The Literary Development of MT 1 Kings 8:1–11 in Light of the Septuagint

The literary development of the book of Kings continues to occasion much debate, including the long narrative of Solomon’s temple dedication in 1 Kings 8. The quest for clarity may be aided by the textual witness of the Old Greek (OG). This study analyzes the textual relation between MT-1 Kgs 8:1–11 and OG-3 Kgdms 8:1–11 to discern the literary development of MT in light of the shorter version preserved in OG. I argue that the OG translator is not the source of the textual discrepancy; rather the MT reflects an expanded version of the OG Hebrew Vorlage. As the additional material evinces the influence of both Priestly and Deuteronomistic style, I suggest the literary growth exhibited in 1 Kgs 8:1–11 occurred during the Persian period when a Deuteronomistic-Priestly school sought to combine the Deuteronomistic History with Genesis–Numbers.