Israel and the Nations: The History of Israel from the Exodus to the Fall of the Second Temple

by F.F. Bruce, David F. Payne

The story of Israel is one of the outstanding tales of human history. Israel, occupying a narrow strip of land between sea and desert, was positioned on an international highway of commerce and warfare. This was a people whose future would be intertwined with the stories of nations great and small. F. F. Bruce shapes the daunting complexities of this history, nearly fourteen hundred years from the exodus to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, into straight prose that sparkles with clarity. More than half of the book is devoted to the postexilic history of Israel, the "intertestamental" period and the first-century history that forms the backdrop of the New Testament. First published in 1963, Israel and the Nations has achieved wide recognition as an excellent introduction to the history of Israel. This new edition, carefully revised by David F. Payne, includes some new material and a revised bibliography.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Israel, Christianity, Theology, Biblical Studies, Reference

270 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

Frederick Fyvie Bruce FBA was a Biblical scholar who supported the historical reliability of the New Testament. His first book, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? (1943), was voted by the American evangelical periodical Christianity Today in 2006 as one of the top 50 books "which had shaped evangelicals".

Reviews

[Gilda Felt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t see this as an introduction, as there is too much history brought up, often with no deeper explanation, and with information left out that one would need in order to understand what is being said. Names are dropped in, with no previous introduction, and then never heard from again. When Rome’s participation in the Middle East can be summed up in ten pages, you know you’re in trouble. You can’t possibly get a very nuanced telling of that history in so short a time.

But at least Rome’s participation, as well as that of Greece, is followed up with actual contemporary accounts. Too often, biblical accounts are taken as fact. That’s not at all what I was looking for. What I was looking for, what I’m still looking for, is a history of the area where facts have as much weight as fiction. Where the archaeological data is part of the story. And where, while this is a history of Israel, they’re not always automatically right, and everyone else automatically wrong.

[Ben Franklin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous read and should be in any person’s historical library, but especially students of the Bible. Short, very accessible, but packed with information. This is a book I will refer back to again and again.

[Rodney Harvill · Rating 5 out of 5]

As noted by the scholar who prepared the revised edition of this classic history book by the late F.F. Bruce, many scholars of biblical history and archaeology are skeptical of the history recorded in the Bible on account of the theological agenda of the biblical writers. F.F. Bruce did not hold this view, and I completely agree with him. Every writer of history from the beginning of time has had an agenda of one sort or another that affects his choice of facts to record and how he presents them. The agenda of a historian is not by itself sufficient grounds for an a priori assumption that his history is unreliable. That said, a history that is adequate for a historian’s agenda may be incomplete or even cause a reader failing to understand this point to get a wrong impression. For example, in the English language, a person described as philistine is being characterized as ignorant or uncultured. This is a result of the negative portrayal of the Philistines in the Bible. Yet, archaeology has demonstrated that the Philistines were more advanced and more cultured than their Israelite neighbors. How can this be? Is the Bible wrong about them? The Bible condemns the Philistines for their pagan morality and their enmity with Israel, the people of God, and, by extension, their enmity with God. Our extrapolation of this condemnation to include cultural sophistication is a commentary on our reading comprehension, or lack thereof, not on the historical accuracy of the Bible.

