Abstract
As in previous editions, in this third edition of From Paradise to Promised Land, Alexander concerns himself and his readers not with how the Pentateuch in its present form came to be but with what it in fact is. That said, Alexander spends the better part of Part I of a two-part book (60 of 100 pages) working through various, critical approaches to the Pentateuch which have arisen in the past 300 years. He excels in demonstrating the speculative nature of these pursuits and asserts that it is no wonder a consensus has not been reached. Alexander summarises the prominent compositional approaches by using metaphors of a rope, a chain, and a string. The documentary theories view the Pentateuch much like a rope composed of various strands, each with its distinctive and detectable colour; the fragmentary theories see the Pentateuch as a chain composed of various, originally unrelated links that were joined over the years by various persons; and the supplementary theories understand the Pentateuch as a monochrome string that was severed in various places and into which strings of other colours were knotted, resulting in a polychrome string with one, dominant colour (pp. 18-19). This layout comprises the first four chapters.
Chapter 5 provides a test-case for these theories and shows how the cohesiveness of the text (the Sinai Narrative in Exodus 19.1-24.11) argues against their cogency and for skillful composition.
Alexander spends the remainder of Part I speculating on the future of Pentateuchal studies and ends by asking the question, ‘Why was the Pentateuch composed?’ He ventures an answer by highlighting the connections between Genesis through Kings and concludes that these books aggregate to raise one theme above the rest: it is the promise of a seed-king (‘royal savior’) who will issue from Abraham’s line (p. 107).
Part II comprises the lion’s share of the book and traces prominent themes threaded through the Pentateuch. These pages are studded with insights: God’s promise to bless Abraham and gather his progeny mirrors and mocks the Babel episode directly preceding (p. 131); ‘Exodus is essentially a book about knowing God through personal experience’ (p. 187); the Ten Commandments are not technically laws but stipulations inviting Israel into relationship (p. 211); like a wedding ceremony without marital commitment, the legal renewal in Deuteronomy is not enough to maintain relationship: love and faithfulness must give meaning to these vows (p. 290). Finally, every chapter (but the last) concludes with ‘Old Testament Summary’ and ‘New Testament Connections’ sections, fortifying the book with biblical-theological and redemptive-historical overtones.
This text is not without printed errors or what may be more meaningful problems: Alexander works hard to demonstrate the cohesive composition of the Pentateuch and then seems to surrender his work by essentially calling the Pentateuch a ‘literary collage’ (p. 89). How is this different from various theories he has just deconstructed? Even so, this third edition is an improvement on what was already an excellent resource for the study of the Bible’s first five books.