Nick Lunn

This article explores one particular case in which a narrative of the Old Testament historical books references laws within the legal code of Israel. The particular manner of intertextual relationship in question is that of allusion rather than direct citation. Following a discussion of how the Deuteromonic History was familiar with contents of the Priestly Code, it is here argued that in composing his account of the spying out of Jericho and its subsequent overthrow, the author of the book of Joshua was looking to the levitical laws regarding leprosy to help enhance his narrative in a meaningful way. All three categories of leprous infection (of a person, a house, and a garment) dealt with in the law have their counterparts in the historical account. When viewed against the backdrop of the Hebrews occupying a land inhabited by Canaanites, each of the three cases delivers an appropriate message to Israel.

This article utilises what is here termed the rhetorico-structural method of analysis with application to the final episodes of Genesis. By means of this approach, the final major section of the book, contrary to what is found in many commentaries, is identified as 49:29–50:26, which is structured in the shape of an inverted parallel pattern. Analysed in this way the pericopae concerning the last words and death of Jacob and the last words and death of Joseph are placed in a corresponding relationship, inviting a comparison between the two. This reveals differences but also an essential unity in the final wishes of each patriarch. Though manifested in different ways their dying requests are governed by a common faith in the future fulfilment of the divine promise to give the offspring of Abraham the land of Canaan. The author's use of a particular literary device to show the appropriateness of Jacob's burial in the cave of Machpelah is identified. Finally, the article offers an explanation for the amount of space the narrative gives to Jacob's burial as contrasted with that of Joseph.

This short article argues for an intertextual interpretation of the Rahab narratives in the book of Joshua in the light of the deliverance of the Hebrews from Egypt as recorded in the book of Exodus. The presence of a range of different verbal and thematic correspondences supports such a notion. This is further confirmed once a structural parallelism between the two portions of text is identified. Suggestions are given as to what the relationship was designed to indicate.

This article explores one particular case in which a narrative of the Old Testament historical books references laws within the legal code of Israel. The particular manner of intertextual relationship in question is that of allusion rather than direct citation. Following a discussion of how the Deuteromonic History was familiar with contents of the Priestly Code, it is here argued that in composing his account of the spying out of Jericho and its subsequent overthrow, the author of the book of Joshua was looking to the levitical laws regarding leprosy to help enhance his narrative in a meaningful way. All three categories of leprous infection (of a person, a house, and a garment) dealt with in the law have their counterparts in the historical account. When viewed against the backdrop of the Hebrews occupying a land inhabited by Canaanites, each of the three cases delivers an appropriate message to Israel.

This article presents a section by section rhetorico-structural analysis of the opening chapters of Numbers, which deal with the counting and grouping of the people of Israel. The analysis reveals the employment throughout of literary patterns of both linear and inverted forms. The ¿ndings of such an analysis point to a purposively and intricately designed textual organization in which the patterning serves de¿nable literary and rhetorical purposes, notably the marking of closure, the underlining of salient information , and the preparation for subsequent information. These ¿ndings are consistent with other similar structural studies of Old Testament texts.