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Ancient Israel's History: An Introduction to Issues and Sources
The history of Israel is a much-debated topic in Old Testament studies. On one side are minimalists who find little of historical value in the Hebrew Bible. On the other side are those who assume the biblical text is a precise historical record. Many serious students of the Bible find themselves between these two positions and would benefit from a careful exploration of issues in Israelite history.
This substantive history of Israel textbook values the Bible's historical contribution without overlooking critical issues and challenges. Featuring the latest scholarship, the book introduces students to the current state of research on issues relevant to the study of ancient Israel. The editors and contributors, all top biblical scholars and historians, discuss historical evidence in a readable manner, using both canonical and chronological lenses to explore Israelite history.
Illustrative items, such as maps and images, visually support the book's content. Tables and sidebars are also included.
This substantive history of Israel textbook values the Bible's historical contribution without overlooking critical issues and challenges. Featuring the latest scholarship, the book introduces students to the current state of research on issues relevant to the study of ancient Israel. The editors and contributors, all top biblical scholars and historians, discuss historical evidence in a readable manner, using both canonical and chronological lenses to explore Israelite history.
Illustrative items, such as maps and images, visually support the book's content. Tables and sidebars are also included.
560 pages, Paperback
First published August 19, 2014
40 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
About the author
Bill T. Arnold
57 books17 followersBill T. Arnold (PhD, Hebrew Union College) is Paul S. Amos Professor of Old Testament Interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. He is the author or editor of numerous books, including Encountering the Book of Genesis, Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical Books, A Guide to Biblical Hebrew Syntax, and a commentary on 1 and 2 Samuel. He is also the coauthor (with Bryan E. Beyer) of Encountering the Old Testament.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 2, 2025
This book was the starting point of my reading series on the earliest history of Israel. The latter has been the subject of intense academic and non-academic debate for decades, of course for both political and religious-ideological reasons. This book examines the various historical episodes, from the Abrahamic patriarchs to the Hellenistic period, in 14 articles, each written by a different specialist. Each time, the state of affairs in historiography is presented (early 21st century), and the most thorny points of discussion. In most cases, this revolves around the question of whether the biblical version has (historical) foundation or not.
In the introduction, the compilers claim to adopt a neutral stance: “we chose to assume neither a negative stance toward the biblical literature nor a naive fideism on difficult issues”, and at first sight that seems commendable. But in practice, this appears to vary considerably from contribution to contribution. Some authors carefully screen which biblical stories are plausible and which not, but others clearly have a more apologetic approach. The latter try to prove as much as possible that the Biblical stories are not just fabrications (as most skeptical currents in this field of research claim), but do indeed have a historical core if not more, and that is a rather risky, and often not so trustworthy exercise. More about that in my History account on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....
In the introduction, the compilers claim to adopt a neutral stance: “we chose to assume neither a negative stance toward the biblical literature nor a naive fideism on difficult issues”, and at first sight that seems commendable. But in practice, this appears to vary considerably from contribution to contribution. Some authors carefully screen which biblical stories are plausible and which not, but others clearly have a more apologetic approach. The latter try to prove as much as possible that the Biblical stories are not just fabrications (as most skeptical currents in this field of research claim), but do indeed have a historical core if not more, and that is a rather risky, and often not so trustworthy exercise. More about that in my History account on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....
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March 28, 2025“Absence of evidence doesn’t mean evidence of absence”. This quote from the renowned astronomer Carl Sagan (1934-1996) is particularly relevant not only in physics, but also in many other sectors (legal, foremost). It is also one of the central issues in historical research, and in particular in that of antiquity, - where very few sources are available. And it also seems to be one of the – strangely enough unspoken – mantras of this book, about the history of Ancient Israel.
This study (a collection of 14 contributions by different authors) is a publication of the Institute for Biblical Research, an initiative of American Evangelicals to take their own position in the fierce debate about the historical value of the Bible, both the Old and the New Testament. That debate has been going on for almost a century and a half, especially since the German orientalist/biblical specialist Julius Wellhausen (1844-1918) raised the alarm with hypotheses about how the Jewish Torah came into being. In his introductory article in this book, compiler Bill T. Arnold provides a very insightful outline of how this has been built upon, with varying positions from 1870 to the present. According to him, the movements can currently be reduced to three (at least in the academic world, because outside of it the field is almost insurmountable, and usually also very unfounded): 1. The minimalists, the skeptics, who dismiss the Bible stories as pure fiction. 2. The critical orthodox, who try to support the Bible stories with non-Biblical historical texts and archaeological findings, to prove their historical value. And 3. a group that adopts a more or less neutral position, that is, wants to let both sides of the spectrum speak for themselves, and therefore also attributes historical value to the Bible.
