Berossus and Genesis, Manetho and Exodus: Hellenistic Histories and the Date of the Pentateuch (The Library of Hebrew Bible Old Testament Studies)

345 Pages·2006·19.6 MB·English

by  Russell E. Gmirkin

LIBRARY OF HEBREW BIBLE/
OLD TESTAMENT STUDIES
433
Formerly Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series
Editors
Claudia V. Camp, Texas Christian University
Andrew Mein, Westcott House, Cambridge
Founding Editors
David J. A. Clines, Philip R. Davies and David M. Gunn
Editorial Board
Richard J. Coggins, Alan Cooper, John Goldingay, Robert P. Gordon,
Norman K. Gottwald, Gina Hens-Piazza, John Jarick, Andrew D.H. Mayes,
Carol Meyers, Patrick D. Miller, Yvonne Sherwood
COPENHAGEN INTERNATIONAL SERIES
15
Series Editor
Thomas L. Thompson
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Berossus and Genesis, Manetho and Exodus
Hellenistic Histories and the Date of the Pentateuch
Russell E. Gmirkin
t&t dark
NEW YORK • LONDON
Copyright © 2006 by Russell E. Gmirkin
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher, T & T Clark
International.
T & T Clark International, 80 Maiden Lane, New York, NY 10038
T & T Clark International, The Tower Building, 11 York Road, London SE1 7NX
T & T Clark International is a Continuum imprint.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gmirkin, Russell E., 1954-
Berossus and Genesis, Manetho and Exodus : Hellenistic histories and the date of the
Pentateuch / Russell E. Gmirkin.
p. cm. -- (Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament studies ; 433)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-567-02592-6 (hardcover)
1. Bible. O.T. Pentateuch—Authorship. 2. Greek literature, Hellenistic—History and
criticism. 3. Berosus, the Chaldean. Babyloniaka. 4. Manetho. Aegyptiaca.
5. Documentary hypothesis (Pentateuchal criticism) I. Title. II. Series.
BS1225.52.G55 2006
222M066-dc22
2006007651
Printed in the United States of America
050607080910 10987654321
To Carolyn,
the love of my life
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CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ix
Abbreviations xi
Chapter 1
METHODOLOGY AND HISTORY OF SCHOLARSHIP 1
Chapter 2
THE DOCUMENTARY HYPOTHESIS 22
Chapter 3
HECATAEUS OF ABDERA 34
Chapter 4
ARISTOBULUS AND THE SEPTUAGINT 72
Chapter 5
BEROSSUS AND GENESIS 89
Chapter 6
THE TABLE OF NATIONS 140
Chapter 7
MANETHO AND THE HYKSOS 170
Chapter 8
MANETHO AND THE POLLUTED EGYPTIANS 192
Chapter 9
NECTANEBOS AND MOSES 215
Chapter 10
THE ROUTE OF THE EXODUS 222
Chapter 11
DATE AND AUTHORSHIP OF THE PENTATEUCH 240
viii Berossus and Genesis, Manetho and Exodus
Appendix A
BEROSSUS AND MEGASTHENES 257
Appendix B
THEOPH ANES OF M YTI LENE 259
Appendix C
THE SAMARITAN PENTATEUCH 264
Appendix D
THE RIVERS OF EDEN 266
Appendix E
TARSUS AND THE NORA INSCRIPTION 271
Appendix F
SETH-TYPHON AND THE JEWS 277
Bibliography 297
Index of References 310
Index of Authors 329
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many thanks to Greg Doudna for his valuable suggestions during the course of
writing this manuscript; to my editor, Thomas L. Thompson, for accepting this
book as part of the Copenhagen International Series; to my copy-editor Duncan
Burns for his tireless efforts on this challenging manuscript; and to Carolyn
Tracy and Michael Gmirkin for their support and encouragement of my writing
endeavors over the years.