Israel and the Assyrians: Deuteronomy, the Succession Treaty of Esarhaddon, and the Nature of Subversion

Ancient Near East Monographs #8

by Carly Crouch

This volume investigates Deuteronomy's subversive intent within its social context, and reconsiders the relationship between Deuteronomy and Assyria, its relationship to ancient Near Eastern and biblical treaty and loyalty oath traditions, and the relevance of its treaty affinities to discussions of its date.

234 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2014

About the author

Lecturer in Hebrew Bible in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom.

She is the author of The Making of Israel: Cultural Diversity in the Southern Levant and the Formation of Ethnic Identity in Deuteronomy (Brill, 2014).

Reviews

[Chandler Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent analysis. Crouch challenges the widely-held critical view that Deuteronomy serves as a subversive text against the Assyrians that parallels Assyrian treaty texts (most specifically Esarhaddon's succession treaty). Very important work is done here that has implications for dating Deuteronomy. If it is an anti-Assyrian work, that dates the book to ~7th century BCE. But, as Crouch drives home, if Deuteronomy were a text not specifically subversive or paralleled to any certain ANE tradition, well... this probably dates the book far earlier (late 2nd millennium), especially considering the more striking parallels to Hittite treaties and more apparent subversion against Mesopotamian ideals than that of the Assyrians (although arguing that there is more authorial interest in the Levant). Overall, an outstanding new study in Deuteronomy's form, function, and context.

[Rusty del Norte · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book in detailing the similarities and differences between Deuteronomy 13 & 28 with Neo-Assyrian vassal treaties and curses. It does a lot of leg work in showing how much more dissimilar they are than similar. Not a comprehensive work on Neo-Assyrian influence on the Hebrew Bible, but an important contribution nonetheless.