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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Morgan, Donn F., editor.
Title: Oxford handbook of the Writings of the Hebrew Bible / edited by Donn F. Morgan.
Description: New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2018] | Series: Oxford handbooks | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2018001368 | ISBN 9780190212438 (hardcover : alk. paper) | ISBN 9780190900526 (epub) | ISBN 9780190212452 (online resource)
Subjects: LCSH: Bible. Hagiographa—Criticism, interpretation, etc. Classification: LCC BS1308.O94 2018 | DDC 223/.06—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018001368
1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2
Printed by Sheridan Books, Inc., United States of America
Preface ix
List of Contributors xi
List of Abbreviations xv
1. Studying the Writings as Postexilic Literature and Canon 1 Donn F. Morgan
PART I HISTORY
2. The Writings in the Early Postexilic Period (Cyrus through Ezra-Nehemiah) 19 Lester L. Grabbe
3. The Writings in the Hellenistic and Roman Period 33 Timothy H. Lim
4. Archaeology of the Postexilic Period and the Writings 49 Benjamin D. Gordon
PART II INSTITUTIONAL AND LITERARY TRADITIONS
5. Cultic Traditions in the Writings: Priests and Levites in the Postexilic Period 67 Mark A. Leuchter
6. Wisdom Traditions and the Writings: Sage and Scribe 84 James L. Crenshaw
7. Apocalyptic Visions and Revisions of the End in the Writings 99 Bennie H. Reynolds III
8. Postexilic Prose Traditions in the Writings: Novella Writers, Storytellers, and History Writers 116
Thomas M. Bolin
9. Postexilic Poetic Traditions in the Writings 132
Susan E. Gillingham
PART III LITERATURE
10. Reading Psalms Sapientially in the Writings 151
William P. Brown
11. The Book of Job in the Context of the Writings 169
Katharine J. Dell
12. Reading Proverbs as a Book in the Writings
Julius Steinberg
13. Lamentations and Canon: Conversations in the Dark 199 Scott Ellington
14. Ruth: A Reading of Scripture?
A. Graeme Auld
15. Esther’s Frame within the Writings 229 Timothy J. Stone
16. Qoheleth in the Writings
Erhard S. Gerstenberger
17. The Wisdom of Desire in the Song of Songs
Carey Walsh
18. Reimagining Community Past and Present in Ezra and Nehemiah
Melody D. Knowles
19. Chronicles and the Writings
John C. Endres
20. Reading Daniel as Part of the Writings
Ralph W. Klein
21. Writings in the Dead Sea Scrolls
Lawrence H. Schiffman
22. Nascent Judaism: The Writings and the History of Religions
Jon L. Berquist
23. Ancient Near Eastern Religions and the Writings
Daniel C. Snell
24. The Divine–Human Encounter in the Hebrew Wisdom of the Writings and the Confucian Analects
Archie C. C. Lee
25. Moving Texts: The Writings in Western Music and Visual Arts
Roger Ferlo
26. The Reception of the Writings and Their Place in the Biblical Canon
Lee Martin McDonald
27. The Canonical Shape and Function of the Writings
Timothy J. Stone
28. Aspects of Jewish Reception of the Ketuvim (Writings)
Alan Cooper
29. The Writings in the Christian Bible
Mark W. Elliott
30. The Writings and Canon: Enduring Issues and Legacy
Donn F. Morgan
Preface
This handbook serves as a research and reference resource for serious students of the Writings, the third canonical division of the Hebrew Bible. It presents and discusses the most current and significant scholarship dealing with this literature and its postexilic setting. In doing so, the handbook provides not only an important research guide for students of the Writings but a major contribution to the history of religion and interpretation of what has been called an Axial Age.
The many chapters and individual studies contained in this Handbook of the Writings of the Hebrew Bible presuppose and argue for the significance of this literature as a canonical division of the Hebrew Bible. The import of the Writings has been discussed from three different perspectives. First, as a postexilic creation, this literature is both a resource for and a product of a time critical to the nascence of Judaism and Christianity. The postexilic period in Israel and the ancient Near East is the context for the Writings. Within this multicultural context several important social groups contributed to the oral and literary traditions associated with the Hebrew Bible. Sages, visionaries, cultic officials, singers, poets, storytellers, and more have left their marks on this literature and its institutional history. The most current thinking about these groups and their contributions, together with a solid presentation of the history of the time, including insights and contributions of archeology, is presented in the first section, a necessary backdrop for understanding the Writings.