If I understand Arnold correctly, this book is in the third group, and does allow for some bandwidth: “The authors of this volume hold in common a respect for the biblical text as a legitimate source in the study of Israel’s history, but they also represent a variety of views within that general perspective. As such, this volume seeks to appreciate the value of various critical positions, even where authors may disagree with them.” And that is correct: there certainly is some variation in the positions of the authors. A number argue convincingly that certain elements in the Bible stories can go back to a historical core, and are therefore “plausible”, without those elements actually providing datable and demonstrable facts. But there are also authors who come across as much less convincing and, for example, about the united kingdom under David and Solomon claim that “on the whole, the archaeology and literary sources provide enough data for the historian to reconstruct the nature of the united monarchy with a reasonable degree of accuracy.” (Steven M. Ortiz), where I have the impression that this is not the case.
I return to my starting point, “absence of evidence doesn’t mean evidence of absence”. This is a fundamental problem with the Bible texts: in many cases we really can no longer determine whether they represent a historical reality, due to a lack of other sources. And in some cases we can convincingly show that they must be wrong. But that does not mean that they are by definition pure fiction, and that they have no historical value at all. In most cases, in my opinion, you can at most speak of “probable, plausible or possible”, and hope that future archaeological/textual research provides new insights. You don’t buy much there, I know, but in historical research nothing is definitive. So I am not venturing into a fundamental position here (my reading program is precisely intended to create more clarity for myself). Of course, I believe that every textual or material source should be taken seriously and critically assessed according to valid methods, including the Bible texts. To be continued.
Disclaimer: This review is only about the Bible as a historical source, not about the theological value of the texts; these are two very different things.
This study (a collection of 14 contributions by different authors) is a publication of the Institute for Biblical Research, an initiative of American Evangelicals to take their own position in the fierce debate about the historical value of the Bible, both the Old and the New Testament. That debate has been going on for almost a century and a half, especially since the German orientalist/biblical specialist Julius Wellhausen (1844-1918) raised the alarm with hypotheses about how the Jewish Torah came into being. In his introductory article in this book, compiler Bill T. Arnold provides a very insightful outline of how this has been built upon, with varying positions from 1870 to the present. According to him, the movements can currently be reduced to three (at least in the academic world, because outside of it the field is almost insurmountable, and usually also very unfounded): 1. The minimalists, the skeptics, who dismiss the Bible stories as pure fiction. 2. The critical orthodox, who try to support the Bible stories with non-Biblical historical texts and archaeological findings, to prove their historical value. And 3. a group that adopts a more or less neutral position, that is, wants to let both sides of the spectrum speak for themselves, and therefore also attributes historical value to the Bible.
If I understand Arnold correctly, this book is in the third group, and does allow for some bandwidth: “The authors of this volume hold in common a respect for the biblical text as a legitimate source in the study of Israel’s history, but they also represent a variety of views within that general perspective. As such, this volume seeks to appreciate the value of various critical positions, even where authors may disagree with them.” And that is correct: there certainly is some variation in the positions of the authors. A number argue convincingly that certain elements in the Bible stories can go back to a historical core, and are therefore “plausible”, without those elements actually providing datable and demonstrable facts. But there are also authors who come across as much less convincing and, for example, about the united kingdom under David and Solomon claim that “on the whole, the archaeology and literary sources provide enough data for the historian to reconstruct the nature of the united monarchy with a reasonable degree of accuracy.” (Steven M. Ortiz), where I have the impression that this is not the case.
I return to my starting point, “absence of evidence doesn’t mean evidence of absence”. This is a fundamental problem with the Bible texts: in many cases we really can no longer determine whether they represent a historical reality, due to a lack of other sources. And in some cases we can convincingly show that they must be wrong. But that does not mean that they are by definition pure fiction, and that they have no historical value at all. In most cases, in my opinion, you can at most speak of “probable, plausible or possible”, and hope that future archaeological/textual research provides new insights. You don’t buy much there, I know, but in historical research nothing is definitive. So I am not venturing into a fundamental position here (my reading program is precisely intended to create more clarity for myself). Of course, I believe that every textual or material source should be taken seriously and critically assessed according to valid methods, including the Bible texts. To be continued.
Disclaimer: This review is only about the Bible as a historical source, not about the theological value of the texts; these are two very different things.
