Content area
Full Text
SUSANNE OTTO, Jehu, Elia and Elisa: Die Erzahlung von der Jehu-Revolution und die Komposition der Elia-Elisa-Erzahlungen (BWA(N)T 152/8, 12; Stuttgart/Berlin/ Cologne: Kohlhammer, 2001). Pp. 290. Paper DM 71.
In this revision of her 1999 dissertation under Rainer Albertz at the Westfalische Wilhelms-Universitat in Munster, Otto attempts to reconstruct the tradition and redaction histories of 1 Kgs 16:29-2 Kgs 10:36. She begins with a review of scholarship on the composition of the Elijah and Elisha narratives and the Deuteronomistic History. O. accepts a modified form of Noth's original theory, dating the Dtr Grundschrift (DtrG) to shortly after 562 B.C.E. but ascribing it to a Deuteronomistic group or school rather than an individual. O. also argues for historical design as a criterion for distinguishing Deuteronomistic redaction along with language, style, and theology.
Otto begins with the story of Jehu's revolt (2 Kings 9-10) as a widely recognized part of DtrG. She couples close literary (source) analysis with a consideration of narrative structure. She then treats the narratives about Naboth's vineyard (1 Kings 21) and the inquiry of Baal of Ekron (2 Kings 1). Finally, she isolates post-Dtr expansions in the Elijah-Elisha material.
Otto thinks that DtrG incorporated only the traditions about Jehu's revolt (2 Kings 9-10*), Naboth's vineyard (1 Kings 21*),...