I don’t think it’s necessarily that much of a non-sequitur. Great literary works are often praised for their complexity, with the clear implication that this contributes to their being interesting as literature. If the Bible is so rich in complexity, why is it so boring to read?
The answer, of course, is that the kind of complexity the Bible possesses isn’t the kind that’s relevant for judging literary quality. In the case of texts like Deuteronomy, we’re not talking about things like dynamic characters, foreshadowing, ingenious use of language, etc—hallmarks of conscious design by an author specifically trying to create literary art. No, we’re talking about the Bronze Age equivalent of the tax code.
I don’t think it’s necessarily that much of a non-sequitur. Great literary works are often praised for their complexity, with the clear implication that this contributes to their being interesting as literature. If the Bible is so rich in complexity, why is it so boring to read?
The answer, of course, is that the kind of complexity the Bible possesses isn’t the kind that’s relevant for judging literary quality. In the case of texts like Deuteronomy, we’re not talking about things like dynamic characters, foreshadowing, ingenious use of language, etc—hallmarks of conscious design by an author specifically trying to create literary art. No, we’re talking about the Bronze Age equivalent of the tax code.