The Historical Idea and Setting of the Judges Cycle – Discussion Questions

Interpretation Questions:

1. What questions came up for you while reading this text?
2. Did anything surprise you about this text?
3. Did you notice any differences between the story of Israel’s origins described in this text compared to other books of the Bible (Joshua, Genesis, etc.)?
4. Did you notice any recurring themes or continuities between this text and the Book of Joshua?

Questions for Discussion:

1. Did this video discussion help clarify any of the questions that came up for you while reading? What did you learn?
2. Do you think the Deuteronomistic Historian’s theological point of view comes through as strongly in the book of Judges as it did in the book of Joshua? If yes, provide examples.
3. If Israel’s historic origins were actually less unified than the Bible suggests, what do you think the storyteller’s motivation to reimagine a shared narrative and identity for these disparate tribes might have been?