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Israel: Ancient Kingdom or Late Invention?

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Let me say at the outset that this is a book for the academically inclined, seminary students, scholarly pastors, and members of academic teaching departments. It is a collection of speeches presented at an evangelical semianr on archaeology and the nation of Israel.

The best essay in my opinion was the last one, by John Walton. He shows how an understanding of Ancient Near Eastern studies helps us toward a more nuanced and vibrant reading of the first four commandments from Exodus 20.

Alan Millard's opening essay reminds us of the need to be careful that we don't overinterpret or misinterpret the archaeological data. Some people do this with Daniel 2:46, supposing that King Nebuchadnezzar is following the practice of an ancient Hellenistic cult by offering incense to Daniel, and some even say that he was worshipping Daniel.

But Millard shows how prostrating yourself before someone and offering up incense was an ancient Babylonian practice that conveyed great respect toward royalty or prophetic personages (like Daniel) that wasn't always construed as the worship of a deity.

James Hoffmeier has an interesting essay about the geographical issues found in the Exodus narrative, particularly with regard to Rameses and Pithom. Hoffmeier shows that there is nothing in archaeology that would dispute what the text says about these cities. But I must confess that I wish Hoffmeier would have dealt in greater detail with the wilderness wanderings prior to crossing the Red Sea. He acknowledges that it is a major challenge, but that there is nothing that clearly contradicts what we find in his limited discussion of Exodus 14.

Edwin Yamauchi goes on to say in his essay that there is not enough hard evidence to show a Zoroastrian influence on the theology of the Hebrew Bible, though he does not rule it out.

In one of the more important essays, Simon Sherwin concludes that it is unlikely that the Israelites learned their monotheism in Babylonian captivity, and that the available evidence suggests that some in Israel were returning to their roots by devoting themselves exclusively to Yahweh.

Generally speaking, the writers are cautious about approaches that value archaeological evidence over textual evidence. They are also wary of arguments from silence, or people who cite the lack of archaeological evidence as absolute proof that the Hebrew texts cannot be trusted.

A previous reviewer felt that the book was too biased and slanted toward the evangelical viewpoint. I would say "Of course! The book is a collection of essays from an evangelical conference! It says so right on page 1!

I would also want to add that having theological predilections doesn't automatically make a person's work invalid, otherwise, no one would read the work of liberals, either. Variety makes life interesting.

I appreciate the evenhanded approach to the issues. In my judgment, it would be a mistake to assume that this book is a naive and close-minded approach. The scholars in this book have made a good case for Israel as an ancient kingdom without ignoring the voices who say otherwise.

This is a collection of essays from a conference a few years back on the historical nature of the Old Testament. The contributors (all evangelical Christians) teach at schools as diverse as Wheaton, Cambridge and the University of Chicago. They come from a mix of specialties. Some are Assyriologists, others Egyptologists and some Syro-Palestinian scholars. The diversity of the contributors opens the reader to various perspectives on the text, all aimed at historical accuracy and precision.

The contributions that I find most helpful are "Slavery and Slave Laws in Ancient Hatti and Israel," by Dr. Harry A. Hoffner and "Interpreting the Old Testament as a Near Eastern Document" by John Walton. Both are excellent. Hoffner shows that even in the Pentateuch, the theological basis that led to abolition was evident and that Hebrew slave practices were vastly different than their neighbors. He makes a compelling case that it is the theological belief that all are created in the image of God that finally overcame humanity's natural desire to subjugate others in the form of institutional slavery (although in our "secular" age, corporations, scientists and the State still find ways to oppress and subjugate those deemed less worthy). Walton shows that understanding the cultural context of a passage can open up new paths of historical and theological investigation. Using the first four commands of the Decalogue, Walton illumines the reader to various insights to which those who do not know the Ancient Near Eastern context are blinded.

Overall, the contributions are strong. Although basic, many will find Monson's contribution on context to be helpful (as well as informative for those who do not know the history of the Biblical Archaeology movement). Hoffmeier's analysis of Eqyptian Biblical locales was enjoyable and Simon Sherwin's answer of "yes/no" to the question of "Did the Israelites really lean their monotheism in Babylon?" provides lots to think about.

As such, I highly recommend this book to those interested in Old Testament historical backgrounds. I would also recommend A Biblical History of Israel. For those more interested in historical scholarship and theology, I would recommend Introduction to Old Testament Theology: A Canonical Approach.

I agree with a prior reviewer-- this book presents the "Israel as a late invention" premise only to counter it; however, there isn't one book I know that is not biased, and seeks to prove one theory/view above all other views. Also, what good is a book that is not opinionated? Sounds like a manual or a boring book to me. You want to know what someone thinks, and why they think it.

This book is a must read for seminarians who have to do thesis or research papers on Ancient Near Eastern culture's influence on Israel. The book effectively presents its argument, and does balance historical and extra-biblical accounts within the context of the argument. A seminary student or one who wants to understand a topic in more depth can read this book to get a solid, and deeper view of the connection between ANE culture and Israel.

Some topics include:
* Are the 10 commandments unique to Israel?
* When did Israel truly become monotheistic [from biblical accounts, we know Israel vacillated between serving Yahweh and the other gods]?
* How large and grand was David and Solomon's kingdom?
* How to interpret the Hebrew scriptures through an Ancient Near Eastern lens?

The title of this book leads the prospective reader to think that it contains a balanced and rigorously researched argument or arguments (in this case as it is a collection of essays) on this theme. Although it does mention both sides of the debate it only does so in order to constantly attack the 'late invention' side.
It is very unfortunate that this book is merely an apology for the fundamentalist/evangelical point of view that continues its attempts to prove the bible as history. However, from a purely historiographical perspective it is obvious as they themselves also know that this will never be possible because nothing contained in the scriptures meets the rules of historical writing as we know it today and therefore must be treated with extreme skepticism.
Therefore to use the bible as the starting point and basis is both deceptive and dishonest as it is also with their creationist brothers who also continue their attempts to subvert objective learning.
It is also a great pity and tragic waste of resources considering that many of these essays come from scholars in publicly funded institutions.