Prolegomena to the History of IsraelWellhausen, Julius
Religion
Prolegomena to the History of Israel
Wellhausen, Julius
Bible. Old Testament -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.; Jews -- History -- To 70 A.D.; Judaism -- History -- To 70 A.D.
-- Footnote
1. Numbers of the kings of Judah from Solomon : 37+ 17+ 3 + 41 + 25
+ 8 + 1 + 6 + 40 + 29 + 52 + 16 + 29 + 55 + 2 + 31 + 11 + 11=430 years.
Jehoahaz and Jechoiachin are not counted; if they are included and a
year allowed for them, we must say 36 for Solomon. Numbers of the
kings of Israel from 1 Jeroboam: 22 + 2 + 24 +2+ 12 + 22 + 2+ 12 + 28 +
17 + 16 + 41 + 1 + 10 + 2 + 20 + 9. The artificial relations of the
numbers, as explained above, were communicated to me by Ernst Krey.
On the point that the synchronisms do not belong to the original
arrangement, see Jahrb. fur Deutsche Theol., 1875, p. 607 seq.
The correct view of Ezekiel iv. was first published by Bernhard Duhm
(Theol. dir Proph., p. 253). The number 390, given in the Massoretic
text in verse 5 for the duration of the captivity of the northern
Israelites, is impossible. For Ezekiel cannot mean that they have
been 350 years in exile already, and on the other hand he cannot
reckon the remaining period of their punishment at more than 40 years,
because 40 years is his calculation of the period of exile of
Judah, and the restitution of Israel and that of Judah are in his
view to take place at the same time; and indeed that of Egypt as well,
obviously because brought about by the same cause (xxix. 1 1-16),
the fall of the Chaldeans, which may be expected to take place in
40 years. The number 390 has got into verse 5 by mistake from verse 9,
where it is used of a quite different subject, not the years of the
exile, but the days of the last siege of Jerusalem. The gloss verse
13 rests on a similar confusion. The Septuagint correctly gives
for the Israelite exile the number of 150 years, or 190, according
as the last 40 years in which their punishment continued, along
with that of Judah, were included or omitted. It may be remarked
that 390 = 240 + 150. Compare further Robertson Smith, in the
Journal of Philologie, vol x., p. 209-213.
-- Footnote
The great period thus marked off and artificially divided into
subperiods, is surveyed and appraised at every important epoch in
sermon-like discourses. These are much more frequent in Kings
than in Judges and Samuel. It makes no difference whether the
writer speaks in his own person, or by the mouth of another; in
reviews of the past he speaks himself, 2Kings xvii.; in
anticipations of the future he makes another speak (1Kings viii.
ix.). A few examples must be cited to show what we mean.
The great epoch of the work is the building of the temple. On this
occasion Solomon makes a great dedicatory oration, in which he
entreats Jehovah to hear from heaven the prayer of those who shall
seek Him in this place. He concludes as follows:
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