Linguistic Dating of Biblical Texts: An Introduction to Approaches and

Since the beginning of critical scholarship, Biblical texts have been dated using linguistic evidence. In recent years this has become a controversial topic, especially with the publication of "Ian Young(ed), Biblical Hebrew Studies in Chronology and Typology, London, 2003". However, until now there has been no introduction to the field aimed at students with only a reasonable grounding in Biblical Hebrew. The present book introduces the question of linguistic dating by giving students hands-on experience with both biblical and non-biblical texts. What is it that makes "Archaic Biblical Hebrew" texts archaic? What sources exist for second millennium BCE northwest Semitic? What are the similarities and differences between Hebrew inscriptions and the language of the biblical texts? What is late about "Late Biblical Hebrew"? In what ways are the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Mishnah relevant to the discussion? Students are shown significant linguistic features of the texts by means of notes on the passages presented for study. The book details both the consensus views on linguistic dating as well as the views of those who challenge the consensus. The arguments of both sides of the debate are presented, so that students are able to understand the potential significance of the linguistic forms they study in Biblical Hebrew texts.