Second, as a collection of diverse literature, the Writings lift up the importance of difference and dialogue between seemingly incompatible traditions (universalism and particularism, the wisdom of Proverbs and that of Qoheleth, etc.) in scripture. The Writings illustrate a breadth of social functions and roles associated with late postexilic communities of faith struggling with the Diaspora, with loss of land, and national autonomy. The handbook gives special attention to each book—its literary forms, structure, and message. Each chapter discusses the purposes of the literature, highlighting pertinent contemporary parallels or applications when appropriate.
Third and finally, the Writings are scripture and a canonical division of the Hebrew Bible. As such, it has a rich history of reception in both Judaism and Christianity, reflecting a powerful impact on the nature of the faith communities that use it. The import of its overall structure and themes, the ways in which it commends the interpretation and use of Torah and Prophets, and the mandating of a biblical dialogue between books of very different origin and message continue to enrich and sustain its readers today. This final section of the handbook presents and discusses this rich reception history in religious traditions (biblical and nonbiblical), in music and art, and as scriptural canon.
Because this handbook rests upon the recognition that these books are part of a scriptural canon, the normative and authoritative nature of particular books as well as of the entire literary collection must be taken seriously. The user of this handbook will thus be challenged to see the individual books of the Writings in larger scriptural, historical, theological, and hermeneutical contexts. It is hoped that this Oxford Handbook will provide a good orientation and starting point for future study of this literature important to historians, theologians, and literary scholars, to say nothing of the many faith communities that use it as normative scripture.
This preface to The Oxford Handbook of the Writings of the Hebrew Bible would not be complete without my thanksgiving for the work and support of many friends and colleagues. First, without Steve Wiggins of Oxford University Press, this volume would simply not exist. It was Steve’s idea to have such a handbook. He then strongly encouraged me to take the idea and run with it. From helping to conceptualize its format, to aiding me in my search for first-rate contributors, to providing other support all along the way of a four-year research project, Steve has truly been indispensable. Thank you, Steve, and to all the staff of Oxford who help to make such projects become published reality.
I owe many thanks to all the contributors to this volume who committed to a longterm project and faithfully not only did their own work but often helped me with larger issues of organization and implementation. To my colleagues in the Society of Biblical Literature, the Anglican Association of Biblical Scholars, the Society of Old Testament Studies, and the European Association of Biblical Scholars who patiently heard me read papers and speak informally about this project—thank you for your interest and your insights.
Finally, as always, my wife, Alda, has been the sounding board for new ideas, for frustrations, and for challenges along a long road of study and interchange with colleagues all over the world. Thank you!