Because this history book covers the time period from the exodus to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., it provides a wealth of supplementary historical material up to the intertestamental period as well as intertestamental history not available at all in the Bible. When the Bible describes acts of war by other nations against Israel, it is often characterized as an act of divine judgment. Yet, the leaders of these other nations do not see themselves as God’s agents; rather, they had their own agenda and tended to give little to no thought to the God of such a minor nation. One of the few examples of the Bible addressing this was Sennacherib’s siege of Jerusalem when Hezekiah was king of Judah. Why? To draw attention to Sennacherib’s failure to perceive God’s hand in events and to emphasize God’s sovereignty over Sennacherib’s actions. One of my favorite aspects of Dr. Bruce’s supplemental history is his discussions about the motivations behind actions taken by non-Israelites. For example, the Bible describes how God, on account of Solomon’s idolatrous practices, raised up adversaries for him who were under the protection of the Pharaoh. Why would the Pharaoh protect them from Solomon? As Egypt was recovering from a period of weakness, the Pharaoh was looking for opportunities to expand his sphere of influence and to control trade routes along the east coast of the Mediterranean. At the time, these trade routes were under the control of Israel and other nations north of it. The Pharaoh protected these individuals so that they could re-enter their own nations at an opportune time and cause instability that would give Egypt an opportunity to flex its muscles in the region. He almost sounds like a modern ruler; nothing has changed.

So, if you want a better understanding of biblical history, I highly recommend this book. Dr. Bruce was an outstanding scholar who had a knack for wording things such that non-scholars could understand him.

[Chrisanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sharp, sparse, and clear prose.

Honestly? I wanted to know more about Hanukkah and where it fell into the history. I was not disappointed. I also enjoyed how he tried to give you an idea of what the other near nations were doing at this period of time.

I'm sure more has been discovered since. Would love an updated copy.

[Daniel Calle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tuve que leer este libro para el curso de Antiguo Testamento II con el Dr. Jim Hamilton en el Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Copio un extracto de la reseña que hice:

F. F. Bruce, licenciado en Filosofía y Letras de la Universidad de Cambridge, doctor en Teología de la Universidad de Aberdeen y Titular de la Cátedra John Rylands de Exégesis y Crítica Bíblica de la Universidad de Manchester, pone de manifiesto su erudición, su diligencia en la investigación y su entrenamiento en humanidades, en su libro Israel y las Naciones. Su objetivo es presentar lo que él llama “una narrativa política” (14) de la historia de Israel desde su salida de la esclavitud en Egipto hasta la destrucción del segundo templo en el año 70 d. C. Para ello, utiliza el Antiguo Testamento hebreo como fuente primaria (aunque no tratándolo como Escritura Sagrada, sino como un documento de gran valor y precisión histórica), junto a otras fuentes seculares de información como documentos, inscripciones y monumentos arqueológicos.

Según Bruce, la historia de la nación de Israel es importante por ser el pueblo de Dios. Su religión ha influido considerablemente sobre todo el mundo occidental. El Dios de los hebreos sigue siendo adorado hoy día por millones de personas en todo el mundo. En ese sentido, esta narración particular se enfoca en la forma cómo Dios en su providencia ha tratado con Israel en la historia humana, mostrando el desarrollo histórico de la nación, en interacción con las naciones a su alrededor. Según Bruce, los mismos judíos refiriéndose a su Dios dicen: “No ha hecho así con ninguna otra de las naciones” (13). El libro de Bruce ayuda, entonces, al entendimiento del contexto histórico de la Biblia, mostrándonos la precisión histórica de sus narraciones.

Definitivamente, Israel y las Naciones es un libro serio, bien documentado y útil para el estudio de las Escrituras. No por nada, se le conoció al Dr. Bruce como el “Decano de los Académicos Evangélicos”. A pesar de un enfoque humanista de la historia de Israel, los datos que contiene son invaluables, especialmente la información del período entre los dos testamentos. Asimismo, es valiosa su interpretación de la historia judía como algo que su Dios hizo. El Dr. Bruce cumple su propósito de mostrar por qué el Dios de la Biblia es adorado por millones en nuestros días. No cabe duda al ver el testimonio de Israel que Yahvé es el único Dios verdadero.

Aunque el análisis y descripción de ciertos eventos y personajes se hace teniendo en cuenta mayormente aspectos políticos, económicos y sociales, obviando las razones teológicas y bíblicas, esto no desmerece la obra en su conjunto. La providencia de Dios en la historia de Israel y el enfoque cristiano son claros; y aunque la historia se presenta de forma muy humana, no es entendida de manera puramente secular, sino guiada por Dios. Es un libro recomendado para cualquier estudiante serio de las Escrituras que necesita entender el contexto histórico y político del mundo antiguo para interpretar correctamente la Palabra de Dios.

