Thus Far on the Way: The Ark Narrative in 1 Sam 1–8 as Dialogic Diachrony Restricted; Files Only
McNinch, Timothy (Fall 2023)
Published
Abstract
A century of scholarship (since Leonhard Rost’s seminal 1926 study) has wrestled with the probability that the author of 1–2 Samuel made use of an independent Ark Narrative source. This dissertation extends that scholarship by exploring the internal complexity of the Ark Narrative, discovering multiple scribal contributions—both before and after the pericope was joined with the Samuel narrative. Composition-critical analysis drives a close reading of the godnapping story in 1 Sam 4–6 as well as the Samuel and Eli narratives in the surrounding context of 1 Sam 1–8. Within this material, an early layer about the abduction and return of a divine image functioned as the foundational cult legend (hieros logos) for a solar shrine at Beth Shemesh. Later contributions expanded the scope of the tale, transforming it into a pan-Israelite narrative about YHWH’s divine image. Only in one of the latest redactions was the ark itself (via the term ארון) introduced to the narrative. Furthermore, Samuel, Eli, and Eli’s sons entered the narrative at different compositional stages, growing the text over time into the form we possess today. In addition to the work of hypothesizing a relative chronology for these pericopes, the dissertation puts multiple voices represented by different scribal layers into conversation, considering their “dialogic diachrony.” Two concluding chapters explore threads of that dialogue as they played out across time, related to (1) the divine initiation of Israelite identity and (2) the appropriate priestly supervision of Israel’s worship. A conclusion reflects on the potential of this dialogic hermeneutic for biblical theology that attends to, and grapples with, the polyphony inherent in the text.
Table of Contents
I. Introduction (1)
II. An Ideological “Ark” Overlay in 1 Sam 4–6 (43)
III. Compositional Criticism of the So-called "Ark Narrative" (67)
IV. Samuel: Priestly Protégé and Prophet (1 Sam 1–3) (124)
V. Samuel: Judge and Kingmaker (1 Sam 7–8) (162)
VI. A Spaghetti Junction of Traditions (1 Sam 4) (177)
VII. Early Chapters of Samuel as Dialogic Diachrony: hieros logos and Israelite Identity (204)
VIII. Early Chapters of Samuel as Dialogic Diachrony: Priestly Legitimacy (241)
Conclusion: A Dialogic Hermeneutic (262)
Appendix: What is Dagon Doing in the Ark Narrative (273)
Bibliography (288)
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File download under embargo until 10 January 2026 | 2023-10-31 22:25:28 -0400 | File download under embargo until 10 January 2026 |
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