovation (1997) won the 1999 Salo W. Baron Award for Best First Book in Literature and Thought from the American Academy for Jewish Research. He is also the author of “The Right Chorale” : Studies in Biblical Law and Interpretation (2008), and editor or coeditor of four volumes, most recently, The Pentateuch as Torah: New Models for Understanding Its Promulgation and Acceptance (2007). The interdisciplinary significance of his work has been recognized with appointments to both the Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton) and the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin/Berlin Institute for Advanced Study.
Contents
1. Biblical studies as the meeting point of the humanities; 2. Rethinking the relation between 'canon' and 'exegesis'; 3. The problem of innovation within the formative canon; 4. The reworking of the principle of transgenerational punishment: four case studies; 5. The canon as sponsor of innovation; 6. The phenomenon of rewriting within the Hebrew Bible: a bibliographic essay on 'inner-biblical exegesis' in the history of scholarship.
Reviews
From the Reviews of the Earlier French Edition
“ . . . a sophisticated understanding of how canonization should be conceived in Judaism. An important work, rendered all the more useful by its third part which is a bibliography...” —John Barton, Society for Old Testament Study Book List
“At present there is no better introduction to intra-biblical exegesis and it is simply indispensable reading for all those interested in this approach.” —Christophe Nihan, Henoch: Studies in Judaism and Christianity from Second Temple to Late Antiquity
“Levinson shows the important role played by the scribes in divine revelation—‘the human voice in ancient Israel was not diminished but augmented’—and their ingenious capacity for innovation and even for textual subversion. He also compels us, more broadly, to reconsider the notions of canon and tradition in their mutual development and dialectical relationship. In the final analysis, he offers us a unique opportunity to reanimate a critical dialogue between biblical studies and the humanities, and thereby to revitalize the latter.” —Didier Luciani, Vies consacrées
“In short, it is an interpretation that one must heartily recommend to those who wish to read the biblical texts intelligently, in particular the legal texts.” —Jean Louis Ska, Nouvelle Revue Théologique
“The longest part of his study is devoted to show the innovation during the formation process of the canon . . .This part of Levinson's book is revealing and excellent, as he brilliantly demonstrates intrabiblical exegesis. He suggests that this can serve as a guide for modern exegesis.” —Walter Vogels, Review of Biblical Literature
“Altogether, this is a stimulating study.” —P. S. Johnston, Vetus Testamentum
Reviews of the New Cambridge Edition
"All in all, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the issues of early biblical interpretation and the formation of the biblical canon. Specialists across the board in religious studies and biblical studies would profit from a closer look at Levinson's book. I'm recommending it to everyone I know - NT students, rabbinics experts, early Christian studies people, Hebrew Bible colleagues - you know who you are - read this book!" —Biblia Hebraica Blog
“Perhaps I am biased, but it seems to me to be beyond any reasonable doubt that, behind the final form of the canonical, biblical text lies evidence of a lively, imaginative, and creative use of interpretation, reinterpretation, and reapplication of earlier texts. It is a complex, living, creative achievement which, for just this reason, invites constant, continuing invention, as Levinson maintains. I certainly find this book itself a delightful, informative, and stimulating one to read.” —Rex Mason, Journal of Theological Studies
"The bibliographical essay is an excellent overview of research on what is now often called ‗inner-biblical exegesis‘, and it will serve as a superb tool for beginners and seasoned researchers alike. The other essays span a vast array of methodological problems and exegetical insights and are at the forefront of current research into legal traditions in the HB. A highly welcome volume." —Journal for the Study of the Old Testament
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