In reading the literary rhetoric of the Book of exodus Kurle uncovers new insights in the author's purposes. The unique work undertakes to interpret the Book of exodus as a whole in terms of its rhetorical aims. The approach is distinguished from traditional critical readings in focussing not on the origin of the texts, nor on the theological specifics of putative sources, but on the text understood as having a coherent rhetorical strategy. It is also distinguished from expressly theological readings of the book. Kurle proceeds by considering, Yahweh, Moses and Israel as 'characters' in the...