In Search of Ancient Israel: A Study in Biblical Origins (Library Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies) [Paperback]

Philip R. Davies (Author)

Book Description

Series: Library Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies | Publication Date: June 1, 1992

The appearance in 1992 of 'In Search of Ancient Israel' generated a still raging controversy about the historical reality of what biblical scholars call 'Ancient Israel'. But its argument not only takes in the problematic relationship between Iron Age Palestinian archaeology and the biblical 'Israel' but also outlines the processes that created the literature of the Hebrew bible-the ideological matrix, the scribal milieu, and the cultural adoption of a national literary archive as religious scripture as part of the process of creating 'Judaisms'. While challenging the whole spectrum of scholarly consensus about the origins of 'Israel' and its scriptures, it is written more in the style of a textbook for students than a monograph for scholars because, its author believes, it offers an agenda for the next generation of biblical scholars. 'In this reader-friendly polemic, Davies brilliantly addresses an essential issue and at numerous points represents a vanguard in biblical studies' (Robert B. Coote, Interpretation). 'A rich mine of provocative quotations, will provoke considerable opposition and debate, and deserves to be read and reflected on by all biblical scholars' (Keith Whitelam, SOTS Book List).

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for In Search of "Ancient Israel" "In this reader-friendly polemic, Davies brilliantly addresses an essential issue and at numerous points represents a vanguard in biblical studies" —Robert B. Coote, Interpretation (Robert B. Coote Interpreter )

"A rich mine of provocative quotations, will provoke considerable opposition and debate, and deserves to be read and reflected on by all biblical scholars"—Keith Whitelam, SOTS Book List (Keith Whitelam Booklist )

'wealth of data, carefully argued cases and powerul rhetoric...these articles make a superb contribution to the debate...an excellent resource for anyone interested in the technicalities of the debate' (A Jeffers )

Praise for In Search of "Ancient Israel" "In this reader-friendly polemic, Davies brilliantly addresses an essential issue and at numerous points represents a vanguard in biblical studies" —Robert B. Coote, Interpretation (, Interpreter )

"A rich mine of provocative quotations, will provoke considerable opposition and debate, and deserves to be read and reflected on by all biblical scholars"—Keith Whitelam, SOTS Book List (, Booklist )

About the Author

Philip R. Davies is Professor of Biblical Studies in the University of Sheffield, UK.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Sheffield Academic Press; 2 edition (June 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1850757372
• ISBN-13: 978-1850757375
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #165,669 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

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Spark of the Minimalist-Maximalist Debate, April 29, 2004

By 

Virgil Brown (White Oak, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In Search of Ancient Israel: A Study in Biblical Origins (Library Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies) (Paperback)

Many readers will remember the great impact that this book had on the question of the relationship of the history of ancient Israel to the biblical text. Though Davies had been preceded by others, it was this book more than any other that sparked the Minimalist-Maximalist debate (see Ziony Zevit in Biblica 83).

Immediately Davies says that the genre of literature of "history of Israel" is obselete. Instead there are three ancient Israels: one is the narrative found in the Bible; one is the history of the inhabitants of Palestine during the Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age; and the third is the amalgamation of these former two. For Davies the "ideo-logical structure" of the Bible is the Persian period although a certain amount of material must have survived from earlier times (see page 91).

It is unfortunate that this debate became as volatile as it did. For example, five years before Davies' book came out, Norman Whybray argued that the Pentateuch was a post-exilic document. One might expect Whybray and Davies to be allies in this matter. Yet he and Davies find themselves at odds in V Philips Long's _Israel's Past in Present Research_ which was published seven years after Davies' book.

Davies has a fascinating book. However I hope that any readers will read some more and not think that Davies has settled the matter.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good one, October 9, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: In Search of Ancient Israel: A Study in Biblical Origins (Library Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies) (Paperback)

A fascinating book, and one that has had quite an impact for its length. Davies may stretch his point a bit, and can be a little too creative at times. But he not only presents his overall case well, he was about the first to do it. And no one has yet answered his primary objection to mainstream historians of 'ancient Israel': for the vast majority of the biblical literature, there is absolutely no evidence of the sort required to claim it as historically reliable -- yet they continue to treat it as if it were.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Provocative and Scholarly, June 9, 2007

By 

Dr. James Gardner (California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In Search of Ancient Israel: A Study in Biblical Origins (Library Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies) (Paperback)

This is a relatively short but provocative book about the myth vs. reality vis-a-vis our ideas about ancient Israel. Philips systematically approaches the topic with chapters entitled "Defining the Biblical Israel," "The Social Context of the Biblical Israel," "Who Wrote the Biblical Literature, and Where," and "How was the Biblical Literature Written, and Why?" He indicates that the book is designed for "students" and this may explain the dearth of notes and more extensive documentation that scholars may expect. On the other hand, the level of writing is sufficiently advanced to suggest the book only to serious or advanced students. This isn't a book for the general public.