Problem
In The Africana Bible, Harold V. Bennett analyzes Deuteronomy 12-26. He states: Deuteronomy includes legal injunctions that position scholars to reconstruct and appreciate the shortcomings and ills of social life in ancient Israel. At the center of this claim is the belief that subgroups of law in the Deuteronomic Code that often get classified as humanitarian are not quite what they seem. These regulations suggest that laws in Deuteronomy 12-26 worked to the disadvantage of persons who were vulnerable socially, politically, or economically. Close examination of Deuteronomy 12-26 reveals that women, widows, strangers, orphans, and non-Israelite slaves fall especially within this category.1 1 Harold V. Bennett, "Deuteronomy," 103. 2 What do you think about his assertions? Having read several chapters in Deut 12-26, do you agree or disagree with this assessment? Why? What passages inform your understanding? Would you adjust or nuance his analysis? Why or why not?