Introduction to the Old Testament: A Liberation Perspective

by Anthony R Ceresko O.S.F.S.

Overview

This Thorough Revision and Updating of the Popular Introduction to the Old Testament Brings a Fresh New Look to a Classroom Classic. Introduction to the Old Testament Has Become a Favorite Text for Those Using a Liberative Approach to Biblical Studies. While Covering Standard Issues Such as Literary Formation of the Texts and Their Religious Themes, Ceresko Goes Behind the Texts to Uncover the Social Background and the Vital History of Competing Interests Reflected in the Scriptures.

Applying Norman Gottwald's Thesis on Israel's Origins, Ceresko Argues That Israel Was Formed Through a Process of Social Revolution, Inspired by the Memory of Runaway Slaves and Their Worship of a God Whose Cult Mandated Radical Social Equality and Justice. The Subsequent History is Viewed in Terms of the People's Faithfulness to This Covenant, Expressed Not Only in Worship But in the Practice of Justice and Mercy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781570753480
Publisher:	Orbis Books
Publication date:	02/28/2001
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

Table of Contents

	List of Illustrations and Maps	xiii
	Preface	xv
	Preface to the Revised and Expanded Edition	xvii
Part I	Introduction
1.	The Bible in the Modern World	3
	The Bible and Today's World	3
	The Bible and Politics	3
	The Bible and the Church	4
	The Bible and the University	5
	The Bible and Popular Culture	6
	Sociology and the Bible	7
	Liberation Theology and the Bible	9
	The Hermeneutical Privilege of the Poor	11
	The Hermeneutic of Suspicion	14
	A Liberation Perspective	14
	New Lands and New Eyes for Reading the Bible	15
2.	A Modern Look at Biblical Times	17
	Modern Discoveries and the Historical Critical Approach to the Bible	17
	Introduction	17
	The Bible and the Ancient World	17
	The Geography of Palestine	22
Part II	The Pentateuch
3.	The Historical Background of the Ancient Near East	29
	The Fertile Crescent and the Birth of Civilization	29
	The History of the Ancient Near East Prior to the Appearance of Israel	35
	Introduction	35
	Egypt	36
	Mesopotamia	37
	Syria-Palestine	38
4.	The Ancestors of Israel	40
	Introduction	40
	The Formation of the Traditions in Genesis 12-50 and the Origins of Early Israel	41
	Reading between the Lines of Genesis 12-50	46
5.	The Documentary Hypothesis	57
	Introduction	57
	The Documentary Hypothesis or Four-Source Theory	58
	An Example of Source Criticism	62
	The Context for the Pentateuch's Foundational Story	64
6.	The Four Sources	67
	Creation of the Pentateuch	67
	Israel's Scriptures: A Liberating Word	74
	A Practical Application of Source Criticism: A Story from the Yahwist	74
7.	The Exodus	79
	Historical Background	79
	The Moses Group	79
	Egypt under Pharaoh Ramses II (1290-1224 B.C.E.)	80
	The Exodus Itself	81
	The Paradigmatic Nature of the Exodus Traditions	84
8.	Covenant	87
Part III	The Rise of Israel in Canaan
9.	The "Conquest" of Canaan	97
	Introduction	97
	Conquest or Gradual Settlement?	98
	A Third Way: The Social Revolution Model	99
	Introduction	99
	The Context of the Social Revolution	100
	The "El-Federation" and the Entry of the Moses Group	104
10.	Israel in the Period of the Judges	108
	Life in the Central Highlands	108
	Yahwism: The Religion of the Social Revolution	112
	Revelation	112
	The Uniqueness of Israel's Religion	113
	Unanswered Questions	116
	Other Aspects of Early Israel's Faith	117
Part IV	The Period of the Monarchy
11.	The Book of Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomistic History	123
	The Book of Deuteronomy	123
	The Origins of the Book of Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomic Reform	123
	The Socio-economic Elements in the Deuteronomic Reform	127
	The Deuteronomistic History (DH)	128
	The Origins of the Deuteronomistic History	128
	Key Themes of the Deuteronomistic History	129
	The Sources for the Deuteronomistic History	131
	The Two Editions of the Deuteronomistic History	133
12.	The Philistines and Saul	137
	The Origins of the Philistines	137
	The Philistines and the External Threat to Early Israel	142
	Saul and the Initial Attempt to Meet the Philistine Crisis	144
13.	From Chieftain to King	148
	Internal Factors in the Rise of the Monarchy	148
	The Rise of David	150
	Factors That Facilitated Centralization and Monarchy	150
	Kingship and Zion	153
	Solomon: The Triumph of the Counter-Revolution	155
	Changes in Israel's Way of Life	159
	Political Changes	159
	Military Changes	160
