ABSTRACT
The narrative flow of Deut 27 is fraught with repetitions and interruptions. This unevenness has been studied as evidence for literary layers and seams in the composition. However, this chapter argues that chapters 27–28 should be viewed as an integrated whole. The methodologies of rhetorical criticism and ritual studies are employed to explore the possibility that oral and ritual performance events may have played a role in the text's final shape. Repetitions and framing devices in Deut 27 serve a rhetorical function of drawing the reader's attention to the ritual instructions including the crafting of the torah stones. Furthermore, a study of comparative ancient Near Eastern oath and treaty texts and Deut 27 demonstrates a standardized combination of three shared features: legal stipulations, a ritual performance including curses, and the crafting of a visual media piece to represent the oath. This comparative data suggests that the legal material of Deut 11–26, the ritual instructions in 27, and the curse compendium in 28 should be viewed as an integrated whole, even if literary layers underlie the final composition.
