This work traces the development of Judaism as a Scriptural religion, claiming that this did not arise from discrete moments of "political" authority (e.g., Sinai, Josiah, Ezra), but was part of a complex and multifarious negotiation involving writing, literacy, orality and the socio-political power of the Persian, Greek and Roman empires.
Donald C. Polaski teaches in the Department of Religious Studies at The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA.
Introduction - Writing, Orality, Power and Empire: A ModelSection One - Prophets, Moses and Deuteronomists: Learning to WriteThe Written Prophets: Setting the Record Straight Deuteronomy and Moses (an expansion of my article from Postmodern Interpretations of the Bible)Josiah, Joshua and Imperial Textuality (a revision of my article from Semeia Studies)Section Two - Inscribing YehudThe Prophets Learn to Write (Ezekiel, Zechariah, Malachi)Nehemiah: Subject of the Empire (a revision of my paper delivered at 2004 SBL)Ezra: The Discipline of LettersSection Three - Engraved Invitations: Writing at the Table of the PowerfulEsther: A Writing Carnival?The Letter of Aristeas: A Hellenistic Writing SymposiumWriting and Resistance in Daniel 1-6 (an expansion of my JBL paper)Section Four - Writing and the Sectarian Subject: Irresistible TextsDaniel's Vision and the EmpireJubilees and Torah1 Enoch: Writing the Sectarian SubjectWriting by the Dead Sea: 4QMMT as SignifierConclusion