Early Torah Missions -- By: David C. Deuel

Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 60:2 (Jun 2017)
Article: Early Torah Missions
Author: David C. Deuel


Early Torah Missions

David Deuel*

* Dave Deuel is academic dean emeritus and professor of OT and Semitic Languages at the Master’s Academy International, 13248 Roscoe Blvd., Sun Valley, CA 91321. He may be contacted at [email protected].

Abstract: Where do religious missions begin in salvation history? Why did Israel first send out agents to communicate its beliefs? Although it is unclear when sending begins, Torah missions dispatched from Jerusalem to fringe regions were probably among the earliest according to the OT record. Viewing missions from the perspective of sending agents from an administrative core to its periphery may help in establishing a biblical framework for Torah missions. This study proposes that kings and priests developed practices of religious expansion compatible with the revelation God gave them and conducive to the movement, sojourn, and settlement of people. In addition to the admixture of peoples subsisting at Israel’s borders at any time, forced and voluntary migrations of incoming peoples appear throughout Scripture, creating unique administrative needs. Due to the international scope of migrations, this study will consider common ancient Near Eastern administrative policies and practices pertaining to immigrants as conceptual background for understanding early Torah missions.

Key words: mission, agent, send, priest, immigrant, migration, border, periphery and core, administration

Understanding Israel’s early Torah missions requires first asking what gave rise to the mission impulse. One significant source of answers was the practices that Israel shared with its ancient Near Eastern neighbors, many of which were imposed on them.1 But what were the circumstances that motivated administrators to dispatch priests as Torah instructors to remote locations? Some of the factors that occasioned religious missions were kingship, migrations, core and peripheral regions, borders, religious instruction, and administrative strategy. All were embedded in Israel’s administrative power structure.2

I. Ancient Near Eastern Religious Missions

1. Kingship. In Israel and among its neighbors, kingship depended upon systems of agents.3 As Morris notes, “the king used both force and able administration to maintain order in his realm.”4 When dispatched, agents went on missions to conduct administrative projects within close proximity to the palace or in distant places such as bord...

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