How Deuteronomy Created "Israel": Technologies of the Self, Government, and Writing

In this book, Mark K. George argues that the goal of Deuteronomy is not merely to provide ancient Judah with another set of laws but to write “Israel” itself into existence. He reads Deuteronomy as a manual for self‑definition with two key aspects: being an Israelite means recognizing oneself as a subject under Yahweh’s control, and Deuteronomy is the handbook of techniques by which one monitors oneself to become Israel.

Scholars have acknowledged the influence of certain literary features o...