Ancient Israel: Its Life and Institutions (Biblical Resource) [Paperback]

Roland De Vaux (Author), John McHugh (Author)

Book Description

Series: Biblical Resource | Publication Date: March 25, 1997

Considered by many to be a modern classic, Ancient Israel offers a fascinating, full-scale reconstruction of the social and religious life of Israel in Old Testament times. Drawing principally on the text of the Old Testament itself, as well as from archaeological evidence and information gathered from the historical study of Israel's neighbors, de Vaux first provides an extensive introduction to the nomadic nature of life in ancient Israel and then traces in detail the developments of Israel's most important institutions-family, civil, military, and religious-and their influence on the nation's life and history. "The timely reprint of the English translation of de Vaux's monumental work.makes this available again for all students of the OT at all levels.. This collection of data is still relevant, reliable and a good starting point for these sociological studies." --Society for Old Testament Study Book List "A monument both of progress in biblical exegesis within the Catholic tradition and of mainstream biblical scholarship in the middle decades of this century." --Journal of Near Eastern Studies

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

Product Details

• Paperback: 620 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (March 25, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080284278X
• ISBN-13: 978-0802842787
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #318,266 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must for any serious student of the Bible, July 18, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Independence, KS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ancient Israel: Its Life and Institutions (Biblical Resource) (Paperback)

This book is FINALLY back in print in the USA and for a very reasonable price! this is part of Eerdman's "Biblical Resource Series". "The purpose of The Biblical Resource Series is to bring back titles that the scholarly community regards as ESSENTIAL RESOURCES for the biblical thinker of today." This is well organzied so even the beginner can easily find information, and covers Nomadism, Family Institutions, Civil Institutions, Military Institutions, and Religious Institutions. An encyclopedia of sorts! Roland de Vaux (1903-1971) was esteemed both as a biblical historian and as an archaeologist. If you get this book, you also need to purchase Archaeology of the Land of the Bible by Amihai Mazar available here. Both will get you moving in the direction of biblical studies.

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth the time to read!, July 2, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Ancient Israel: Its Life and Institutions (Biblical Resource) (Paperback)

This is a indepth look at Ancient Israel, but not at all dry. The author has a dry wit and great enthusiasm for his subject. Although he uses alot of Hebrew language references, I was still able to understand his explanations. The author's personal faith in the Christian God is evident and refreshing. He is not out to tear apart the Old Testament, but to help other's better understand the life and times in which it was written. For anyone who has had questions after reading the Old Testament, I highly recommend this book. Submitted by Wendy Lang, Orillia, Canada

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Judicious, balanced, and recommended, August 13, 2009

By 

E.L.B. (Kansas City, MO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ancient Israel: Its Life and Institutions (Biblical Resource) (Paperback)

It isn't often that I learn something, great or small, on almost every page of a single book. Where there are less major disclosures, there are niceties of information, but rarely anything so 'nice' that it is exiguous. I normally write more detailed reviews, but not only was there too much for me to cover satisfactorily, that task is really above any analysis of mine. Roland de Vaux masterfully handles a wide array of Old Testament institutions in a compactified yet educative way. The tone is stern, but not polemical, and de Vaux is never hypercritical or excessively conservative. If I do say so myself as a non-believer, I can respect and admire a man of faith in the bible who, unabashed of expressing it, says nonetheless: 'Everything in this sacred past matters to us, for the Word of God is a living thing, and a man is better able to hear its tones if he listens to it in the actual surroundings in which it was first given to mankind' (p. ix.)

'Judicious', 'balanced'...'recommended'--these are the felicitous descriptions.