[Jamey · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a person who is very familiar with the Biblical Old Testament, this was a fascinating read. The first half of it was a little bland, simply because it recounted what is covered in great detail in the Biblical narrative. The second half was full of what happened during the intertestamental period- a time period that I knew nothing about. The stories of Judas Maccabaeus, Herod and his wives and sons, and the last Jewish rebellion before the second fall of the temple are all there, as well as years of history recounted. I would recommend this textbook to anyone who is curious about the history of the Jews. I certainly enjoyed it.

[Justin Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 - What impressed me the most about this remarkable work of Jewish history is that Mr Bruce didn’t spend too much time belaboring excess information of one period or era more than another. And yet, he was still thorough, still detailed enough to uncover the ins and outs of the epochs, events, and empires while retaining my attention. Everything had a wonderful flow to it, despite having to include countless people, places, titles, years, etc. He was indeed a very talented storyteller. I’m going to read more of his stuff.

I highly recommend this book.

[Jim Chambers · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting enough book covering the period from the Exodus to the destruction of the Jewish Temple in AD 70. Very dry in places and therefore difficult to read but none the less worthwhile I thought.

[Jennifer V · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really educational. If you're not a scholar, it might be a little tough to get through (I am not a scholar and it took me a good bit of time to read it!). However, it is still a great read to help understand Israel in the Old Testament and even into the New Testament.

[Ariel Villca Ticona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Viendo la escatologia de daniel, con la historia en los 400 años de cilencio.

[Walmert Letona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un buen libro para tener un cuadro panorámico de la historia de Israel y los acontecimientos de otras naciones que jugaron un papel importante en la historia del pueblo de Dios. En especial aquellos acontecimientos en el periodo intertestamental.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty standard textbook. The first few chapters are horrendous. Bruce seems as this point to have been willing to reject the Bible's interpretation of events and impose his own ideas (e.g. his condemnation of Jehu, or the real depravity of Jerusalem.) After we have left the Biblical account, the book becomes decent. Despite all the politics, Bruce's narrative finally got exciting when the Roman Empire kicked in. If you can wade through some slush at the beginning, a very educational experience.

[Matias · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un buen libro si uno está buscando un poco más de información extrabíblica. Aunque aporta más luces al relato, en cuanto al desarrollo de algunos acontecimientos además de algunas fuentes arqueológicas; también se extraña aquella perspectiva profética que caracteriza los acontecimientos del relato bíblico. Con todo, es un muy buen libro.

[Kyle Alt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book helped me make sense of a lot of Old Testament history and the cultures surrounding the biblical narrative. There are a few places where you'll get bogged down in the details of names and locations, but most of the book is very readable. It helps if you have a map of Israel handy while reading.

[Hans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without a doubt the best book I've read on ancient Israel. While its a history, its written almost like a narrative and is very thorough and interesting. Helped me understand and place the Old Testament + apocrypha in my head.

Highly, highly recommend to those interested in ancient Israel, history of the Old Testament, or wanting to better understand the OT prophets in general.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great reference and readable history. Compared to others I'm reading currently on the same subject, this book is compact and tightly woven, fast-paced, full of dates and times. Bro Steve says this was one of his texts while in seminary.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awsome book on all the OT, especially what was going on betwee n the Testaments. It an exciting yet comprehensive commentary on what was going on during the times of ancient Isreal.

[Winnie Thornton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty basic. Good for people who thought the Old Testament was in chronological order.

[Lindsay Olesberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Puts the history of Israel in its geopolitical context.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first part, on biblical history, was quite bad. The second part, on post-Old Testament Israel, was quite good.