A History of Israel: From the Bronze Age Through the Jewish Wars [Hardcover]

Walter C. Kaiser (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1998

A History of Israel by Walter C. Kaiser, Jr scrapes away the layers of time to reveal the truth about the land and the people of God's chosen race. The claims of the Bible are augmented with ancient documents and new archaeological evidence.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 560 pages
• Publisher: Broadman & Holman Publishers (January 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805462848
• ISBN-13: 978-0805462845
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #952,488 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Walter C. Kaiser Jr. (PhD, Brandeis University) is distinguished professor emeritus of Old Testament and president emeritus of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. Dr. Kaiser has written over 40 books, including Toward an Exegetical Theology: Biblical Exegesis for Preaching and Teaching; The Messiah in the Old Testament; and The Promise-Plan of God; and coauthored An Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics: The Search for Meaning. Dr. Kaiser and his wife, Marge, currently reside at Kerith Farm in Cedar Grove, Wisconsin. Dr. Kaiser's website is www.walterckaiserjr.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource for beginning student of the Bible, May 24, 1998

By 

John D. Hall ([e-mail]) (South Hamilton, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A History of Israel: From the Bronze Age Through the Jewish Wars (Hardcover)

This work by Walter C. Kaiser Jr. offers a persuasive Evangelical view of Israelite history during the Old Testament. With a meaningful blend of archaelogical and biblical data, Kaiser presents students of the Bible with relevant information concerning the events and people that most shaped the Old Testament stories. Written in a clear and concise manner, this work also serves as an excellent resource to those searching for an introductory work on the background of the nation Israel during this period in Old Testament history.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very interesting survey of Israel's history, December 20, 2001

By 

Marc Axelrod (Potter, Wi USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A History of Israel: From the Bronze Age Through the Jewish Wars (Hardcover)

I agree with a previous reviewer about the number of typographical errors in the book and I even saw a number of run on sentences, more so than I am used to in a work from a major scholar. And the first 35 pages of the book constitutes some of the most turgid and boring prose I have ever read. But once the story enters the last two millenia of the BC era, the book picks up steam rapidly. It becomes a very engaging whirlwind trip through the Old Testament, with Kaiser stopping along the way to make some salient points anbout the historicity of particular passages. He discusses the date of the Exodus,, the historicity of the conquest of Israel, David's kingdom, and Josiah's discovery of the Book of the Law in the Temple. He also defends the early date for the book of Deuteronomy.

Kaiser is definitely swimming upstream in this book, as he is constantly dialoging with scholars who take less conservative positions on these matters, and he is virtually alone in the early dating of the Exodus. But he does an admirable job, and if you can make it past page 35, the book becomes very rich indeed.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Overview For All and Yet Lacking..., June 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A History of Israel: From the Bronze Age Through the Jewish Wars (Hardcover)

Kaiser's work is a useful tool for anyone who wants to study the Old Testament seriously, whether they are a layperson or someone who is doing so for a living. It is well written and easy to understand, yet has enough meat in it to keep those satisfied who think they know the first two-thirds of the Bible by heart. While it is an enjoyable and good resource, I wouldn't use it on its own, simply because having more sources to corellate facts is good (it also fosters positively critical thinking). If you use this book, don't forget to have another one like Eugene Merill's "Kingdom of Priests" along with it.