it is important to get this larger picture in order to understand the details of what follows. The remaining chapters of this Introduction will unfold the story of the Bible’s formation. This story moves from discussion of oral traditions in pre‐literate Israel all the way through to the writing of the latest books of the Bible during the Hasmonean period. Though the first chapters will uncover a strange and different ancient Israel unfamiliar to many readers, this historical approach will illuminate many aspects of the Bible that otherwise make little sense. In addition, it will provide a starting point for engaging other scholarly methods of looking at biblical texts in new ways.
Of course, the analysis of the formation of the Bible and its texts is always in flux. Within the space of this brief Introduction I will only be able to touch on a few of the major debates. Nevertheless, scholars have been doing this kind of historical analysis of the Bible for about three hundred years, and these efforts have produced some interesting and important results. This textbook draws on the breadth of that scholarship in giving a historical orientation to the Bible that can be a starting point for further study, questioning, and correction. For now, use this textbook as your initial guide, rather than doing internet searches on Bible‐related topics (websites on the internet are particularly variable in quality). Each chapter concludes with some recommended written resources, and this chapter concludes with some websites that also provide high quality resources for further study.
CHAPTER ONE REVIEW
For Review
1 Know the meaning and significance of the following terms discussed in this chapter:Israel [two meanings]Israelite (know the difference from “Israeli”)Yahwehliterary criticismtradition criticismhistorical criticism
2 Be able to identify the following areas on a map and describe their general characteristics:coastal plaincentral hill countryJordan ValleyJudahTransjordan
3 Know the dates and basic significance of the following overall periods of history:pre‐state tribal periodproto‐monarchyneighboring monarchiesJudah alonedestruction of JerusalemBabylonian exilePersian periodpost‐exilic periodHellenistic periodHasmonean (Maccabean) monarchybeginning of the Roman perioddestruction of the Second Temple
4 Know the order in which the following empires dominated Israel and Judah:AssyrianBabylonianPersianHellenistic (or Greek)Roman
RESOURCES FOR FURTHER STUDY
Overviews of the history of Israel
1 Miller, J. Maxwell. The History of Israel: An Essential Guide. Nashville: Abingdon, 1997.
2 Schipper, Bernd. A Concise History of Ancient Israel: From the Beginnings Through the Hellenistic Era, trans. Michael J. Lesley. University Park, PA: Eisenbrauns, 2019.
3 Shanks, Hershel. Ancient Israel: From Abraham to the Roman Destruction of the Temple (2nd edition). Washington, DC: Biblical Archaeology Society, 1999.
Geography of lands and places featured in the Bible
1 Atlas of the Bible Lands (revised edition). Maplewood, NJ: Hammond, 1990.
2 Rainey, Anson F., and Notley, R. Steven. The Sacred Bridge: Carta’s Atlas of the Biblical World. Jerusalem: Carta, 2006. Detailed. Much focus on reconstructing history.
3 Rogerson, John. The New Atlas of the Bible. London: McDonald, 1985. Organized not by historical periods, but by regions. Excellent photographs and art.
Especially good internet resources
1 The Bible Odyssey (by the Society of Biblical Literature): www.bibleodyssey.org.
2 http://www.TheTorah.com A non‐profit website run by Jewish scholars with accessible articles on Tanakh/Bible
Discussions of methods in biblical interpretation
1 McKenzie, Steven L., and Haynes, Stephen R. To Each Its Own Meaning: An Introduction to Biblical Criticisms and Their Application (2nd edition). Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1999.
2 McKenzie, Steven L., and Kaltner, John, eds. New Meanings for Ancient Texts: Recent Approaches to Biblical Criticisms and Their Applications. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2013.
APPENDIX: ISRAEL’S HISTORY AND EMPIRES
(Prehistory of Israel: domination of Canaan by Egypt, 1450–1200 BCE)
Emergence of “Israel” in imperial power vacuum
Appearance of Israelite villages in unsettled hill country (approximately 1250–1000 BCE)
David and Solomon’s proto‐monarchy in Jerusalem (approximately 1000–930 BCE)
Neighboring monarchies: (Southern) Judah and (Northern) Israel (approximately 930–722 BCE)
Oppression by successive empires: Assyria, Egypt, and Babylonia (745–586 bce)
Fall of northern kingdom (722 BCE)
Destruction of Jerusalem and exile of its leadership (586 BCE; also other waves of exile)
Imperial sponsorship of (formerly exiled) Judeans: post‐exilic period (starting 538 bce)
Persian‐sponsored rebuilding and rule of Judah (538–332 BCE)
Hellenistic continuation of Persian policies until Hellenistic crisis (332–167 BCE)
Hellenistic crisis and emergence of Hasmonean/Maccabean monarchy (167–63 BCE)
Roman rule (starting 63 bce with different dates of end)
Destruction of the Second Temple (70 CE)
Total destruction of Jerusalem (135 CE)
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