The Redaction of Genesis

Book excerpt: Paperback reprint, with new foreword, of the original 1986 hardback. Focusing his research on his own previous studies as well as studies by Cassuto, Sarna, Fishbane, and Sasson, Rendsburg clearly explains his theory that Genesis was edited/redacted around symmetrical patterns. He leads the reader through a step-by-step description of the Abraham Cycle, for instance, showing how content, duplicated narratives, and vocabulary reveal a chiastic pattern; and this pattern is repeated in other sections of the book. On the other hand, in the primeval history, the patterning is parallel, rather than chiastic. Overall, Rendsburg makes it clear that the editing of Genesis led to a systematic design, uniting the material in ways that often is overlooked.