RT Article
T1 Behold-Nå̄, Statistics is an Effective Tool, Use It-Nå̄
JF Journal of Semitic studies
VO 67
IS 2
SP 441
OP 469
A1 Rachmuth, Moshe
A1 Portnoy, Stephen
A1 Wright, Jacob L. 1973-
LA English
PB Oxford University Press
YR 2022
UL https://www.ixtheo.de/Record/1815332158
AB In recent years a debate has erupted around the possibility of using quantitative tools to date biblical texts. Our article sets forth a new methodology for discerning statistically significant traces of diachronic layers in texts from the Hebrew Bible. This is not to suggest that an irregularity in a book is sufficient to determine that it is made of more than one source. We are only making the argument on the negative: that there is no reason to explain phenomena that ‘seem interesting’ if there is no statistical model that shows a significant difference from random distribution. More generally, this study demonstrates the need for informed and careful application of recent statistical theory to the field of biblical studies.
DO 10.1093/jss/fgac006