What tradition is Exodus chapter 17 verses 1-7?

Answer 1

AnswerExodus 17:1b-8 form a separate literary unit that separates 17:1a from the narrative that begins in Exodus 17:8. If we look at 17:1a, followed by 17:8, we can see a simpler, unified narrative:

"And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin. Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun."

Sin was the moon god, and the wilderness of Sin was night time. So, after they journeyed from the wilderness of Sin (night time), the mythical Amalek attacked. Joshua was able to prevail, as long as Moses held his hand up, until the going down of the sun. Those who see a literal history in this ought to wonder where the Amalek, numerous enough to threaten 600,000 fighting men, obtained their own food and water, and what their army was doing in the desert at this time. This is a very early mythical tradition recorded by the Deuteronomist.

The passage in Exodus 17:1b-8 really belongs in chapter 16. The Israelites had complained about lack of food, so God sent manna. Here, they complained about lack of water, so God provided water from a rock. This is part of the Yahwist tradition.