July 25, 2022
A very dense multi-author book brings to the readership an updated perspective from recent archaeological finds. The authors also challenges some of early 19th/20th century interpretations on the history of the people of Israel, which in some way tries to bring into context the circumstance surrounding the Israelite exodus, the entry into Canaan, the United Kingdom, the divided Kingdom, the judges and prophets, right up to the Maccabean revolt. Under each theme, the authors first look at the biblical evidence, then independently the archaeological evidence before critically analyzing various interpretations and viewpoints.
Whilst the book expertly tackles a number of issues, misconceptions, misinterpretations and conclusions often designed to undermine the biblical narrative, it lacks the glue that is needed in a multi-authored book. In my view, what is documented as the emergence, development, rise and challenges of the Israelite religion from extra-biblical evidence such as archaeology and literary works, whilst sparse, do not deny the existence of the Israelite people, its religion and traditions. Each of the authors present well researched archaeological findings which demonstrate that such a society existed and remained irrevocably part or the historiography of the Near East Region for over 18 centuries before the birth of Christ. Lack of definitive evidence over such a long period and vast region is not sufficient to justify a 'fictional' biblical narrative as it would certainly likewise be in dissonance with the thousands of years of Jewish traditions and the large body of extra-biblical Hebrew and Aramaic writings on stele and cuneiform which persist to this day. Moreover, the question begs itself, as to how the Israelite people managed to build and subsequently rebuild the city of Jerusalem and its temple, if it were not a prime mover in the region with the ability to read, write and master engineering. This is in sharp contrast to some recent scholars describing them as an inerrant group of semi-pastoralists writing imaginative stories to give importance to their culture. In my view, evidence from the economic and literary development of the Israelite culture points to carefully transferred writings by an order of methodological scribes educated in complex oral-literary skills admired by even atheist scholars to this day. This confirms the presence of some form of organisation and education, at a complex level, especially in an area of intense political dynamism and warring geo-politics. Finally, the pressure by Greek philosophers and the Roman empire to de-construct Judaism starting in the late fifth century BC is evidence of a persistent, albeit exclusivist, threatening religious belief, practice and ideology in need of disruption.
Whilst the book expertly tackles a number of issues, misconceptions, misinterpretations and conclusions often designed to undermine the biblical narrative, it lacks the glue that is needed in a multi-authored book. In my view, what is documented as the emergence, development, rise and challenges of the Israelite religion from extra-biblical evidence such as archaeology and literary works, whilst sparse, do not deny the existence of the Israelite people, its religion and traditions. Each of the authors present well researched archaeological findings which demonstrate that such a society existed and remained irrevocably part or the historiography of the Near East Region for over 18 centuries before the birth of Christ. Lack of definitive evidence over such a long period and vast region is not sufficient to justify a 'fictional' biblical narrative as it would certainly likewise be in dissonance with the thousands of years of Jewish traditions and the large body of extra-biblical Hebrew and Aramaic writings on stele and cuneiform which persist to this day. Moreover, the question begs itself, as to how the Israelite people managed to build and subsequently rebuild the city of Jerusalem and its temple, if it were not a prime mover in the region with the ability to read, write and master engineering. This is in sharp contrast to some recent scholars describing them as an inerrant group of semi-pastoralists writing imaginative stories to give importance to their culture. In my view, evidence from the economic and literary development of the Israelite culture points to carefully transferred writings by an order of methodological scribes educated in complex oral-literary skills admired by even atheist scholars to this day. This confirms the presence of some form of organisation and education, at a complex level, especially in an area of intense political dynamism and warring geo-politics. Finally, the pressure by Greek philosophers and the Roman empire to de-construct Judaism starting in the late fifth century BC is evidence of a persistent, albeit exclusivist, threatening religious belief, practice and ideology in need of disruption.
November 22, 2020
This book is similar in design and layout to the 1977 volume Israelite and Judaean History, edited by John Hayes and J. M. Miller, with two exceptions. First, it is forty years newer. Second, its perspective on the data is generally evangelical. It begins with the Genesis material and ends with the Hellenistic period, just prior to Rome's extension of its empire to include the territory of Judea. Each of the fourteen chapters includes a survey of the relevant biblical material and the archaeological and epigraphic data. The later chapters also include the relevant information from non-biblical historical sources, such as Josephus and Herodotus. The chapters are heavily footnoted, and present alternative views on the data to those taken by the author of the essay. The book concludes with an extensive bibliography (60 pages), and includes author, scripture, and subject indexes. This is not a continuous history of Israel, but a series of background studies, the review of which would provide the basis for a history of Israel. Though the reader will not agree with all of the positions espoused, this is a valuable resource for the advanced student and the scholar whose expertise does not lie in these areas.
