Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Egypt, Land, and the Patron Deity in Emergent Israel
Chapter 2: Moses, the Mushites, and the rise of the Levites
Chapter 3: The Levites and the Early Israelite Monarchy
Chapter 4: The Levites Strike Back
Chapter 5: The Levite Scribes Part 1: The Composition of Deuteronomy
Chapter 6: The Levite Scribes Part 2: The Development of the Jeremiah Tradition
Chapter 7: From Scribes to Sages: The Levites in the Persian Period
Conclusion: The Levite Legacy

Bibliography
Index

About the Author

Mark Leuchter is Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Judaism in the Department of Religion at Temple University.

Reviews

"Leuchter's treatment of the rise and influence of the Levites on the literature of the Hebrew Bible provides a compelling argument for understanding a complex and centuries-long textual production of a wide range of biblical texts. The ability to be concise without avoiding such difficulties of interpretation is commendable. Scholars working on the Levites and those working on textual production of the Hebrew Bible will both benefit from the insights provided
by Leuchter's reasoned and nuanced analysis."--Steven Schweitzer, Reading Religion
"Levites and the Boundaries of Israelite Identity will be a memorable book. It is a ground-breaking study that expands our understanding of the Levites well beyond their circumscribed role as merely servants of the priesthood. Utilizing recent advances in the study of collective memory, Leuchter offers the most up-to-date and robust reconstruction of the role of the Levites and Levitical history. Leuchter writes in a readable style, yet packs in
thorough scholarship and detailed philological reading. A great achievement."--William M. Schniedewind, author of How the Bible Became a Book: The Textualization of Ancient Israel
"Mark Leuchter displays a breathtakingly broad grasp of scholarship on the Hebrew Bible as he reconstructs the story of the Levites throughout Israelite history. Given the importance of the Levites, both within and behind biblical literature, scholars across the whole discipline will be thankful to Leuchter for his clear arguments, and will find much to learn and discuss from this engagingly written volume."--Ian Young, Associate Professor and Chair of the
Department of Hebrew, Biblical and Jewish Studies, The University of Sydney