Who Were the Early Israelites and Where Did They Come From? Paperback - 2006
by William G. Dever
A respected archaeologist's engaging, revealing take on ancient Israel. A thorough yet readable examination of a much-debated subject -- of relevance also to the current Israeli-Palestinian situation -- this book is sure to reinvigorate discussion of the origins of ancient Israel.
First line
Until modern literary-critical biblical scholarship began to emerge in the mid-to-late 19th century, the Hebrew Bible or Christian Old Testament was regarded as Scripture, as Holy Writ.
From the rear cover
Other Editions: Hardcover
This book addresses one of the most timely and urgent topics in archaeology and biblical studies -- the origins of early Israel. For centuries the Western tradition has traced its beginnings back to ancient Israel, but recently some historians and archaeologists have questioned the reality of Israel as it is described in biblical literature. In "Who Were the Early Israelites and Where Did They Come From?" William Dever explores the continuing controversies regarding the true nature of ancient Israel and presents the archaeological evidence for assessing the accuracy of the well-known Bible stories.
Confronting the range of current scholarly interpretations seriously and dispassionately, Dever rejects both the revisionists who characterize biblical literature as "pious propaganda" and the conservatives who are afraid to even question its factuality. Attempting to break through this impasse, Dever draws on thirty years of archaeological fieldwork in the Near East, amassing a wide range of hard evidence for his own compelling view of the development of Israelite history.
In his search for the actual circumstances of Israel's emergence in Canaan, Dever reevaluates the Exodus-Conquest traditions in the books of Exodus, Numbers, Joshua, Judges, and 1 & 2 Samuel in the light of well-documented archaeological evidence from the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age. Among this important evidence are some 300 small agricultural villages recently discovered in the heartland of what would later become the biblical nation of Israel. According to Dever, the authentic ancestors of the "Israelite peoples" were most likely Canaanites -- together with some pastoral nomadsand small groups of Semitic slaves escaping from Egypt -- who, through the long cultural and socioeconomic struggles recounted in the book of Judges, managed to forge a new agrarian, communitarian, and monotheistic society.
Written in an engaging, accessible style and featuring fifty photographs that help bring the archaeological record to life, this book provides an authoritative statement on the origins of ancient Israel and promises to reinvigorate discussion about the historicity of the biblical tradition.
Details
- Title Who Were the Early Israelites and Where Did They Come From?
- Author William G. Dever
- Binding Paperback
- Edition 1st Edition
- Pages 280
- Volumes 1
- Language ENG
- Publisher William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI, U.S.A.
- Date 2006-03-01
- Illustrated Yes
- Features Bibliography, Illustrated, Index, Maps, Table of Contents
- ISBN 9780802844163 / 0802844162
- Weight 0.86 lbs (0.39 kg)
- Dimensions 9.13 x 6.06 x 0.7 in (23.19 x 15.39 x 1.78 cm)
-
Themes
- Chronological Period: Ancient (To 499 A.D.)
- Theometrics: Academic
- Library of Congress subjects Palestine - Antiquities, Jews - History - 586 B.C.-70 A.D
- Dewey Decimal Code 221.95
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