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The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament: Volume 2
Following from the popular Volume 1, The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament: Volume 2, takes up the challenge of providing a clear and useful guide to those wanting a better understanding of the Old Testament, including its cultural and historical background, as well as discussions on contentious topics like violence and genocide, and whether the Exodus was a real historical event. Volume 2 also covers the narrative of the Old Testament from the conquest to the divided monarchy, and a brief history of Egypt to help situate the biblical text within agreed historical events.
This book provides:
clear and straightforward explanations to complex topics
direct engagement with hot-button Old Testament issues
specific arguments to help you in a debate or discussion
Whether you are looking to debate problematic Old Testament issues on social media or have a relaxed, meaningful discussion with a family member over coffee, The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament is an indispensable resource for you.
Praise for "The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament, Volume Two":
The chapters detailing the conquest of Canaan and the Exodus from Egypt accurately summarize the current state of our knowledge and beliefs, and are written in an accessible and understandable way, making them an excellent resource for people who are interested in learning more about how the biblical narrative relates to our knowledge of ancient history. I would not hesitate to assign both chapters to my own students.
Dr. Eric H. Cline, Professor of Classics, History, and Anthropology and Director, GWU Capitol Archaeological Institute, The George Washington University
Joshua Bowen’s The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament Volume Two will appeal to atheists and those of faith alike for its insightful examination of Scripture’s most problematic passages. Bowen’s approach to the topic is refreshing, for he encourages a respectful debate between atheists and believers over the historicity of the biblical narratives. In this book, Bowen presents an authoritative critique of Scripture’s historical and ethical claims based on the best and most recent scholarship, with a particular focus on textual and archaeological discoveries. He convincingly shows why a civil society cannot base its ethics on the ancient biblical texts.
Kenneth Atkinson, Professor of History, University of Northern Iowa
Dr. Bowen deftly distills Old Testament studies into a format accessible to those of us without a doctorate in the field. His book both tells and dismantles biblical stories, provides critical background and context, and helps us to enter discussions better informed and more prepared. It's essential reading.
Seth Andrews, Host of The Thinking Atheist podcast, author of "Confessions of a Former Fox News Christian", and "Christianity Made Me Talk Like an Idiot".
This book provides:
clear and straightforward explanations to complex topics
direct engagement with hot-button Old Testament issues
specific arguments to help you in a debate or discussion
Whether you are looking to debate problematic Old Testament issues on social media or have a relaxed, meaningful discussion with a family member over coffee, The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament is an indispensable resource for you.
Praise for "The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament, Volume Two":
The chapters detailing the conquest of Canaan and the Exodus from Egypt accurately summarize the current state of our knowledge and beliefs, and are written in an accessible and understandable way, making them an excellent resource for people who are interested in learning more about how the biblical narrative relates to our knowledge of ancient history. I would not hesitate to assign both chapters to my own students.
Dr. Eric H. Cline, Professor of Classics, History, and Anthropology and Director, GWU Capitol Archaeological Institute, The George Washington University
Joshua Bowen’s The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament Volume Two will appeal to atheists and those of faith alike for its insightful examination of Scripture’s most problematic passages. Bowen’s approach to the topic is refreshing, for he encourages a respectful debate between atheists and believers over the historicity of the biblical narratives. In this book, Bowen presents an authoritative critique of Scripture’s historical and ethical claims based on the best and most recent scholarship, with a particular focus on textual and archaeological discoveries. He convincingly shows why a civil society cannot base its ethics on the ancient biblical texts.
Kenneth Atkinson, Professor of History, University of Northern Iowa
Dr. Bowen deftly distills Old Testament studies into a format accessible to those of us without a doctorate in the field. His book both tells and dismantles biblical stories, provides critical background and context, and helps us to enter discussions better informed and more prepared. It's essential reading.
Seth Andrews, Host of The Thinking Atheist podcast, author of "Confessions of a Former Fox News Christian", and "Christianity Made Me Talk Like an Idiot".
458 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2022
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235 people want to read
About the author
Joshua Bowen
9 books56 followersDr. Joshua Aaron Bowen graduated from the Johns Hopkins University in 2017, with a Ph.D. in Assyriology. He wrote his dissertation on the lamentational liturgies of the city of Kiš, and specializes in the Sumerian language. Joshua was awarded the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (D.A.A.D.) and Fulbright scholarship during the 2014-2015 academic year, allowing him to spend the year in Tubingen, Germany, working with Dr. Konrad Volk on his dissertation project.
As well as his Ph.D., Josh holds a B.S. in Religion from Liberty University, a Th.M. in the Old Testament from Capital Bible Seminary, and a M.A. in Near Eastern Studies from the Johns Hopkins University. Prior to entering academia, Joshua was a chaplain in the U.S. Airforce where he also gained an A.A. in Avionics.
