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Book Cover for: The History of Ancient Israel: A Guide for the Perplexed, Philip R. Davies

The History of Ancient Israel: A Guide for the Perplexed

Philip R. Davies

The History of Ancient Israel: A Guide for the Perplexed provides the student with the perfect guide to why and how the history of this most contested region has been studies, and why it continues to be studied today.

Philip R. Davies, one of the leading scholars of Ancient Israel in recent years, begins by examining the relevance of the study of Ancient Israel, giving an overview of the sources and issues facing historians in approaching the material. Davies then continues by looking at the various theories and hypotheses that scholars have advanced throughout the 20th century, showing how different approaches are presented and in some cases how they are both underpinned and undermined by a range of ideological perspectives. Davies also explains the rise and fall of Biblical Archaeology, the 'maximalist/minimalist' debate. After this helpful survey of past methodologies Davies introduces readers to the current trends in biblical scholarship in the present day, covering areas such as cultural memory, the impact of literary and social scientific theory, and the notion of 'invented history'. Finally, Davies considers the big question: how the various sources of knowledge can be combined to write a modern history that combines and accounts for all the data available, in a meaningful way. This new guide will be a must for students of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
  • Publish Date: Oct 22nd, 2015
  • Pages: 200
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 8.40in - 5.40in - 0.50in - 0.65lb
  • EAN: 9780567655851
  • Categories: Biblical Studies - History & CultureAncient - General

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About the Author

Davies, Philip R.: - Philip R. Davies is Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at the University of Sheffield, UK.

More books by Philip R. Davies

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Book Cover for: On the Origins of Judaism, Philip R. Davies
Book Cover for: Behind the Essenes: History and Ideology in the Dead Sea Scrolls, Philip R. Davies
Book Cover for: In Mind of Johnson, Philip Davis
Book Cover for: Whose Bible is it Anyway?, Philip R. Davies
Book Cover for: Copper Scroll Studies, George J. Brooke
Book Cover for: First Person: Essays in Biblical Autobiography, Philip R. Davies
Book Cover for: Opening the Books of Moses, Diana V. Edelman
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Book Cover for: Yours Faithfully: Virtual Letters from the Bible, Philip R. Davies

Praise for this book

A lucid account of the history of the nation of Israel ... Readable, informative ... I am pleased to have this book on my shelf and no doubt I will refer to it again and again.
Regent's Reviews
This compact, dense survey summarizes and evaluates changes that have taken place in the 'the history of ancient Israel' during the last 50 or so years. Davies (biblical studies, Univ. of Sheffield, UK) draws on a variety of disciplines that have examined the historical streams that resulted in the Hebrew Bible, a process that is quite difficult to reconstruct because so much is known and, at the same time, so little is certain historically. For many readers, the book will be an introduction to new methodologies and conceptual approaches to the study of the relevant fields (indeed, of history as a whole) resulting from the newest social theorizing, archaeological investigation, and other approaches, which are all described in considerable detail. Summing Up: Recommended. Advanced undergraduates and graduate students, as well as scholars in related areas of study.
CHOICE
Philip Davies deftly cuts through the current debates among researchers of ancient Israel and Judah. He evaluates the varieties of ancient historiographical literature in and outside the Bible, peels back the many layers of meaning that the deceptively simple label of "Israel+? conceals within it, and surveys contemporary research methods for building a comprehensive portrait of the people behind that label. This book is a must read for anyone who hopes to understand both the narratives of the Bible and the ancient realities that these narratives sometimes reveal and sometimes shield from their readers.
K. L. Noll, Brandon University, Canada