Donn F. Morgan
October 2017
Contributors
A. Graeme Auld
Professor Emeritus of Hebrew Bible
The University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, Scotland
Jon L. Berquist
Professor of Hebrew Bible
Claremont School of Theology Claremont, California
Thomas M. Bolin
Professor of Theology and Religious Studies
St. Norbert College De Pere, Wisconsin
William P. Brown
William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament
Columbia Theological Seminary Decatur, Georgia
Alan Cooper
Elaine Ravich Professor of Jewish Studies and Provost
The Jewish Theological Seminary New York, New York
James L. Crenshaw
Robert L. Flowers Professor of the Old Testament Emeritus
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina
Katharine J. Dell Reader in Old Testament Literature and Theology
Cambridge University, United Kingdom, and Fellow and Director of Studies in Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion
St. Catharine’s College
Cambridge, England
Scott Ellington Professor
School of Christian Ministries
Emmanuel College Franklin Springs, Georgia
Mark W. Elliott
Professor of Historical and Biblical Theology
University of St. Andrews
St. Andrews, Scotland
John C. Endres Professor of Sacred Scripture (Old Testament)
Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University
Berkeley, California
Roger Ferlo
Professor of Biblical Interpretation and the Practice of Ministry Emeritus
Bexley Seabury Seminary Federation
Chicago, Illinois
Erhard S. Gerstenberger
Professor Emeritus of Old Testament
Philipps-Universität
Marburg, Germany
Susan E. Gillingham
Professor of the Hebrew Bible University of Oxford
United Kingdom and Fellow and Tutor in Theology Worcester College, Oxford
Benjamin D. Gordon
Assistant Professor and RosenbergPerlow Fellow in Religious Studies
University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Lester L. Grabbe
Emeritus Professor of the Hebrew Bible and Early Judaism
The University of Hull Hull, England
Ralph W. Klein
Christ Seminary-Seminex Professor of Old Testament Emeritus
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago Chicago, Illinois
Melody D. Knowles
Vice President of Academic Affairs and Associate Professor of Old Testament
Virginia Theological Seminary Alexandria, Virginia
Archie C. C. Lee
Professor Center for Judaic and Inter-Religious Studies
Shandong University Jinan, China
Mark A. Leuchter
Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Judaism
Temple University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Timothy H. Lim
Professor of Hebrew Bible and Second Temple Judaism
The University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh, Scotland
Lee Martin McDonald
President Emeritus and Professor of New Testament Studies
Acadia Divinity College at Acadia University
Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada
Donn F. Morgan
Professor of Old Testament Emeritus Church Divinity School of the Pacific Berkeley, California
Bennie H. Reynolds III Director of Assessment
Medical University of South Carolina Charleston, South Carolina
Lawrence H. Schiffman
Judge Abraham Lieberman Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies and Director of the Global Network for Advanced Research in Jewish Studies
New York University New York, New York
Daniel C. Snell
L. J. Semrod Presidential Professor Emeritus
University of Oklahoma Norman, Oklahoma
Julius Steinberg
Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew
Theologische Hochschule Ewersbach, Germany
Timothy J. Stone
History Department
The Stony Brook School Stony Brook, New York
Carey Walsh
Professor of Old Testament
Villanova University Villanova, Pennsylvania
AB Anchor Bible
Abbreviations
ABD Anchor Bible Dictionary
ABRL Anchor Bible Reference Library
AOAT Alter Orient und Altes Testament
ASTI Annual of the Swedish Theological Institute
ATD Das Alte Testament Deutsche
BAR Biblical Archaeology Reports
BASOR Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research
BBB Bonner biblische Beitrage
BCE Before the Common Era
BHS Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia
BibInt Biblical Interpretation Series
BJS Brown Judaic Studies
BKAT Biblischer Kommentar, Altes Testament
BSac Bibliotheca Sacra
BZAW Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die altestamentliche Wissenschaft
CBET Contributions to Biblical Exegesis and Theology
CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly
CBQMS Catholic Biblical Quarterly Monograph Series
CE The Common Era
DJD Discoveries in the Judean Desert
DSD Dead Sea Discoveries
EdF Ertrage der Forschung
EHS Europaische Hochschulschriften
ET English Translation
EV English Version
FAT Forschungen zum Alten Testament
FOTL Forms of the Old Testament Literature
xvi Abbreviations
FRLANT Forschungen zur Religion und Literatur des Alten und Neuen Testaments
Haer (Irenaeus) Adversus haereses (Elenchos)
HAT Handbuch zum Alten Testament
HB Hebrew Bible
HBM Hebrew Bible Monographs
HBS Herder’s Biblische Studien
HDR Harvard Dissertations in Religion
HThKAT Herders Theologischer Kommentar zum Alten Testament
HUCA Hebrew Union College Annual
JANER Journal of Ancient Near Eastern Religions
