D Source - The Deuteronomist (7th-6th centuries BCE)

Geographic and Historical Context

  • Origin: Southern Kingdom of Judah
  • Period: [[Josiah’s Reforms]] (621 BCE) and aftermath
  • Political Context: Assyrian decline, Babylonian rise
  • Reform Movement: Connected to centralization efforts

Literary Characteristics

  • Divine Name: Exclusively YHWH in legal material
  • Style: Homiletical, sermonic, repetitive exhortation
  • God’s Character: Covenant lord demanding exclusive loyalty
  • Language: Deuteronomic formulaic phrases
  • Narrative Technique: Framework speeches, historical retrospection

Theological Themes

  • Temple Centralization: “The place where YHWH chooses to put his name”
  • Covenant Theology: Conditional relationship based on obedience
  • Strict Monotheism: No other gods, no images
  • Retribution Theology: Blessing for obedience, curse for disobedience
  • Name Theology: God’s name dwells in temple, not God himself
  • Social Justice: Care for marginalized within covenant community

Key Content in Torah

  • Deuteronomy 12-26: Core legal collection (Deuteronomic Code)
  • Deuteronomy 1-11: Historical retrospective and exhortation
  • Deuteronomy 27-34: Covenant renewal, blessings/curses, Moses’ death

Extended Deuteronomistic Work

  • Deuteronomistic History: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings
  • Historical Framework: Evaluates kings and events by deuteronomic standards
  • Exile Explanation: Babylonian exile as punishment for covenant violation

Distinctive Features

  • Jerusalem Centralization: Only legitimate worship site
  • Prophetic Tradition: Moses as ideal prophet
  • Law and Teaching: Torah as central to covenant relationship
  • Memory and Warning: “Remember” and “be careful” formulas
  • Conquest Ideology: Complete destruction of Canaanites commanded

Relationship to Other Sources

  • Response to P: Some scholars see D as reacting to earlier P traditions
  • Integration Challenge: How D relates to JE combination
  • Redactional Role: D provides framework for incorporating other sources