Description
Book SynopsisThe commands “Keep this festival”, for the Israelites at Passover and for Jesus’ disciples at the Lord’s Supper, mark Judaism and Christianity as historical religions. They proclaim the God who has revealed himself both through the thoughts of his messengers and through events and their consequences. His acts demonstrate his nature to those who believe and may guide others to belief.
The papers collected here explore some of the ways that the ancient Hebrew writers and their contemporaries presented history and how their work should be understood today. Assessed against the background of the wealth of documents available from the ancient world, these studies examine the similarities and differences with the intent of providing criteria for approaching the writings of the Hebrew Bible. Recent publications display a growing tendency to treat the Hebrew narratives as products of their authors’ beliefs, molded by their theology, and in some sense created to suit it, rather than arising from actual events. The contributors to this volume favor a positive approach to the Hebrew texts, taking into account the variety of contemporary concerns and perspectives.
Table of ContentsPreface
Abbreviations
The Current State of Old Testament Historiography Edwin Yamauchi
Story, History, and Theology A. R. Millard
Scribes as Transmitters of Tradition David W. Baker
The Sumerian Historiographic Tradition and Its Implications for Genesis 1-11 Richard E. Averbeck
Genealogical History as ‘Charter’: A Study of Old Babylonian Period Historiography and the Old Testament Mark Chavalas
The Weidner Chronicle and the Idea of History in Israel and Mesopotamia Bill T. Arnold
History and Legend in Early Hittite Historiography Gregory McMahon
The Historical Reliability of the Hittite Annals Herbert M. Wolf
The Structure of Joshua 1-11 and the Annals of Thutmose III James K. Hoffmeier
Joshua 10:12-15 and Mesopotamian Celestial Omen Texts John H. Walton
Asking Historical Questions of Joshua 13-19: Recent Discussion Concerning the Date of the Boundary Lists Richard S. Hess
Judges 1 in Its Near Eastern Literary Context K. Lawson Younger, Jr.
Deborah among the Judges: The Perspective of the Hebrew Historian Daniel I. Block
Who Made the Kingmaker? Reflections on Samuel and the Institution of the Monarchy Robert P. Gordon
How Did Saul Become King? Literary Reading and Historical Reconstruction V. Philips Long
In Search of David: The David Tradition in Recent Study Robert P. Gordon
The Warrior and His God: The Covenant Foundation of History and Historiography Jeffrey J. Niehaus
The Oscillating Fortunes of ‘History’ within Old Testament Theology Elmer A. Martens
Index of Authors
Index of Scripture References
