Biblical Studies and the Failure of History: Changing Perspectives 3

by Niels Peter Lemche

Overview

The idea of the Old Testament as a source of historical information was replaced by an understanding of the texts as a means for early Jewish society to interpret its past. 'Biblical Studies and the Failure of History' brings together key essays which reflect the trajectory of this scholarly shift.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781317544944
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/19/2014
Series:	Copenhagen International Seminar
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Niels Peter Lemche

Table of Contents

Introduction, John Van Seters; Chapter 1 The ‘Hebrew slave’: comments on the slave law, Exodus 21:2–11; Chapter 2 The manumission of slaves – the fallow year – the Sabbatical Year – the Jubilee Year; Chapter 3 Andur?rum and Mišarum: comments on the problem of social edicts and their application in the ancient Near East; Chapter 4 The Greek ‘amphictyony’: could it be a prototype for Israelite society in the Period of the Judges?; Chapter 5 The chronology in the story of the Flood; Chapter 6 ‘Hebrew’ as a national name for Israel 1979; Chapter 7 Rachel and Leah: on the survival of outdated paradigms in the study of the origin of Israel; Chapter 8 The Old Testament: a Hellenistic book?; Chapter 9 Power and social organization: some misunderstandings and some proposals, or is it all a question of patrons and clients?; Chapter 10 Is it still possible to write a history of ancient Israel?; Chapter 11 Is it still possible to speak about an ‘Israelite religion’? From the perspective of a historian; Chapter 12 Kings and clients: on loyalty between the ruler and the ruled in ancient ‘Israel’; Chapter 13 Justice in western Asia in antiquity, or why no laws were needed!; Chapter 14 From patronage society to patronage society; Chapter 15 Are we Europeans really good readers of biblical texts and interpreters of biblical history?; Chapter 16 History writing in the ancient Near East and Greece; Chapter 17 Good and bad in history: the Greek connection; Chapter 18 On the problems of reconstructing pre-Hellenistic Israelite (Palestinian) history; Chapter 19 How does one date an expression of mental history? The Old Testament and Hellenism; Chapter 20 Chronology and archives: when does the history of Israel and Judah begin?; Chapter 21 ‘Because they have cast away the law of the Lord of Hosts’, or ‘We and the rest of the world’: the authors who ‘wrote’ the Old Testament;