Memory and Covenant:The Role of Israel's and God's Memory in Sustaining the Deuteronomic and Priestly Covenants

Barat Ellman s Memory and Covenant offers a superb analysis of key differences between Priestly and Deuteronomic traditions in the Pentateuch. Focusing on the understanding and role of memory in each tradition, she helps make sense of the place of ritual, intellect, and sense perception in each. Ellman s work will lead readers to a deeper understanding of biblical religions and theologies in their complexity and diversity –David Kraemer, The Jewish Theological Seminary

Dr. Ellman’s groundbreaking approach combines detailed linguistic and literary analysis with broad synthetic models drawn from anthropology and psychology to penetrate the thought realm of biblical religion in a deeper manner than has hitherto been the case. She lucidly examines a key concept, memory, in terms of its functions and relationships in the entire theological structure of the Pentateuch. The contrast between the Deuteronomic and Priestly traditions sharpens the distinction between the types of theological patterning they represent. The result is a sophisticated modern understanding of biblical religion. This is an important work in the fields of history of religions, comparative religion and biblical thought, which can serve as a model for similar studies in the future. –Stephen A. Geller, Jewish Theological Seminary