The Quest for the Historical Israel: Debating Archaeology and the History of Early Israel (Archaeology and Biblical Studies) [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Israel Finkelstein (Author), Amihai Mazar (Author), Brian B. Schmidt (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Archaeology and Biblical Studies | Publication Date: October 24, 2007

Three decades of dialogue, discussion, and debate within the interrelated disciplines of Syro-Palestinian archaeology, ancient Israelite history, and Hebrew Bible over the question of the relevance of the biblical account for reconstructing early Israels history have created the need for a balanced articulation of the issues and their prospective resolutions. This book brings together for the first time and under one cover, a currently emerging centrist paradigm as articulated by two leading figures in the fields of early Israelite archaeology and history. Although Finkelstein and Mazar advocate distinct views of early Israels history, they nevertheless share the position that the material cultural data, the biblical traditions, and the ancient Near Eastern written sources are all significantly relevant to the historical quest for Iron Age Israel. The results of their research are featured in accessible, parallel syntheses of the historical reconstruction of early Israel that facilitate comparison and contrast of their respective interpretations. The historical essays presented here are based on invited lectures delivered in October of 2005 at the Sixth Biennial Colloquium of the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism in Detroit, Michigan.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Israel Finkelstein is Professor of Archaeology at Tel Aviv University where he holds the Jacob M. Alkow Chair in the Archaeology of Israel of the Bronze and Iron Ages. He is co-director of the Megiddo excavations and the co-author of David and Solomon: In Search of the Bible s Sacred Kings and the Roots of the Western Tradition and The Bible Unearthed, Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origins of Its Sacred Texts (both from Free Press). He is also a recent laureate of the Dan David Prize (2005).

Amihai Mazar is Professor of Archaeology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he holds the Eleazar Sukenik Chair in the Archaeology of Israel. His ongoing projects include a series of publications on the Tel Batash (Timnah) excavations and the Beth Shean Valley Archaeological Project. He is the author of Archaeology of the Land of the Bible (Anchor Bible Reference).

Brian Schmidt is Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient West Asian Cultures at the University of Michigan. He is the author of Israels Beneficent Dead: Ancestor Cult and Necromancy in Ancient Israelite Religion and Tradition (J.C.B. Mohr/Eisenbrauns).

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Society of Biblical Literature; illustrated edition edition (October 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1589832779
• ISBN-13: 978-1589832770
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #193,226 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Introduction to controversies in Ancient Israelite archaeology, December 9, 2007

By 

John D. Croft - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Quest for the Historical Israel: Debating Archaeology and the History of Early Israel (Archaeology and Biblical Studies) (Paperback)

This is an excellent introduction to the latest research in Biblical Archaeology, presenting a middle ground between the Minimalist and Maximalist debate which has sought to polarise the issue over the last 15 years. Both Finkelstein and Mazar are leading exponents in the field of Post-processual Archaeology, but neither are afraid of examining where the Biblical record is confirmed or challenged by the findings of modern archaeology. For a balanced view, with good editorial summaries, this book looks at the various periods and brings the reader up-to-date with the findings of the latest ecavations.

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for those interested in the history of Israel., June 24, 2008

By 

J. Kelley - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Quest for the Historical Israel: Debating Archaeology and the History of Early Israel (Archaeology and Biblical Studies) (Paperback)

This book is a great resource for those who are interested in the history of ancient Israel. It is written in a manner that is very informative, but not so academic that the material is meaningless to people to aren't scholars. The book is divided into sections, with each part consisting of a chapter by Finkelstein and a chapter by Mazar. The intent of the authors is to examine and evaluate the archaeological data that pertains to the history of Israel, which includes a look at what archaeology says about the period of the patriarchs, the story of the exodus, the conquest, and the monarchy. The book demonstrates in an engaging way that, while the authors disagree on the interpretation of some of the archaeological data they are both in agreement that the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) contains historical data within its pages, and is not, as some scholars would assert, a completely fictional work. The book also serves as a handy summary reference for the archaoleogical data pertaining to these topics.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Two Views from the Center, June 3, 2009

By 

Edward G. Simmons "Author & Speaker" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Quest for the Historical Israel: Debating Archaeology and the History of Early Israel (Archaeology and Biblical Studies) (Paperback)

In this collection, two prominent Israeli archaeologists share their credo and philosophy as well as their views on the history of early Israel. They are not far apart. Both make it clear that they differ from revisionists or minimalists like Philip Davies and Thomas Thompson and also from the biblical school founded by William Albright. Finkelstein calls his position the center between those extremes.

The view from the center is that the Deuteronomistic History, Torah, and many prophets were compiled and edited in the late monarchy, not in the post-exilic or Hellenistic periods as revisionists claim. This view also maintains that there is historical value in the biblical historical accounts. Finklestein makes it clear that he cannot go along with revisionists who maintain that much of the Hebrew Bible was invented out of thin air. He says: "It is unthinkable that the biblical authors invented stories only in order to serve their aims. Had they done that they would have lost credibility among the people of Judah, their target population." (p. 18)

These lectures also bring out significant disagreements between Finkelstein and Mazar. Mazar still maintains there was a united monarchy under David and Solomon while Finklestein argues that David and Solomon were no more than chieftains in an underdeveloped south that was not yet a state. Mazar also stretches the period of biblical origins to the eighth through the seventh centuries rather than limiting it to the reign of Josiah. He criticizes Finklestein as seeing too much of the Deuteronomistic History as a reflection of Josiah projected backward, for Mazar thinks the collecting and editing involved passing down recollections showing the influence of earlier periods. Both scholars believe in viewing history retrospectively by honing in on the period of Josiah and looking backward from that point as through a telescope to see what parts of early history have value.

All in all, these scholars are not far apart on most of what they have to say. One of their biggest differences is that they use different approaches to dating Yigael Yadin's discoveries at Megiddo, thus leading to their divergences over the united monarchy.

This collection can be recommended to anyone interested in seeing how archaeology impacts the history of early Israel. I would also recommend the statements of personal philosophy in the first and last lectures they give.