JBL Journal of Biblical Literature
JBR Journal of Bible and Religion
JHebS Journal of Hebrew Scriptures
JHS Journal of Hellenic Studies
JJS Journal of Jewish Studies
JSJ Journal for the Study of Judaism in the Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman Periods
JSOT Journal for the Study of the Old Testament
JSOTSup Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series
JTS Journal of Theological Studies
KAT Kommentar zum Alten Testament
LAI Library of Ancient Israel
LHBOTS Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies
LSTS Library of Second Temple Studies
MT Masoretic Text
NIB The New Interpreter’s Bible
NICOT New International Commentary of the Old Testament
NRSV New Revised Standard Version
OBO Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis
OBT Overtures to Biblical Theology
OTL Old Testament Library
PRSt Perspectives in Religious Studies
RevQ Revue de Qumran
SBAB Stuttgarter biblische Aufsatzbände
Abbreviations
SBLDS Society of Biblical Literature Dissertation Series
SBLMS Society of Biblical Literature Monograph Series
SJ Studia Judaica
SJOT Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament
STDJ Studies on the Texts of the Desert of Judah
ThWAT Theologisches Wörterbuch zum Alten Testament
Transeu Transeuphratene
TRE Theologische Realenzyklopadie
TThZ Trierer Theologische Zeitschrift
UF Ugarit-Forschungen
VT Vetus Testamentum
VTSupp Vetus Testamentum Supplements
WBC Word Biblical Commentary
WMANT Wissenschaftliche Monographien zum Alten und Neuen Testament
WUNT Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament
ZABR Zeitschrift für altorientalische und biblische Rechtgeschichte
ZAW Zeitschrift für die altestamentliche Wissenschaft
The Oxford Handbook of
THE WRITINGS OF THE
HEBREW BIBLE
Chapter 1
Studying the Writings as Postexilic Literature and Canon
Donn F. Morgan
The Writings, or Hagiographa in Greek, is the title of the third division of the Hebrew Bible, following Torah and Prophets. Its contents contain a wide range of literature: Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Ruth, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, and 1–2 Chr. Within this literature the Psalms are much beloved and used regularly in both Jewish and Christian liturgy. The book of Lamentations, though traditionally attributed to Jeremiah and focused on the sixth century bce destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, is closely tied to lament forms of prayer found in the Psalms. The book of Job is an enduring literary masterpiece, confounding and challenging as it addresses fundamental human and theological issues of life that touch all people everywhere. Job, together with Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, is recognized and categorized as biblical wisdom literature. The Song of Songs, often associated with Solomon, is love poetry, also seen by some as wisdom literature. Chronicles and EzraNehemiah tell and retell the history of Israel from earliest times through the work of Ezra and Nehemiah in postexilic times, with a special focus on the monarchial period. Ruth and Esther, espousing very different theological and social perspectives, make their points through narratives focused on particular women important in the history of Israel. Daniel, usually considered the latest book of the Hebrew Bible, contains both stories of Daniel and others struggling against foreign threats to their religious practice as well as fully developed apocalyptic visions of the “end.”
Context and Raison D’etre
There is incredible diversity within this literature: poetry and prose; apocalyptic and establishment points of view; theological and anthropological perspectives; lament and
praise; and much more. In addition to the fact that most of this literature receives its “final” form sometime in the rather long postexilic period (ca. 520 bce to 67 bce), a frequent question posed to this seemingly disparate and different collection is: “What holds this literature together?” Or: “What is the rhyme and reason of the Writings?’
The first answer to such concerns may be perceived as a truism or perhaps begging the questions altogether: This literature is all scripture and set inside a canon, namely the Hebrew Bible, as a particular division. As such, this literature, all of it, is authoritative and normative for the teaching and living of communities of faith that consider it scripture. Beyond this, however, for much of its history as a part of the Hebrew Bible, the Writings as a division and collection has often raised more issues and questions than it has answered (Steinberg and Stone 2015a: 1–58). Among the kinds of questions and concerns brought to this canonical division as a whole are the following:
• Content and genre. What kind of literature is represented here (prayers [e.g., hymns, laments, etc.], proverbs, history, letters, apocalyptic visions, love poetry, et al.)? What are its primary concerns?
• Order: Structure and sequence. Is there any rationale to be discerned in the order of the books? Has that order affected the communities of faith that use it? What evidence do we have for this?