As well as his Ph.D., Josh holds a B.S. in Religion from Liberty University, a Th.M. in the Old Testament from Capital Bible Seminary, and a M.A. in Near Eastern Studies from the Johns Hopkins University. Prior to entering academia, Joshua was a chaplain in the U.S. Airforce where he also gained an A.A. in Avionics.
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October 18, 2024
A Misleading Handbook to the OT, Vol. 2 (-reviewing and debunking atheist [etc] mythology)
Continuing from volume 1 (see my 1-star review), Joshua Bowen presents more misleading atheist (etc) mythology in this volume 2. Again, as with his previous books, the print and dimensions, and sentence spacing are oversized, which means the oversized book would be much smaller with a corrected sizing (at least half the size it is, maybe one-third size). Unfortunately, he still uses an immature sarcasm at times – “.. he determined that the city was destroyed around 1400 B.C.E. (go figure)” (page 93) and, “.. we will ‘dedicate’ ourselves (I’m so funny) to investigating ..” (page 216).
And, he writes on page 19, “.. two spies reach Jericho and enter the home of a prostitute named Rahab (what were they doing there we wonder? Probably not asking for directions, if you catch my drift ..” (cf. pages 83, 249). Unfortunately, he only uses that innuendo for his charge there and no text support. But, “.. Rahab was in charge of what was likely the fortress’s tavern or hostel … Traveling caravans and royal messengers would commonly stay overnight at such places during this period. The Code of Hammurabi parallels what we see in Joshua 2, complete with a female inn keeper: ‘If conspirators meet in the house of a [female] tavern-keeper, and these conspirators are not captured and delivered to the court, the tavern-keeper shall be put to death’ [§109] … What about the idea of a sexual liaison? The book of Joshua goes out of its way to state that no such activity took place. The text says the spies ‘stayed there’ not that they ‘stayed with her’ (2:1 NIV). And it says they ‘came into the house of .. Rahab’ (2:1) not that they ‘went in to Rahab,’ which would imply a sexual relationship. Consider Samson, by contrast, who ‘saw a harlot .. and went in to her’ (Judg. 16:1)” ( - Is God A Moral Monster?, 2011, page 177; by Paul Copan, Ph.D.).
On page 11, Bowen misquotes Genesis 2: “.. God created another set of animals in Genesis 2 that are referred to as ‘all the animals’.” The phrase “all the animals” does not appear in Gen. 2. Even his own translation and description in Volume 1 does not use the phrase “all the animals,” pages 173, 176-7. If you wish to read it in a literal way, Gen. 2:19, 20 refers to every beast and bird “God had formed” (ESV) (as in had already formed), which sounds like a recounting or reference back to the Gen. 1 general creation (1:20, 24-5), and they were brought to the man to name in the garden. It does not appear to be saying every animal was generated in the garden. This is also contra page 10 where Bowen has “Animals were created in Genesis 1 before humans, but after humans in Genesis 2” (cf. Vol. 1, page 176) – but, chapter 2 doesn’t say they were created in the garden, it simply recounts the earlier creation and that they were brought to the man in the garden. Similarly, he has a misleading graph on page 174 of Volume 1 listing the term “vegetation” for Gen. 1 and 2, making it sound like the same thing. But, only certain types of plants were generated in the garden/for the garden in 2:8, while 1:11 has more types of plants in the general creation.
He writes on page 34 about 1 Samuel 15:3: “The command is to annihilate everyone … There is no question that the divine command to annihilate the Amalekites was not an exaggeration ..” But, this is strange for Bowen to declare; he also agrees there is use of bravado in war texts – “.. there is clearly hyperbolic language in the Hebrew Bible – as throughout most of ancient Near Eastern literature … This could explain why, in certain passages, X group is said to be ‘completely wiped out,’ but the same group shows up again later in the text … there is little doubt that rhetoric and hyperbole are employed in the Old Testament conquest narratives ..” (pages 243-5, 248). Bravado is also the case with 1 Samuel 15:3 (Bowen misses it): “.. the Amalekites reappear in statements made by the same narrator (1 Samuel 27:8; 30:1-2, 18; 2 Sam 1:1) and elsewhere (1 Chron 4:41-43; .. Esther 3:1; 8:3; 9:24) .. The continued existence of the Amalekites strongly indicates that 1 Samuel 15 uses hyperbole ..” ( - Bloody, Brutal, and Barbaric?, 2019, page 212; co-author: Gordon Oeste, Ph.D.)
