From David to Gedaliah: The Book of Kings as Story and History (Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis)

by Bob Becking, Susanne Bickel (Editor)

The ten essays in this volume all deal with various aspects of the interpretation of the Book of Kings. The author tries to set a course between Scylla and Charibdis. Both 'minimalism' and 'maximalism' are avoided by trying to apply a variety of narratology, historical criticism and theological analysis. This implies that extra-biblical evidence - the Tell Dan inscription, Assyrian royal inscriptions, West Semitic seal inscriptions - are taken into account. Selected texts from this biblical bookare read on the basis of a three-dimensional (1) the narrative character of the story/stories; (2) the value and function of extra-biblical material, be it of an epigraphical or an archaeological character; (3) the art of history-writing both ancient and modern. The essays are arranged according to the order in which the relevant texts or their main characters figure in the Book of Kings. Originally published between 1987 and 2005, they have been updated for publication in the present collection.

227 pages, Hardcover

First published September 11, 2007

About the author

Bob E.J.H. Becking