A History of Israel [Paperback]

John Bright (Author)

Book Description

Series: Westminster AIDS to the Study of the Scriptures | Publication Date: July 1, 2000

Unsurpassed for nearly half a century, and now with a new introduction and appendix by William P. Brown, John Bright's A History of Israel will continue to be a standard for a new generation of students of the Old Testament. This book remains a classic in the literature of theological education.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Bright was the Cyrus H. McCormick Professor of Hebrew and the Interpretation of the Old Testament at Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, Virginia until his death in 1995. He is the author of The Kingdom of God: The Biblical Concept and Its Meaning for the Church.

Product Details

• Paperback: 574 pages
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press; 4 edition (July 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0664220681
• ISBN-13: 978-0664220686
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #100,834 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #58 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Judaism > History of Religion
  • #89 in Books > History > Middle East > Israel

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

66 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Bible Will Never Look Quite the Same, June 4, 2000

By 

David Dressler (Cincinnati, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A History of Israel (Westminster Aids to the Study of the Scriptures) (Hardcover)

I bought this book after it was recommended to me by a beloved professor whose field is Ancient Jewish history. He considered it essential reading. Now, after having read it, so do I.

Make no mistake, this is not an easy read. I am used to scholarly treatises, but I still found myself having to reread portions of text in order to follow. Also, Bright feels the need to "set the scene;" to introduce each historical period by giving a quick summary of the surrounding world. This is important information, of course, but much of it felt tangential, and the pace of these intros is so breathless that I lost track of names and places (was that the nineteenth or the twenty-first dynasty? ). Lastly, some of this information is out of date (the core of the book was written in the 1950s, and most recently updated in 1981). Before you dismiss this book too quickly, remember this: "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" is still read, and it was written in the 1700s.

This book is a remarkable piece of scholarship. The revelations in the book are detailed, footnoted, and positively thrilling. It provides a tremendous way to re-examine the bible: as an historical document. Essentially, this book deconstructs the biblical text, and compares it to archeological evidence to give a fuller picture than the bible could have given on its own.

If you view the bible is above historical verification, this book is not for you. For the rest of us, this book is a masterpiece. The greatest wonder of it all, however, is that the bible turns out not to be so often wrong, but that it was so often RIGHT.

The same beloved professor who recommended this book recommended that immediately upon finishing this book, you should read Shanks's "Ancient Israel." It is a much more recent text, and is a good companion to this one.

32 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Deep and Powerful, September 24, 2000

By 

NotATameLion (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A History of Israel (Paperback)

A History of Israel is an in depth (and I mean DEPTH) journey back into time. Taking the reader back to the very edge of the mists of prehistory, John Bright then lays out, in a point by point fashion, the whole sweep of time in the near east up until the appearance of a certain Galilean who forever changed the world.

A History of Israel is very in depth, very packed with useful information. Bright has written a wonderful book. It did (as most history books are likely to) set off my anti-scholarship allergy a few times. However, it is very worthy of being read.

I give this book a very high recommendation. Bright's presentation is clear, at certain points even lively. It thoroughly deals with the developments in each time period. It delivers the reader to one heck of a destination-one of eternal significance-that beautiful moment in time where the Messiah asked a very pointed question that many are still in need of answering: "Who do you say that I am?"

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best, March 24, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A History of Israel (Westminster Aids to the Study of the Scriptures) (Hardcover)

I read what was probably the first edition of this book more than 30 years ago. It was being used as a textbook in Scripture class at a Catholic Seminary preparing men for the Priesthood. It left such a lasting impression one me that I'm considering buying this latest copy and reading it again.. It was written clearly and to the point. One can follow history from Abraham to Roman times in the Bible. It really helps one to understand and follow the writings of the Old Testament of the Bible.