On page 23, Bowen says God caused the sun to “stand still in the sky for an entire day (Joshua 10:12-14).” But, there is likely a translation issue, and it appears it is asking for a brief lapse to interfere with Amorite astro-superstition – in order to dishearten their attack: “The passage explicitly notes that the sun is over Gibeon and the moon over the Valley of Aijalon. Since Gibeon is east and Aijalon is west we must conclude that Joshua prays in the morning … the orb of the sun is fully visible above the eastern horizon line and the orb of the [full] moon is fully visible above the western horizon line for about four minutes. When we explore ancient celestial omen texts, we find that this is one of the most important times of the month for getting an important omen … Opposition on the wrong day was believed to be an omen of all sorts of disaster .. on the day of Joshua’s battle, he requests that the sun and moon would not give an omen that the Amorites would have hoped for … When the moon and/or sun do not wait, the moon sinks over the horizon before the sun rises and no opposition occurs. When the moon and sun wait or stand, it indicates that the opposition does occur .. they [Amorites] would have been hoping that opposition would not occur … The terminology suggests he [Joshua] requested that the sun and moon wait or stand, in opposition … the sun and moon do not act as they would on a ‘full-length’ day … when opposition occurred, it indicated that the month did not contain ‘full-length’ days” ( - NKJV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, 2017, pages 396-7 with Faith, Tradition and History, 1994, pages 188-9; A.R. Millard, co-editor; John Walton, Ph.D., contributor). “I translate the prayer of Joshua in Josh 10:12-13 as follows: O sun, wait over Gibeon and moon over the valley of Aijalon. So the sun waited and the moon stood, before the nation took vengeance on its enemies .. ‘The sun stood in the midst of the sky and did not hurry to set as on a [favorable] day of full length’ ..” ( -ibid., 1994, pages 186-7).
On page 93, Bowen points to Kenyon’s excavation of Jericho in the 1950’s attempting to show it does not match the Biblical description. Jericho is part of the conquest of Canaan in the Bible (Joshua 6), c. 1400 BC. He writes, “She concluded that .. the walls of the city had not collapsed in 1400 … ‘Jericho had not been inhabited in 1400 BCE’ ..” Yet, he does not point out her flawed methods; for example, she dated Jericho based on pottery that was not there, instead of the pottery that was there.
Actually, Kenyon’s work was finally published decades later and re-evaluated. The New York Times summarizes: “After years of doubt among archeologists, a new analysis of excavations has yielded a wide range of evidence supporting the biblical account about the fall of Jericho ... A study of ceramic remnants, royal scarabs, carbon-14 dating, seismic activity in the region and even some ruins of tumbled walls produced what is being called impressive evidence that the fortified city was destroyed in the Late Bronze Age, about 1400 B.C. The prevailing view among scholars has been that the city was destroyed some 150 years earlier [1550 BC] and thus did not exist at the time of the Israelite invasion .. 1400 B.C.” ( - NY Times, Feb 22, 1990, Section A, page 8). For greater detail, see Biblical Archaeology Review, March 1990, pages 44-58; article by Bryant Wood, Ph.D. – “The pottery, stratigraphic considerations, scarab data and a Carbon-14 date all point to a destruction of the city around the end of Late Bronze I, about 1400 B.C.” (page 57).
On page 236, Bowen also focuses on Canaanite child sacrifices in his book for an example of the Bible not matching discoveries. The Bible has the practice of child sacrifice by Canaanites as a reason for Israel’s conquest of Canaan in Lev. 18:3, 21, 24; 20:2, 23-4; Deut. 9:4; the conquest is considered by some (and me) to have occurred in the 2nd millennium BC, around 1400 BC. He writes, “as we saw in chapter three of Volume 1, the claims of widespread child sacrifice cannot be substantiated by the evidence outside of the biblical texts.” And, in Volume 1 he writes in part, “.. the primary evidence for the practice of child sacrifice among the Canaanites – the Punic material – comes from the 1st millennium B.C.E., from the 7th through the 1st c. B.C.E. … there is insufficient extra-biblical evidence to support the biblical claim of grossly immoral population groups that practiced child sacrifice in Canaan during the 2nd millennium B.C.E. … the archaeological evidence that we have for child sacrifice does not come from the 2nd millennium, but from the middle and latter portions of the 1st millennium B.C.E. The evidence itself also does not come from the land of Canaan, but from Carthage and Punic colonies. Thus, we have no solid evidence of child sacrifice in Canaan proper ..” (pages 135, 137).
Actually, evidence of child sacrifice was found at Jericho (which is inside Canaan) as noted by excavator Kenyon, contrary to Bowen (etc); not sure what date is assigned to it, but it is pre-conquest and pre-1st millennium BC. She writes: “.. the earlier people had one thing in common with the later one. They also had a cult of skulls, … the skulls are found arranged in groups, in one case closely packed in a circle, all looking inwards … there is an unpleasant suggestion of infant sacrifices, for beneath a curious bath-like structure of mud-plaster there is, besides one complete infant burial, a collection of infant skulls with the neck vertebrae attached, showing that the heads were cut off and not merely collected from burials” ( - Digging Up Jericho, 1957, page 72; by Kathleen Kenyon).