	Socio-economic Changes	160
	Religious Changes	161
14.	The Divided Monarchy	164
	The Shift from Tribal League to Monarchy	164
	A Brief History of the Divided Monarchy	166
	Introduction	166
	The Northern Kingdom (Israel), 922-722 B.C.E.	168
	The Southern Kingdom (Judah), 922-587 B.C.E.	173
	Reflections on the Monarchy	177
Part V	Prophecy in the Pre-Exilic Period
15.	The Origins and Definition of Prophecy	181
	Background	181
	The Word Prophet	181
	The More Remote Background of Israelite Prophecy	182
	The More Immediate Background of Israelite Prophecy	183
	The Prophet in Israel: Messenger of the Divine Assembly	185
	The Dispute between Prophets and Kings	187
	From Preaching Prophets to Writing Prophets	188
	The Preaching Prophets	189
16.	The Eighth-Century B.C.E. Prophets: Amos and Hosea	194
	Introduction	194
	Amos	198
	Hosea	203
	Repentance and Return	206
17.	Isaiah	209
	Isaiah and His Successors	209
	The Power and Subtlety of Isaiah's Poetry	210
	The Unrelenting Doom in His Message	212
	Isaiah and the Royal/Davidic and Jerusalem/Zion Traditions	212
	Isaiah's First Period of Ministry: The Syro-Ephraimite Crisis of 735 B.C.E.	215
	The Sennacherib Invasion and Crisis, 705-701 B.C.E.	218
	Isaiah and the "Holy One" of Israel	220
	The Isaiah Tradition and the Book of Isaiah	221
18.	Jeremiah	224
	Introduction	224
	The Historical Background to Jeremiah's Prophetic Career	226
	Jeremiah's Message	228
	The Question of True and False Prophecy	231
	The Jeremian Tradition	233
	Jeremiah's "Confessions"	234
	The Basis for Hope in Jeremiah	235
Part VI	The Exile and the Restoration
19.	The Destruction of Jerusalem, the Exile, and the Prophet Ezekiel	241
	Introduction	241
	The Destruction of Jerusalem and the Devastation of Judah	242
	Israel in Exile	244
	The Situation in the Major Centers of Judaism, 587-539 B.C.E.	245
	Judah and Jerusalem	245
	Babylon	246
	Egypt	246
	The Prophet Ezekiel	247
	Ezekiel's Character and Accomplishments	247
	Ezekiel's Doctrine and Work	249
20.	Second Isaiah (Is 40-55)	257
	The Historical Context and Its Relationship to the Rest of the Book	257
	The Shape and Style of Second Isaiah	258
	The Purpose of Second Isaiah	260
	The Message of Second Isaiah	261
	Comfort and Reassurance	261
	Strategy for Reconciliation	263
	Creative Redemption	265
	The Servant of Yahweh	265
	The Servant Language in the New Testament	267
	Two Important Lessons from Second Isaiah	268
	New Testament Use of Old Testament Texts	268
	Vicarious Suffering	269
21.	The Reestablishment of a Jewish Community in Jerusalem and Judah	271
	Introduction	271
	The Four Stages of the Return and Reestablishment	273
	The Priestly Writer and the Completion of the Pentateuch	276
	The Pentateuch and the Deuteronomistic History	279
	Conclusion	280
Part VII	The Writings
22.	The Psalms	285
	Introduction	285
	Hebrew Poetry	286
	The Liturgical Origin of the Psalms	289
	The Psalm Forms	291
	The Hymn or Song of Praise	291
	The Individual Lament or Song of Supplication	292
	The Individual Thanksgiving Song	294
	The Communal Lament	296
	Royal Psalms	296
	Minor Categories	297
	The Shape of the Psalter	298
	The Socio-historic Setting of the Psalms	299
23.	Wisdom in Israel	304
	The Development and Background of Israelite Wisdom	304
	Introduction	304
	The Origins of the Scribal School	305
	The Royal Scribal School in Israel	309
	Scribal Circles after the Exile	310
	The Forms of Hebrew Wisdom	312
	The Proverb	312
	The Liberating Potential of Proverb and Parable	313
	Other Forms or Genres	314
24.	The Wisdom Writings: Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, Sirach, and the Book of Wisdom	316
	The Book of Proverbs	316
	The Book of Job	320
	The Book of Ecclesiastes (Qoheleth)	322
	The Book of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus or Ben Sira)	325
	The Book of Wisdom (Wisdom of Solomon)	327
25.	Daniel and the Apocalyptic Literature	331
	Historical Background	331
	The Nature of Apocalyptic Literature	333
	The Book of Daniel	335
	Historical Background	335
	The Book of Daniel	336
	Apocalyptic as a Background to the New Testament	338
26.	Some Conclusions	341
	The Old Testament: A Liberation Perspective	341
	The Bible and Today's World	341
	The Hermeneutic of Suspicion	341
	The Hermeneutical Privilege of the Poor	343
	Liberation and Israel's God	344
	Liberation and Covenant	344
	Liberation and Life	345
	The Bible and Contemporary Socio-economic Issues	347
	The Bible and Decision-making	348
	The Bible and Human Liberation	349
	Bibliography	351
	General Index	374
	Scripture Index	380