Priestly and Post-Priestly Voices on Bethel: A Diachronic Analysis of Genesis 28:10–22 and 35:9–15

This article re-examines Gen 28:10–22 through a diachronic analysis informed by its close literary and thematic parallels with Gen 35:9–15. In light of recent developments in Pentateuchal scholarship that question the traditional dating of supposedly pre-Priestly texts, the study adopts a method grounded in detailed textual, linguistic, and literary observation rather than reliance on fixed source-critical models. The analysis argues that Gen 28:10–22 is not a unified narrative but a composite text consisting of an early narrative core overlaid by a post-Priestly addition. Particular attention is given to the ritual acts of pillar erection, anointing with oil, and Jacob’s vow, which exhibit strong affinities with Priestly and Deuteronomistic idioms. A comparison with the Priestly account in Gen 35 suggests that the post-Priestly expansion in Gen 28 responds polemically to a Priestly tendency to neutralize Bethel’s sanctity. The article situates this literary development within the religious landscape of Persian-period Yehud.