What does “literary dependence” mean?

Question

I'm reading a book titled "Map Is Not Territory" by J. Z. Smith. And in the book, it says "This suggests, without arguing direct LITERARY DEPENDENCE, a community and continuity of tradition." (p.31). Can you teach me what this "literary dependence" mean?

Answer 1

Literary dependence refers to the original relationship between biblical texts. The term is often seen in discussions among biblical scholars around the question of how the gospels relate to each other—known as the synoptic problem. Johann Jakob Griesbach's theory on their relationship, quoted from Wikipedia, helps explain the term (emphasis mine):

Griesbach's theory was, therefore, one of direct literary dependence between and among the gospels of Matthew, Luke and Mark, or what German scholars came to call a "utilization hypothesis." According to Griesbach, the historical order of the gospels was, first, Matthew; second Luke, making use of Matthew and other non-Matthean tradition; and third, Mark, making use of both Matthew and Luke.