Deuteronomy, the Deuteronomistic History, and the Books of Joshua through Kings

Abstract

Martin Noth’s Deuteronomistic History hypothesis built on earlier source criticism that saw some form of Deuteronomy as one of the sources of the Pentateuch or Hexateuch. Source critics had also argued for the presence of the D-source also in other biblical books. According to Noth the Deuteronomistic historian wrote a unified history in the exilic period comprising Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. Following Noth, this hypothesis was developed in two main directions: the double redaction hypothesis and the concept of successive redactions. This chapter charts these developments and ends by exploring ways of reading Deuteronomy in relation to the books of Joshua through Kings using a literary approach, independently of the Deuteronomistic History hypothesis.