Joshua 24 in the LXX : some literary and theological remarks

Abstract

The differences between the MT and LXX texts of Joshua 24 are numerous and complex. In this essay, I will discuss these differences from a theological viewpoint. I will start with the assumption that the MT of Joshua 24 displays a distinctive pro-Samaritan attitude. The aim of this essay is to determine the theological viewpoint of the LXX of Joshua 24 regarding the attitude toward the Samaritan question. I will argue that the LXX of Joshua 24 displays an anti-Samaritan attitude and that it embeds the covenant of Joshua 24 in the broader narrative of apostasy and fall, in sharp contrast to the MT of Joshua 24.