Reforging History in the Persian Era Editing of the Twelve

In the Persian era, Judean editors of the Book of the Twelve incorporated new material and revised existing content in ways that reflected on the history from Assyria's fall to Persia's rise. Kipp Swinney argues that the Persian era editors of the Twelve embed a historiography that centralizes Yahweh's role in Judah's history by using the motifs of the divine warrior, Chaoskampf, and theophany. These motifs depict Yahweh's acting in history without human assistance, which enhanced Yahweh's legitimacy as king despite Babylon's destruction of Judah and Persia's ascendancy. Amos, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah contain this embedded historiography and legitimizing agenda. Synthesizing developmental models of the Twelve with the tradition history of the motifs used, Swinney illuminates the Persian era shaping of the Book of the Twelve.