The Book of Deuteronomy: Moses Amends the Constitution

Course Description

The Book of Deuteronomy, located in the final, climactic position within the Pentateuch, is arguably the most important book of the Torah. It repeats a good deal of what has come before (hence its name, which means "second law"), but it repeats with difference. In this course, we’ll explore Deuteronomy as a profound piece of rhetoric with the power to persuade its various audiences (from the ancient Israelites to twenty-first-century Christians) to follow the Lord wholeheartedly. We’ll also see how, along the way, Deuteronomy’s repetition occasionally becomes revision, demonstrating that even the "constitution of ancient Israel" can be amended.