An edition of Reconsidering the date and provenance of the book of Hosea (2013)

Reconsidering the Date and Provenance of the Book of Hosea

The Case for Persian-Period Yehud

By James M. Bos

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Publish Date

2014

Publisher

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Language

eng

Pages

192

Description:

"Scholarship has viewed the book of Hosea as originating in eighth-century Israel before being taken to Judah, where it underwent one or more redactions in later centuries. However, evidence suggests that the book should be viewed as a Judahite text from the start, of late sixth or early fifth century B.C.E composition. The post-monarchic period in Yehud provides the most fitting context for the anti-monarchical ideology of the book, with the polemic against Benjamin explicable only as a result of the tension between the governing Saulides resident in Mizpah and the Judahite elite who had recently immigrated to Jerusalem from Mesopotamia in the late sixth century. The dual theme of Exile and Return present in the book is consistent with the discourse found in other sixth century Judahite books. Additionally, the book shows a broad familiarity with Judahite historiographic traditions, many of which are in all probability seventh century or later. Thus, the book of Hosea should be interpreted as a work by a Judahite scribe for a Judahite audience."--Bloomsbury Publishing This study argues that the book of Hosea ought to be understood and read as a text that was composed in Persian-period Yehud rather than in eight-century Israel. The author challenges the traditional scholarship and emphasizes that there is the evidence to suggest that the book should be viewed as a Judahite text - a book that was composed in the late sixth or early fifth century B.C.E. Bos provides an overview of the state of prophetic research, as well as a discussion of genre and the generation of prophetic books, linguistic dating and provenance; and a survey of Hosea research. Bos discusses various aspects of the book of Hosea that aim to prove his argument the book was composed in Persian-period Yehud - the anti-monarchical ideology of the book, the dual theme of 'Exile' and 'Return' which is consistent with the discourse found in other Judahite books dating to the sixth century; and the historiographical traditions