Bibliographical details:
Rogerson, J. W., and P. R. Davies. (2005). The Old Testament World. Rev. and expanded ed. London: T & T Clark.
Publisher’s information:
‘… this is a useful introduction both to modern study of the Old Testament and to the history and religion of Israel, critical in stance and aware of the limitations of modern knowledge … a useful textbook for first-year undergraduates.’ – C. S. Rodd, The Society for Old Testament Study Book List
Written by two leading Old Testament scholars with a wide range of expertise, this unique introduction describes the historical, social and cultural setting in which the Old Testament was written and [offers] a description of the major genres of literature that it contains. It seeks therefore to illuminate the literature of the Old Testament by showing how it was shaped by the events, social structures, and religions and intellectual ideas of the ancient civilizations and cultures in which it was produced.
Unlike most Introductions, it does not build largely on the traditional formats and it also reflects the huge changes that our understanding of the Old Testament has undergone in recent decades.
Rather than a conventional canonical-theological approach, this book offers an approach for those interested in the Old Testament as a monumental cultural achievement, ideal for students of ancient history and religion in general as well as theology, and requires a minimum of prior knowledge or expertise.
John Rogerson is Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at the University of Sheffield.
Philip Davies is Research Professor at the University of Sheffield.
Table of contents:
PREFACE … ix
Part I: THE SETTING
Chapter 1: GEOGRAPHY AND ECOLOGY OF ANCIENT PALESTINE … 3
The Land … 4
Climate and Vegetation … 11
Population and Agriculture in 1200 BCE … 14
Land and Land Use 1200 to 587 BCE … 15
Land and Land Use 587 to 63 BCE … 19
Borders and Boundaries … 21
The Theological Significance of the Land … 22
Chapter 2: SOCIAL ORGANISATION … 24
Blood Ties … 24
Conflicting Loyalties … 26
The Function of Genealogies … 29
Social Groupings … 32
Chapter 3: THE PEOPLES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT WORLD … 39
Peoples within the Borders of Israel and Judah … 41
Peoples on the Borders of Palestine … 44
Occupying Empires … 51
Part II: THE HISTORY AND RELIGION OF ISRAEL
Chapter 4: UNTIL THE TIME OF SOLOMON … 65
Solomon … 66
David … 67
The Period of the Judges … 69
‘Conquest’ and Exodus … 70
The Patriarchs … 71
Chapter 5: FROM THE DEATH OF SOLOMON TO THE BABYLONIAN DEPORTATIONS … 73
The Revolt of Jeroboam … 74
The Rise of Omri … 75
The Dynasty of Omri … 75
The Reign of Ahab … 76
Internal and External Conflicts … 77
The End of the House of Omri … 78
Kings of Judah … 79
Assyrian Aggression … 81
The Invasion … 82
Chapter 6: JUDAH UNDER THE PERSIANS AND PTOLEMIES AND THE JUDEANS IN BABYLONIA … 86
Judah … 87
Resettlement in Judah … 88
Ezra and Nehemiah’s Commissions … 89
Elephantine … 92
The Establishment of the Religious Community in Jerusalem … 93
Alexander and the Ptolemies … 94
Chapter 7: FROM THE MACCABEES TO HEROD THE GREAT … 96
The ‘Hellenistic Crisis’ (175 to 140 BCE) … 96
The Hasmonean Dynasty … 102
Herod the Great … 105
Part III: LITERATURE AND LIFE
Chapter 8: CREATION AND ORIGIN STORIES … 111
Sumerian and Akkadian Texts … 112
The Problem of Sources … 113
The Meaning of ‘Myth’ … 114
Genesis 1:1–2:4a … 115
Genesis 2:4b-25 … 117
Genesis 3 … 118
Genesis 4 … 119
Genesis 5 … 120
Genesis 6–9 … 120
Genesis 11:1-19 … 122
Conclusions … 123
Chapter 9: NARRATIVES … 124
‘Factual’ Versus ‘Fictional’ Narratives … 124
Simple and Complex Narratives … 126
Complex Narratives … 127
Simple Narratives … 131
Chapter 10: LEGAL TEXTS … 137
Administration of Justice … 138
The Book of the Covenant … 140
Leviticus 17–26 … 143
Deuteronomy … 145
The Decalogue (Ten Commandments) … 148
Chapter 11: SACRIFICES AND PSALMS … 151
Sacrifices … 151
Sacrifice on the Old Testament … 152
The World-View of Leviticus 1–16 … 155
The Psalms … 158
Conclusion … 164
Chapter 12: PROPHETIC LITERATURE … 166
What is ‘Prophecy’? … 166
Prophecy as a Social Institution … 167
Prophets in the Ancient Near East … 167
Prophets in Ancient Israel … 168
‘Prophecy’ in the Old Testament … 169
Individual Prophets and Prophetic Books … 174
Chapter 13: WISDOM LITERATURE … 184
What is ‘Wisdom’? … 184
Types of Wisdom Literature … 185
The ‘Wise’ … 187
The Book of Proverbs … 188
The Book of Job … 191
Qoheleth … 192
Wisdom Psalms … 194
Ben Sira … 194
The Wisdom of Solomon … 196
Chapter 14: APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE … 198
The Meaning of ‘Apocalyptic’ … 198
Apocalyptic Technique … 199
Divination … 200
Jewish Apocalypses … 202
Chapter 15: BEYOND THE OLD TESTAMENT … 209
‘Judaism’ … 209
Early Judaism … 210
Outward Characteristics of Early Judaism … 212
Times and Seasons … 214
The Holy Place: Temple and Priesthood … 215
Scripture, Law, and Scribes … 216
The Identity of ‘Israel’ in Early Judaism … 218
Messianism … 222
Part IV: THE FORMATION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
Chapter 16: ORAL TRADITION AND COLLECTIONS PRIOR TO THE DEPORTATIONS … 225
A Variety of Oral Traditions … 227
Written Forms of the Old Testament … 230
Chapter 17: THE FORMATION OF THE SCRIPTURAL CANON … 232
What are Canons? … 233
The ‘Primary History’ … 234
The ‘Prophetic’ Collections … 237
Writings … 241
The Canon … 242
Text and Versions … 243
INDEX … 246
Click here to read the review of the American edition of this book by Marc Brettler, published in the Review of Biblical Literature.
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