Deuteronomy without Moses?: Rethinking Urdeuteronomium through the Analysis of Deuteronomy 12

This study investigates the so-called Urdeuteronomium, considered to be the earliest layer of the Book of Deuteronomy or the Deuteronomistic History. As the existence of Urdeuteronomium is a hypothesis based on inference, scholars have presented diverse opinions on this matter. The contested areas primarily concern the scope and nature of Urdeuteronomium. The prevailing trend in academia perceives Urdeuteronomium as a very brief document that strips away the voice of Moses or the wilderness narrative, forming the current structure of Deuteronomy, and attributes the direct command for centralization of the sanctuary to Yahweh. Building on Simeon Chavel's thought-provoking and persuasive analysis of Deuteronomy 12, this study accepts his argument that Deuteronomy 12:2-12 represents the earliest editorial layers within Deuteronomy 12. Considering that most scholars include Deuteronomy 12:13-19 in Urdeuteronomium, this new analysis of Deuteronomy 12 suggests that the entire Deuteronomy 12:2-28 is included in Urdeuteronomium. These conclusions shed some light on the nature and scope of Urdeuteronomium, and this study highlights a couple of implications. Firstly, there is no such Urdeuteronomium that lacks the narrative framework of Moses' voice, the journey through the wilderness, and the vision of the Promised Land. Secondly, the inclusion of Deuteronomy 12:2-7 in Urdeuteronomium lends greater credibility to the idea that Deuteronomy 13 is part of Urdeuteronomium. These two implications suggest that there is no compelling reason to exclude narrative elements from the earliest version of Deuteronomy, and that there is no need to overly restrict the length of Urdeuteronomium.