July 16, 2022
This is a great book on ancient Israel's history. Each chapter is written by a different historian who is equipped to write on that particular time period. In this way the book pulls from various scholars in order to present a well-rounded historical account. The authors of this book take the biblical accounts seriously, but also take archeology and other historical writings seriously as well, using all of these sources to create a broader historical context for the world in which the Hebrew scriptures were written. A very helpful resource.
March 10, 2023
An informative guide to ancient Israelite history! Each of the fourteen chapters is focused on a specific time period from the patriarchs to the Hellenistic era. This is a great resource for learning more about the background of the Old Testament and how that story fits into the history of the ANE. Highly recommend!
July 17, 2017
Very good material on the background of history of the Bible.
November 28, 2023
Enriching history and good insights into Israel!
January 17, 2025
Great book brings out views that are not just one sided and shares historical facts allows reader to decide and make own opinion excellent read
September 25, 2015
I’m really out of depth when it comes to the Old Testament, however I am keen to grow in this area, and thus wanted to read this book to help me grow in my understanding of the Old Testament especially of it’s historical context.
This reference material therefore comes as a very helpful tool in this pursuit. To be frank, having very little exposure to the current research of the Old Testament, this book seemed at first to be an insurmountable task, this was not helped by the introduction which was slightly technical.
However, as I ploughed through the various chapters I found them to be very readable and informative. The authors reviews several scholars on the various books of the bible, bringing to the readers a summary and history of what has been discuss in the scholastic world. Each book of the bible is given an in-depth review and also contains many helpful side-notes that help illuminates various topics that are relevant to the biblical book (e.g. the ANE city of Alalakh in Genesis or the Role the Sinaitic Covenant played in Israel). What was very helpful was also the fact that each chapter aims to give a rough guide to the whole biblical book instead of just providing the background materials. So as one reads through Genesis, one will be given additional information on the various events in Genesis as it progresses along.
Although it has been very helpful, I do find that this book is meant for Old Testament scholars or seminary students. Lay persons will benefit from this, but will need to be prepared to work through the materials. For pastors who intends to do a preaching series on the Old Testament, they can consider to consult the chapter on the book they are going to preach. As it stands, the book is around 460 pages (not counting the 100 pages of references material) which can be daunting for many. But, for those who really want to grow in their understanding of the Old Testament, or are pursuing a research topic in the Old Testament, it book will be of much value too them.
Rating: 4.25 / 5
Disclaimer: I was given this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
This reference material therefore comes as a very helpful tool in this pursuit. To be frank, having very little exposure to the current research of the Old Testament, this book seemed at first to be an insurmountable task, this was not helped by the introduction which was slightly technical.
However, as I ploughed through the various chapters I found them to be very readable and informative. The authors reviews several scholars on the various books of the bible, bringing to the readers a summary and history of what has been discuss in the scholastic world. Each book of the bible is given an in-depth review and also contains many helpful side-notes that help illuminates various topics that are relevant to the biblical book (e.g. the ANE city of Alalakh in Genesis or the Role the Sinaitic Covenant played in Israel). What was very helpful was also the fact that each chapter aims to give a rough guide to the whole biblical book instead of just providing the background materials. So as one reads through Genesis, one will be given additional information on the various events in Genesis as it progresses along.
Although it has been very helpful, I do find that this book is meant for Old Testament scholars or seminary students. Lay persons will benefit from this, but will need to be prepared to work through the materials. For pastors who intends to do a preaching series on the Old Testament, they can consider to consult the chapter on the book they are going to preach. As it stands, the book is around 460 pages (not counting the 100 pages of references material) which can be daunting for many. But, for those who really want to grow in their understanding of the Old Testament, or are pursuing a research topic in the Old Testament, it book will be of much value too them.
Rating: 4.25 / 5
Disclaimer: I was given this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
January 12, 2015
I received a copy form the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I have several bookshelves filled with tomes related to this one. Why buy another? The answer becomes apparent within the first chapter. Because it's good! The book is loaded with giants in the field: my favorites being deSilva, Hoffmeier, and Lemaire. The book is technical, but easy to read. A background on the subject is helpful but not required. It had a 'Festschrift' vibe to it--but didn't feel silted. I am sure it will become a 'required text' for many seminary/university courses on the subject.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews