has its pre-flood sages, and it has accounted for the heroes of old (Gen 5:1—6:4).
4. The Genesis story of the flood is very interesting, and its flood hero, Noah, has given the Hebrews all of the pre-flood knowledge. Thus David, their king, “has wisdom like the wisdom of a messenger of the gods to know all things that are on earth” (2 Sam 14:17, 20). This is a new beginning (Gen 6:5—9:29).
5. The scribes were aware of post-flood developments and the world situation of their day (i.e., David’s day), and they were also interested in background materials for understanding the fathers of the kings of Israel (Gen 10:1—11:26).
In Genesis, there are three major cycles of tradition concerning the ancestors of the kings of Israel and Judah (see sections 6, 8, and 10 of chart one at the end of this Introduction).40 But we need a closer look at the shape of these three documents:
1) All three have similar titles:
a) “These are the Stories of Terah,” Gen 11:27—25:11.
(Terah is the father of Abraham, but the stories are about Abraham.)
b) “These are the Stories of Isaac,” Gen 25:19—35:29.
(Isaac is the father of Esau and Jacob, but most of the stories are about Jacob.)
c) “These are the Stories of Jacob,” Gen 37:2—50:26.
(Jacob is the father of the twelve brothers, but most of the stories are about Joseph.)
In this sequence we are missing a document between a) and b) that could be given the title “These are the Stories of Abraham.” If we had such a document the stories would be about Isaac. Some material from such a document has survived and can be found in Genesis 24 and 26 (see chart two at the end of this Introduction).
2) All three cycles have structural and thematic parallels in the following order:
a) All are interested in the birth of an heir, but great difficulties are always present (famine, seduction [Sarah, Rebekah, and Joseph], and infertility).
b) There is always the point made that the “elder shall serve the younger” (Gen 25:19–34 and 37:2–36). This was not the normal custom, but royal literature is not normal (even David was the youngest).
c) The hero either buys or receives land (e.g., the burial cave [Gen 23] and Shechem [Gen 33:18–20]).
d) Similar conclusions containing three parts: a burial scene (Gen 23:1–20; 35:16–20; 50:1–14), additional material on the heir(s) (Gen 24:1—25:6; 35:21–26; 50:15–21), and a death scene (Gen 25:7–11; 35:27–29; 50:22–26).
This last section (d) of these stories is very important. From our earlier discussion, it is clear that proper burial was important for the blessing of the next “father.” Without such a blessing there would not be another heir.
Now, the overall structure of these cycles is very useful in identifying fragments of such cycles. In Genesis 38, we have the first part of such a cycle (i.e., points 2.a and b). I have given this fragmented cycle the title of “These are the Stories of Judah” (with stories about Perez—see chart two). In Genesis 38, one can see that the scribe hurries by the early events, but soon we are aware of the danger: Judah’s sons are being killed by Yahweh!41 How can his line continue? We could have predicted the seduction scene, and the birth of the twins is very much like the birth of Esau and Jacob. Yes, once again the elder will serve the younger. Now we have more questions: Why did the scribes need this Judah cycle? Why did they only use part of it?
In order to address these questions, it is important to think about David’s situation when he became king. In 2 Sam 2:4 we read, “The men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.” David ruled Judah in Hebron seven years and six months. During this time his royal scribes probably produced the document that we have called, “These are the Stories of Judah.” This document would have contained stories about Perez, and it would have given us the line of David plus a story about the death and burial of Judah (probably at the cave near Hebron that was purchased by Abraham).42 It would have been used by David to prove that he was the legitimate king of Judah. Since we do not have all of this document, we are forced to use the book of Ruth to complete the Story of Judah (Ruth 4:13–22 and also note Gen 46:12). In Ruth 4:18 we have another title, “These are the Stories of Perez,” so we can suppose that they did have even more materials.
Later the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron, and they made him king over Israel. When David became king over both states, he moved to Jerusalem, and “he ruled over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years” (2 Sam 5:5). At this point the royal scribes had to integrate the stories of the two states and especially the stories of Joseph (from Israel) and Judah. David’s scribes were very talented and they included a lot of very important things. They stressed the importance of Joseph, but they also made Judah very important in the main part of the Joseph story. These scribes also put in the Stories of Judah (Genesis 38) that pointed to David. So all of this material was put into its present form at the time of the Davidic monarchy. It was a royal document, and it not only made David the legitimate heir, but it helped to unify both Israel and Judah.
It is clear that Genesis 38 is very important for David’s kingdom. The scribes had to include this material. Perhaps they thought that in a narrative concerning Joseph where Judah is also a main character, the readers should know more about Judah and the line of David. It still bothers me that they put it where they did, as it interrupts the Joseph story. However the inclusion of the Judah material was necessary, and at least they did it with political taste; they did not give too much of the Judah story, and they were not hostile as scribes were in later materials. Note Ps 78:67–68:
He [God] rejected the clan of Joseph;
the tribe of Ephraim he did not choose.
He chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion, which he loved.
The royal scribes did not want to cause problems; they wanted to unite these states and show their world that the story points to David.
Burial, Blessing, and Birth
In the above discussion on the structure of these cycles, we were looking on the surface of these narratives and noting similar beginnings and conclusions. But within these similar elements, it is very interesting that there is a very real cycle of burial, blessing, and birth that keeps on turning. I say, “very real,” because it appears that a storyteller could start at any point on this circle. The blessing can come first, then birth and burial, and it goes on for another round or two. First, I want to look at a story from Ugarit as an example of this cycle.
The Epic of Aqhat
This story begins with Danel43 participating in a seven-day ritual. This ritual has usually been described as a “rite of incubation.” T. H. Gaster says, “The suppliant lodges for a few days in the precincts of the sanctuary in order to entreat the god and obtain the divine oracle in a dream or by some other manner.”44 However, I think that today we can be more specific; it is possible that this is a funeral ritual. The ritual is for seven days; Danel gives food and drink to the gods, which could be Danel’s departed ancestors; the god