• Interrelationships. How do we relate the liturgical poetry of Lamentations to the Psalms? Or the wisdom of Proverbs to Ecclesiastes and Job? Or the history writing of Ezra-Nehemiah to 1–2 Chr? The collection as a whole demands some answers to these questions.
• Historical context. Can we learn anything about the purpose and rationale for including these books as scripture in the Writings by seeing them in their historical context as postexilic Jewish literature? What major traditions (religious, social, political, theological) are functioning at this time in the life of the people, and how are the Writings reflective of or influenced by them?
• Function and use. How do the ancient biblical communities of faith use these texts? The Psalms, for example, perform an all-important liturgical function for many. But what about the wisdom literature of Job and Proverbs? What about the wise naysayer in Ecclesiastes? How did they and how do we use the visions of Daniel or the histories of Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah?
• Relationship to other scripture. How is this collection of literature related to the other two divisions of the Hebrew Bible, Torah and Prophets? Are the Writings important to the New Testament or to contemporary rabbinic writings or later Jewish literature (e.g., the Mishnah or Talmud)? Answering these questions may involve a focus on intertextuality or tradition history. It may need to address theological and historical developments in religious institutions. Canonical questions focusing on the overall purposes of scriptural collections and how these collections are related to one another may also be raised. As is so often the case, exploring relationships to other scripture is set within our frail grasp of the historical settings and purposes for this ancient literature. In our contemporary attempts to understand and make sense of these relationships for our present day, we must first trace a fascinating
and important history of interpretation in the postexilic period when Judaism is born.
The study of the Writings touches and includes many important issues in biblical scholarship in both Judaism and Christianity for all who live in our world today. When the question “Who knows or cares about The Writings?” is raised, the answer should be “Everyone!” And yet, if we were to ask this question to Jewish or Christian congregations, in many cases there might not be much familiarity, recognition, or even interest in the Writings. Not so, however, in a typical gathering of biblical scholars. Today the significance of the Writings, with much attention to questions of history, literature, theology, and canon, is generally acknowledged in the academy. There appears to be a disparity between the interests of scholarship and the communities for which this literature is canonical scripture. Serious students of the Writings must acknowledge the wide gap between the interests and concerns of biblical scholarship and the communities of faith for whom this literature is both scripture and canon, and they must explore the implications of this disparity. Students of this literature know that its voices touch many important contemporary issues as well as provide an all-important snapshot of the roots and development of both Judaism and Christianity. Whether as a professional scholar, a congregant, or a casual reader, there is a mandate coming from the study of the Writings to make this literature and canon more widely known and appreciated.
While in biblical scholarship the books of the Writings are relatively well known, the ways in which they are organized differ widely, reflecting their different placements and order in Jewish and Christian Bibles. It might be argued that the diversity and sometimes seemingly inchoate nature of the Writings raise as many problems as they solve. Indeed, while this literature is a part of the scriptural canon, their definition, historical development, and function have become subjects of much disagreement in the past generation of biblical studies.
Nevertheless, there are some points of consensus, some places where general agreement about the Writings can be had. This literature bears the stamp of the postexilic period, for the most part. As such, it is important in any discussions of the development of Judaism, and Christianity, containing within it themes and emphases of literary, sociological, historical, and theological import (sin, suffering, confession, and repentance; theodicy; governance; diaspora living; particularism and universalism; et al.). Whether so designated by philosophers, historians, or religious or secular scholars, this literature and the times in which it was composed deserve to be a part of an Axial Age. Coupled with important developments in biblical scholarship over the past fifty years or more, this literature warrants a continued focus as canonical scripture.
The Writings as Scripture and Canon
Because the Writings are a canonical division within the Hebrew Bible, any study dealing with this literature as a whole must necessarily address questions about canon.
Definitions of canon abound, but two of the oldest are pertinent here. First, canon is a container, something which divides, collects, and separates.1 So the literature in the Writings is separated both from the other literature in the Hebrew Bible as well as all other literature. Another central function associated with this characteristic of canon is preservation: the books are kept—safe and separate—from others. Second, canon is a measure, providing limits. Not all literature can or should be in the container of canon. Certain judgments and evaluations about the character of the literature found in a canon are necessary.
