Counternarratives in the Exodus Plague Cycle

In this work, Lenin Prado examines the relationship between the Priestly (P) and Yahwistic (J) narratives in the Pentateuch, focusing on the plagues of Egypt (Exod 7-11) and Moses' call (Exod 3-4). He argues that the Priestly document is dependent on and revises its Yahwistic counterpart. Through various literary techniques, P reshapes J's plague cycle to align with its own theological and ideological agenda. The author demonstrates that P's revisions were not merely supplementary but aimed to establish P as an independent source with a distinct narrative trajectory. He also explores the motivations behind this textual interaction, showing how P sought to rewrite the history of Israel's exodus to support its own theological concerns and to solidify its version of Israel's sacred history in contrast to J's portrayal, reflecting the Priestly community's concerns.Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: The J Plague Accounts
Chapter 3: The Priestly Account's Dependence on J
Chapter 4: The Call(s) of Moses
Chapter 5: Supplementary Plagues
Chapter 6: Conclusion
Appendix I: Source Texts
Appendix II: Charts of Narrative Patterns