Source and Revision in the Narratives of David's Transfer of the Ark

This book evaluates the relationship between "Samuel" and "Chronicles" in a single synoptic story: David's transfer of Israel's sacred ark to Jerusalem in "2 Samuel 6" and "1 Chronicles 13, 15-16". Chapter one surveys areas of research related to "Samuel" and "Chronicles". Rezetko summarises research and perspectives on these books and their stories of David's ark transfer. The review highlights competing approaches to "Samuel" which center on either sources or composition and on either a diachronic or synchronic methodology. Chapter two surveys issues related to synchronic and diachronic approaches to "Samuel" and "Chronicles". The writer suggests that the impasse between these competing approaches may be resolved by the textual-exegetical approach, that is, by using text-critical controls on redactional arguments.Finally, it is stated that the principal text-critical aim in this book is the detection of earlier and later forms of biblical texts or stories, or to state it differently, the discovery of earlier and later stages in their editorial histories.Using the aforementioned insights and methodologies, chapters three through six closely examine "2 Samuel 6" and the synoptic portions of "1 Chronicles 13, 15-16". All these interconnected adjustments point to successive editorial interventions over a substantial period of time and their cumulative appearance and objective may be labelled a literary layer. The book concludes with observations regarding the implications of the present investigation for the theories of A G Auld.

.".. there is a mass of carefully presented and argued detail here for which we should be grateful" 32.5 (2008)--Sanford Lakoff "Journal for The Study of the Old Testament ", ."..it is a high quality work of careful scholarship, with a bold hypothesis that runs counter to the prevailing consensus...I fear that my short summary of Rezetko's book is an inadequate tribute to the enormity of his research. He provides a fine synthesis of scholarship and excellent bibliography (with meticulous documentation from start to finish). A great positive is that one does not necessarily have to agree with Rezetko's results in order to profit from his study...Overall anyone undertaking serious study of these passages will have to reckon with Rezetko's analysis, and those interested in the broader questions of textcritical controls as a means for determining earlier and later stages in a text's editorial history will need to consult this very readable book." Keith Bodner, Atlantic Baptist University, Journal of Hebrew Scriptures, Vol. 8 (2008)--Sanford Lakoff, ..".it is a high quality work of careful scholarship, with a bold hypothesis that runs counter to the prevailing consensus...I fear that my short summary of Rezetko's book is an inadequate tribute to the enormity of his research. He provides a fine synthesis of scholarship and excellent bibliography (with meticulous documentation from start to finish). A great positive is that one does not necessarily have to agree with Rezetko's results in order to profit from his study...Overall anyone undertaking serious study of these passages will have to reckon with Rezetko's analysis, and those interested in the broader questions of textcritical controls as a means for determining earlier and later stages in a text's editorial history will need to consult this very readable book." Keith Bodner, Atlantic Baptist University, Journal of Hebrew Scriptures, Vol. 8 (2008)--Keith Bodner

Robert Rezetko is an independent scholar.