Prof. Shimon Gesundheit is Professor Emeritus in the Bible Department at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He received his PhD in Bible from the Hebrew University. His research has focused on Biblical law, narrative, theology, prophecy, medieval and modern Jewish exegesis, and the literary history of the Hebrew Bible. His publications include Three Times a Year: Studies on Festival Legislation in the Pentateuch (Mohr Siebeck), and he has published widely on the literary and theological dimensions of biblical texts.
Last Updated
September 14, 2025
Books by the Author
Articles by the Author
The command to go to war against Sihon, even though his territory lies east of the Jordan River (Deuteronomy 2:24–25), seemingly marks the beginning of the conquest of the promised land and reflects a tradition in which Moses, not Joshua, leads it. But instead, Moses asks to cross the land peacefully (vv. 26–29). The Midrash portrays this choice as disobedience that God ultimately validates. A literary critical approach highlights how Moses’s response is a redaction, an inner-biblical midrash, that reconciles different layers of the text.
The command to go to war against Sihon, even though his territory lies east of the Jordan River (Deuteronomy 2:24–25), seemingly marks the beginning of the conquest of the promised land and reflects a tradition in which Moses, not Joshua, leads it. But instead, Moses asks to cross the land peacefully (vv. 26–29). The Midrash portrays this choice as disobedience that God ultimately validates. A literary critical approach highlights how Moses’s response is a redaction, an inner-biblical midrash, that reconciles different layers of the text.
