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First of all, people do not know how to read it. The book cannot be read like other books of the Bible or other extant literature of the ancient world, that is, quickly from top to bottom, but must be read and studied across the stories, in order to derive meaning from the parallel narratives, from keywords with their binary opposites, from the many tiny and seemingly unimportant details, and from the various themes like courage/cowardice, kinship relations, fathers and daughters, mothers and sons, brotherhood, dysfunctional families, underdogs and tyrants, agriculture and means of sustenance, etc.,-all of which need to be drawn out by the reader, in order to be understood and subsequently debated.
Second, it was not created to be read silently and in solitude. But having been composed during an oral age, its narratives contain only actions, with no explanations, the interpretation of the actions depending solely upon a storyteller, whose dynamic acoustic performance provide the explanations and descriptions.
Third, the stories also demand audience interaction-something that cannot be done in isolation but must be done communally, with an entire audience sharing opinions and suggestions. The presentation of the stories would consist of two parts: 1) the dramatic performance of all the narratives (probably over a series of occasions), and 2) a discussion after each performance led by one who understands all the complex events in the book (probably the storyteller or scholar), at which time the audience would comment and judge all instances of disturbing, improper, bad, or evil behavior and suggest laws and ethics to control them. The discussions would thus exemplify how "case law" arose in ancient societies.
What standards should be used for such discussions? Of course, the Ten Commandments and the laws of Deuteronomy (which the society appeared not yet to know), and obedience to Yhwh as delineated in the Judges (which the society probably knew), but also more modern standards such as the ethics of Aristotle and Dante, Kant's Categorical Imperatives, modern Christian doctrine, and even the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights. All kinds of issues might also be discussed such as how the suicide bomber of the past compares and contrasts with those of today and whether or not the ancient society inherently different from ours today, and so on.
What is missing from the Book of Judges as it came down to us is the actual performance and interaction with the text as they must have existed in the world of orality.
Such a work could be performed done by men or women, by those interested either in the New Testament or the Old Testament, by people working independently or in groups, by either comedians or preachers, by either secular or religious groups, as a small one-night event, or a large performance over a series of days pulling out all the stops and devices known to actors. A group with a grand vision might even want to carry its production from their home town to everywhere in the world-to make Judges available to all who love literature, art, religion, and/or philosophy.
In Intricacy, Design, and Cunning in the Book of Judges, E. T. A. Davidson analyzes all the data in Judges, decodes its complexity, lists and discusses the most important "hidden" themes presented in its amazing design, evaluates human behavior and society, and along the way provides many hints and examples for the benefit of the storytelling, ultimately proving that Judges is a masterpiece of literature for people of all persuasions.
Davidson is attending the Annual SbL Meeting in New Orleans, and would be glad to meet with anyone interested in Judges. She will be staying at the Mariott Hotel where the meeting is held and would be free Friday, Saturday, or Sunday evenings. Email address:
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