Law and Narrative

Megan Turton

doi:10.1628/978-3-16-200070-5

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Megan Turton

Law and Narrative

Textual Fluidity in the Hebrew Manuscripts of Exodus 19–24

2026. 420 pages.

forthcoming in August 2026

Forschungen zum Alten Testament (FAT)

DOI 10.1628/978-3-16-200070-5

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Summary

Megan Turton reconsiders two major consensuses: the initial non-binding character of biblical law collections and the textual fluidity of the Torah. By analysing legal and narrative variants in Exodus 19-24, the author reassesses how normative authority was constructed despite substantial textual instability.

In her work, Megan Turton begins from two emerging consensuses: that biblical law collections, like their ancient Near Eastern counterparts, did not originally operate as binding sources of legislation, and that the text of the Torah remained fluid and pluriform until the Common Era. Against this background, she highlights a neglected issue: how textual instability affects the characterization of biblical law. Focusing on legal and narrative variants in the Hebrew manuscripts of Exodus 19-24 - including the Samaritan Pentateuch, the biblical Qumran Scrolls and the 4QReworked Pentateuch - the author reassesses the extent to which a »law code« model can describe the role of law in the late Second Temple period. She first surveys debates on the nature and functions of cuneiform and biblical collections, emphasizing how modern European ideals of exhaustive, coherent and finite written legislation shape scholarly expectations. Drawing on legal theory and Fernanda Pirie's work in legal anthropology, legal history and comparative law, she proposes an alternative conceptualization of legal writings: »legalism« as a system of meaning-making that does not depend on stable textual form nor on the exclusion of other normative sources such as custom, older law, oral tradition or religious narrative. By analyzing and comparing both the quantity and quality of legal and narrative variants, Megan Turton shows that, although legal texts display somewhat reduced diversity relative to narrative ones, they nevertheless undergo substantial change and are interpreted within broader ideological, theological and literary frameworks. This calls into question the adequacy of legislative models and literalistic interpretation for describing biblical law in the late Second Temple period and beyond.

Table of contents:

Introduction
Chapter 1: The Character and Functions of the Ancient Near Eastern Laws and Legal Revision
1.1 Challenges to the Legislative and Legal Characterization of the ANE Law Collections
1.2 The Concept of Law and its Relationship to Modern Legislation
1.3 Written Law, Orality and the Limits of Literalism
1.4 The ANE Law Collections as Legalistic Expression and Systems of Meaning
1.5 The Character and Extent of Legal Revision
1.6 Conclusion

Chapter 2: The Character and Functions of the Biblical Laws and Legal Revision
2.1 Biblical Law as Legalistic Expression and Systems of Meaning
2.2 The Interrelationship of Biblical Law and Narrative
2.3 The Character, Extent and Significance of Biblical Legal Revision
2.4 Searching for a »Re-characterization« of Biblical Law
2.5 Conclusion

Chapter 3: The Character of the Textual Transmission of Biblical Law and Narrative in the Late Second Temple
3.1 Textual Fluidity and Pluriformity in the Late STP
3.2 Previous Studies on the Textual Transmission of Biblical Law and Narrative
3.3 Building a Methodology: A Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis and Comparison of »Legal« and »Narrative« Variants
3.4 Summary of the Method and Presentation of the Evidence

Chapter 4: Legal and Narrative Variation in the Samaritan Pentateuch Version of Exod 19-24
4.1 The Samarian Pentateuch
4.2 Narrative: Arrival at Sinai and Theophany Beginning (Exod 19:1-25)
4.3 Law/Instruction: Ten Commandments (Exod 20:1-17)
4.4 Narrative: Request for Divine Mediator (Exod 20:18-21)
4.5 Law: Covenant Code (Exod 20:22-23:19)
4.6 Narrative: Epilogue to the Book of the Covenant (23:20-33)
4.7 Narrative: Covenant Ratification and Further Theophany (Exod 24:1-18)
4.8 Accumulative Statistics and Conclusions on the Character and Extent of Legal and Narrative Variation in SP Exod 19-24

Chapter 5: Legal and Narrative Variation in the Biblical Qumran Scrolls of Exod 19-24
5.1 The Biblical QS of Exod 19-24
5.2 1QExod (1Q2)
5.3 2QExoda (2Q2)
5.4 2QExodb (2Q3)
5.5 4QpaleoGen-Exodl (4Q11)
5.6 4QpaleoExodm (4Q22)
5.7 Accumulative Statistics and Conclusions on the Character and Extent of Legal and Narrative Variation in the Biblical QS of Exod 19-24

Chapter 6: Legal and Narrative Variation in the 4Q(Reworked) Pentateuch Manuscripts of Exod 19-24
6.1 The 4QRP Manuscripts of Exod 19-24
6.2 Manuscript 4Q158 (4QRPa)
6.3 Manuscript 4Q364 (4QRPb)
6.4 Manuscript 4Q366 (4QRPd)
6.5 Accumulative Statistics and Conclusions on the Character and Extent of Legal and Narrative Variation in the 4QRP Manuscripts of Exod 19-24

Chapter 7: Conclusion
7.1 Summary of Theory and Method
7.2 Summary of the Manuscript Evidence
7.3 Biblical Law in the Late STP as Legalistic Expression and an Ongoing System of Meaning-Making
7.4 Looking Ahead and Future Research