The Numbers of the Israelite Army in the Time of Joahaz

Is II Reg 13,7 Derived from an Archival Source?

Abstract

It has been generally assumed that the numbers of the Israelite army in II Reg 13,7 are based on a certain archival source that the Deuteronomist employed for his composition. Scholars, supposing that these numbers are credible, have compared them with the numbers of Ahab’s army recorded in Shalmaneser III’s inscription. However, such a comparison is invalid because the numbers of Ahab’s army was probably exaggerated. The numbers in II Reg 13,7 are quite low, when compared with other numbers of the Israelite army in the Deuteronomistic History, where the context stresses the peak of Israel’s power. The Deuteronomistic History likewise increases the numbers of enemy armies in order to accentuate their power. These observations indicate that the Deuteronomist intentionally created small numbers in II Reg 13,7 compared to the size of the Israelite army in other parts of the Deuteronomistic History, in order to create the prominent contrast between the lowest ebb and the peak of Israel. II Reg 13,7 is not derived from any archival sources, but reflects the Deuteronomist’s intention to demonstrate the lowest point in the History by manipulating the numbers.