The name given by biblical scholars to the collection of books from Joshua to 2 Kings, and often abbreviated DH, DtH or DtrH. The term Deuteronomist, on the other hand, is a short-hand reference to the hypothesized author/s behind Deuteronomy, since many of these scholars rejects its Mosaic authorship.
The name derives from the scholarly hypothesis that these books of the Bible are historical narratives written from the theological perspective of the book of Deuteronomy. The broad idea is that the books were written to explain why Israel-Judah was hauled away into exile; they failed to live up to the demands and expectations encapsulated in the teachings of the book of Deuteronomy. The DtH is thus supposed to be driven in its intention by the search for a righteous king who would abide by the covenant after Yahweh's heart.
Hidden behind the label is a whole range of debates and different theories about what it specifically means, and "in the hand of various scholars can signify anything from theories of a unified historical corpus, largely the work of exilic or post-exilic writers, with its own theological stance (such as Martin Noth), to a convenient way to describe what appears to be a series of sequential historical books" (Carl Armeding).
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