Endnote 12 – Part III: How the Alphabet Democratized Civilization
We label the seventh-century Deuteronomist DTR1, the Exilic Deuteronomist DTR2. The former was a propaganda work of the late seventh-century court of Josiah, reviewing Israel’s history in order motivate the reform of Josiah. The latter retouches Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomistic history in the interests of transforming it into an elaborate sermon justifying Israel’s exile, underlining Israel’s breach of covenant and apostasy, and defending the justice and sovereignty of Israel’s God.