The Writings are a particular kind of canon, a canon of scripture. As such, all of this literature is authoritative, even normative, for the communities of faith that consider it “holy” scripture. The canonical functions of preservation and separation (distinguishing) are lifted up and emphasized because these writings are scripture. There can be no doubt, given the diversity of the Writings, that there were many different reasons for considering this particular literature authoritative, many different functions served, many different settings in which they were used. But, whether for worship or for general behavioral values and norms, or communal organization, or other purposes, this literature as scripture has a special place and role in religious communities.
Ultimately, of course, these individual writings, originally written in particular times and places, become the property of a larger entity, Judaism, and, in another and different canonical container, Christianity as well. The Writings, together with Torah and Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, provide resources for the fulfillment of the basic needs of the larger community, among these being identity and mission. In contexts of governance or worship or family life, scripture provides important values, stories, and teachings for individual and communal formation and direction.
The Writings as scripture begin with particular messages to the faith communities that consider it such. Ultimately, as this literature is used in many different religious and cultural contexts, published widely in a variety of books and other media, its value and import assume a universal character. Finally, then, not simply Jews or Christians but many others have the ability to learn from Job, to lament and praise with the psalmist, to experience the apocalyptic visions of Daniel, to learn of living faithfully in diaspora through Esther. As literature, as scripture, and as canon, the Writings lift up issues central for community identity building, for effective governance, for faithful living in the context of challenge and crisis. All of this, then, provides a rationale, even perhaps a mandate, for further study of the Writings of the Hebrew Bible.
With a focus on the Writings as canon and scripture, there are a host of questions concerning its role and function that need to be addressed:
• Does it make any difference how and when the Writings became canon?
• Does the order and sequence of the Writings, as it has been transmitted over the centuries, make any difference to our interpretation of this canonical division?
• Related to the question of order and sequence, how important is the (sub)collection of the Megilloth (Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther) for students of the Writings?
• Does the nature of this literature as scripture and canon lift up the importance of any particular perspectives and methods for reading and interpretation, for example, canonical criticism or reception history?
• How important are questions of authorship and original setting for the Writings?
These questions, stemming from particular characteristics of canon and scripture, provide further motivation and shape for a rich study of this biblical material. It is to the history of this study we now turn.
Studying the Writings as Literature, Scripture, and Canon
The current scholarship devoted to individual books found within the Writings and to the postexilic period in the ancient Near East is impressive and found in many articles, monographs, dictionaries, and commentaries.2 This is hardly surprising, for some of the best literature and poetry ever written is contained in the Writings. Moreover, this literature addresses issues critical to religion and society at all times: particularism, universalism, orthodoxy, heresy, the role and place of the “other,” identity, mission, theodicy, and so on. The postexilic context of the Writings leads into and overlaps a time of explosive literary activity (200 bce to 200 ce) in the ancient Near East. This is a period when canons of scriptures are formed and interpretive processes necessary for their continuance and pertinence are created. Viewed in this historical light, the Writings contain important precursors and catalysts for seminal developments in Judaism and Christianity.
Despite the scholarly attention given to the individual books in the Writings and to the postexilic period, there have been relatively few books written about the Writings as a canonical division of the Hebrew Bible. The absence of such a general discussion focusing on the scriptural division of the Writings is confirmed by Brevard Childs: “Modern critical scholarship has attributed little significance to the Hebrew canon’s division of a final section called the Writings or Hagiographa (ketubim)” (1979: 501). If, then, not much significance has been given previously to the Writings, a rather obvious and legitimate question is raised: Is there any need now for serious attention to the Writings as a canonical division?
Comparing and contrasting previous scholarship on the Writings is one way to answer this question, lifting up central and enduring characteristics of this literature as well as highlighting new developments. We begin with a comparison of T. Henshaw’s The Writings: The Third Division of the Old Testament Canon, a general overview of the scholarship on the Writings published in 1963, with Julius Steinberg’s and Timothy Stone’s recently published volume, The Shape of the Writings (2015b), addressing structural and canonical aspects of this scriptural literature.
