Toward a Grammar of Biblical Poetics: Tales of the Prophets

Are the narratives in the Bible essentially history or fiction? How were they intended by the biblical writers? Fundamental religionists and modern scholarship agree in attributing a literal or historiographical intent to the authors. The incredible elements in the stories are accepted by the former on the basis of faith in the divinely-revealed text; by scholars, they are explained as the results of differing traditions from different times combined into a badly edited pastiche. This study applies the methods of contemporary literary criticism to make a case for these narratives as ideological fiction crafted with consummate artistry. Brichto explains the compositional techniques and concerns with which all authors grapple and applies these "poetic elements" to numerous stories featuring the prophets Moses, Jeremiah, Jonah, Elijah, and Elisha.… (more)