In how far do the traditions in historical writing reflect history in the Hebrew Bible? This momentarily hot-debated question is the central issue of the current volume, in which the author takes a firm stand against the sceptical approach to the unity and historicity of biblical traditions. Part One of the book opens with a systematic examination of twenty-seven lists of the original inhabitants of the Promised Land who were doomed to be dispossessed by the Israelites. Two essays are devoted to a historical investigation into the political leaders sopet and nagid. In the following special attention is given to formulae denoting dynastic change, royal succession and to the expression 'people of the land and house of Ahab'. Part Two deals with the historical interpretation of the narrative of Solomon's succession to David's throne. The author concludes the work with two comparative studies on biblical historiography and inscriptions from Y'dy-Sam'al and Assyria.

In how far do the traditions in historical writing reflect "history in the Hebrew Bible"? This momentarily hot-debated question is the central issue of the current volume, in which the author takes a firm stand against the sceptical approach to the unity and historicity of biblical traditions. Part One of the book opens with a systematic examination of twenty-seven lists of the original inhabitants of the Promised Land who were doomed to be dispossessed by the Israelites. Two essays are devoted to a historical investigation into the political leaders sopet and nagid. In the following special attention is given to formulae denoting dynastic change, royal succession and to the expression 'people of the land and house of Ahab'. Part Two deals with the historical interpretation of the narrative of Solomon's succession to David's throne. The author concludes the work with two comparative studies on biblical historiography and inscriptions from Y'dy-Sam'al and Assyria.

A chronological scholarly survey of the history of historical writing in five volumes. Each volume covers a particular period of time, from the beginning of writing to the present day, and from all over the world.

The history of Israel is a much-debated topic in Old Testament studies. On one side are minimalists who find little of historical value in the Hebrew Bible. On the other side are those who assume the biblical text is a precise historical record. Many serious students of the Bible find themselves between these two positions and would benefit from a careful exploration of issues in Israelite history. This substantive history of Israel textbook values the Bible's historical contribution without overlooking critical issues and challenges. Featuring the latest scholarship, the book introduces students to the current state of research on issues relevant to the study of ancient Israel. The editors and contributors, all top biblical scholars and historians, discuss historical evidence in a readable manner, using both canonical and chronological lenses to explore Israelite history. Illustrative items, such as maps and images, visually support the book's content. Tables and sidebars are also included.

Fourteen essays by leading scholars ask two questions: What was the purpose of studying the past in biblical antiquity, and what sorts of information did the historians who produced Scripture in Judaism and Christianity seek in accomplishing their purpose? Ancient Israelite and Greek historiography set the stage for a survey of how diverse Christian and Judaic writers defined the historical mission and carried it out. The Hebrew Scriptures, Gospels, Dead Sea scrolls, apocryphal and pseudepigraphic writers, Josephus, the Mishnah and the Talmuds all are asked to answer those questions.

This study analyzes several passages in the Former Prophets (2 Sam 19:12-44; 2 Kgs 2:1-18; Judg 8:4-28) from a literary perspective, and argues that the text presents Transjordan as liminal in Israel’s history, a place from which Israel’s leaders return with inaugurated or renewed authority. It then traces the redactional development of Samuel-Kings that led to this literary symbolism, and proposes a hypothesis of continual updating and combination of texts, beginning early in Israel’s monarchy and continuing until the final formation of the Deuteronomistic History. Several source documents may be isolated, including three narratives of Saul’s rise, two distinct histories of David’s rise, and a court history that was subsequently revised with pro-Solomonic additions. These texts had been combined already in a Prophetic Record during the 9th c. B.C.E. (with A. F. Campbell), which was received as an integrated unit by the Deuteronomistic Historian. The symbolic geography of the Jordan River and Transjordan, which even extends into the New Testament, was therefore not the product of a deliberate theological formulation, but rather the accidental by-product of the contingency of textual redaction that had as its main goal the historical presentation of Israel’s life in the land.

Steven McKenzie here surveys the historical books of the Old Testament — Joshua through Ezra-Nehemiah — for their historical context, contents, form, and themes, communicating them clearly and succinctly for an introductory audience. / By providing a better understanding of biblical history writing in its ancient context, McKenzie helps readers come to terms with tensions between the Bible’s account and modern historical analyses. Rather than denying the results of historical research or dismissing its practitioners as wrongly motivated, he suggests that the source of the perceived discrepancy may lie not with the Bible but with the way in which it has been read. He also calls into question whether the genre of the Bible’s historical books has been properly understood.

The Word Biblical Commentary delivers the best in biblical scholarship, from the leading scholars of our day who share a commitment to Scripture as divine revelation. This series emphasizes a thorough analysis of textual, linguistic, structural, and theological evidence. The result is judicious and balanced insight into the meanings of the text in the framework of biblical theology. These widely acclaimed commentaries serve as exceptional resources for the professional theologian and instructor, the seminary or university student, the working minister, and everyone concerned with building theological understanding from a solid base of biblical scholarship. Overview of Commentary Organization Introduction—covers issues pertaining to the whole book, including context, date, authorship, composition, interpretive issues, purpose, and theology. Each section of the commentary includes: Pericope Bibliography—a helpful resource containing the most important works that pertain to each particular pericope. Translation—the author’s own translation of the biblical text, reflecting the end result of exegesis and attending to Hebrew and Greek idiomatic usage of words, phrases, and tenses, yet in reasonably good English. Notes—the author’s notes to the translation that address any textual variants, grammatical forms, syntactical constructions, basic meanings of words, and problems of translation. Form/Structure/Setting—a discussion of redaction, genre, sources, and tradition as they concern the origin of the pericope, its canonical form, and its relation to the biblical and extra-biblical contexts in order to illuminate the structure and character of the pericope. Rhetorical or compositional features important to understanding the passage are also introduced here. Comment—verse-by-verse interpretation of the text and dialogue with other interpreters, engaging with current opinion and scholarly research. Explanation—brings together all the results of the discussion in previous sections to expose the meaning and intention of the text at several levels: (1) within the context of the book itself; (2) its meaning in the OT or NT; (3) its place in the entire canon; (4) theological relevance to broader OT or NT issues. General Bibliography—occurring at the end of each volume, this extensive bibliography contains all sources used anywhere in the commentary.

Further, many of the most important names in late twentieth century biblical historiography appear as authors of various contributions: Hayes, Brettler, Van Seters, Miller, and de Vaux. In a work of more than 600 pages, Long finds room for thirty-two different writers. In addition to his concluding chapter, he also introduces each section and reprints an important essay of his own on history and literary technique.Every reader, including those already conversant with the subject, will gain much from reading this book. However, some will also recognize gaps or areas that they wished had been highlighted. Despite the word, 'Recent,' one wonders why no samples of the writings of Wellhausen, and especially of Alt, Noth, and Albright are included. Although most of the essays date from the 1990's, Hans Walter Wolff's contribution comes from a 1963 volume.

Jens Bruun Kofoed addresses the methodological issues that must lie behind the use of the biblical text and its validation as a source for historical information. --from publisher desscription.