The Date of 1 Chronicles With Special Reference To The Chronicler's Treatment of King David

Abstract

<p> The purpose of this thesis is to challenge the scholarly consensus regarding the historical circumstances which led to the writing of 1 Chronicles by a close examination of the nature and function of the Chronicler's treatment of David. There has to be a reason for the stress which is placed on David by the Chronicler, especially at a time when there was no monarchy ruling in Judah. Much of the study which has been carried out on Chronicles has concentrated to a large extent on linguistic evidence. Linguistic evidence alone, however, is insufficient for drawing any solid conclusions. Thus, the attempt is being maae here to seel-: some answers on thematic evidence. This involves a close study of the Chronicler's treatment of David and the suggestion that David is to be equated with the post-exilic governor of Judah, Zerubbabel. The concentration on the Chronicler's interpretation of the figure of ravid is being used to demonstrate the possibility of reaaing 1 Chronicles as the historical expression of the :novement inspired by the prophecies of Haggai and Proto Zechariah.</p> <p> During the course of the thesis, attention is drawn to the difficulties surrounding the dating of 1 Chronicles as a result of the work of many red.actors, which is evident throughout the book. It becomes more difficult to assign the entire work, in its present form, to 8ny one period in the post-exilic era. However, despite this difficulty, a comparison of the major themes in 1 Chronicles and those in Haggai and Proto Zechariah shows that it is at least possible to date the original form of 1 Chronicles somewhere in the period of 520-515 BCE.</p>