And, evidence of child sacrifice was found at Gezer in Canaan at a Canaanite High Place by Macalister/Dever, but it was strangely later redated to not match with the Bible time (this may be another date correction waiting to happen, as with Jericho). It still dates to the 2nd millennium contrary to Bowen. And, it was (mis?)reinterpreted to be a sacrificial celebration instead of a religious sacrifice (still sounds like it would fit into what the Israelites were upset about) - “.. Macalister [excavated 1902-9] also discovered several burial jars containing the bones of infants. Macalister estimated the infants were less than one week old. Some of the infants’ bodies had been burned … The Gezer High Place probably celebrates and commemorates a covenant or contract … a covenant of tribes or towns” ( - Biblical Archaeology Review, January 2015, pages 64-5). Further, “Macalister .. interpreting the stelae as typical Canaanite asheroth and construing burial jars in the vicinity (now known to be earlier) as evidence for child sacrifice … renewed investigation of the high place in 1968 (field V) demonstrated that it was constructed in the Middle Bronze Age IIC [c. 1650-1500 BC] ..” ( - The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land, 1993, Vol. 2, pages 496-7, 501; article by William Dever, Ph.D.). Archaeologist Joel Kramer, notes: “.. in his excavation report, Macalister found a pit which he described being filled with a great number of bones of human beings in a confused heap. Nearby, was the skeleton of a young girl who had evidently been sawn asunder .. And along with this, found the skulls of two other girls who had been decapitated, and this could be determined by the cut marks through the vertebrae … The many idols found in the area provided evidence that this was a cultic site. Among the many idols found was a bronze serpent representing Molech, the king of the Amorite gods … the secular agenda, which basically teaches that man by nature is basically good, couldn’t have a bunch of Canaanites running around sacrificing children. And, so, the later interpretations were these alliances [covenants] and were these other explanations [instead] of what this evidence actually was ..” ( - from Joel Kramer’s You Tube; episode title: Excavated Canaanite High Place – “the sin of the Amorites”).
Bowen writes, “.. stories like the Exodus from Egypt .. are not supported by the archaeological and historical evidence at our disposal” (page 406), and he quotes Grabbe that “There is nothing in Egyptian texts that could be related to the story in the book of Exodus” (page 170; cf. 197, 204). Yet, there are good reasons why Egyptian texts do not specifically name the Exodus: “.. the most popular reason for rejecting the veracity of the exodus events, namely that nowhere in Egypt’s vast records is it documented. However, this dearth can be explained by the lack of Egyptian censuses and the tendency to write comparatively little about foreigners, especially slaves … the proud Egyptians should not be expected to have documented their own humiliating defeat, which would smear their records and tarnish the glorious legacy ..” ( - Origins of the Hebrews, 2021, page 185; by Douglas Petrovich, Ph.D.)
But, strikingly, corroborative matches have been found. Here, the main Egyptian city where the Israelites started was found: “[Genesis] 47:5a and 47:27 identify the place Jacob and his sons settled as ‘the region of Goshen,’ whereas 47:11 calls it ‘the region of Ramesses’ .. centuries before the city of Pi Ramesse was built … this statement is clearly recognized by scholars as an anachronism. A later biblical redactor [or copyist/scribe] has amended .. the text to locate that part of the Egyptian delta .. in terms of the geography or toponymy of his own day. He did so because the people living in his time would have known the location of Ramesses but probably not its older name of Goshen. So the redactor helps out his readers … Archaeologists have found no evidence for a large population of ‘Asiatics’ (Semitic-speaking people from the ancient Middle East) [includes Israelites] living in the .. city of Pi Ramesse – but beneath the expansive southern quarter of that Ramesside foundation lies a much older city which was almost entirely populated by Asiatics originating from Canaan .. named Avaris [in Egyptian] .. the name ‘Ramesses’ was synonymous with the city ..” ( - Exodus: Myth or History?, 2015, pages 20-2; by David Rohl, Egyptologist).
“.. the building of the city of Ramesses mentioned in Exodus 1:11. The Hebrews are making bricks to build this city of Ramesses … Most scholars will say if you look at the city of Ramesses, there are no Asiatics [Hebrews] there. There are no Semites … But dig down a little bit deeper and you do find a city full of Asiatics … this particular mention of the city of Ramesses – the building of Ramesses – is what we call an anachronism. It’s something that’s been added into the text later .. what the editor [copyist/scribe] is basically saying is, ‘This is the place where the Israelites built the store city, and we know it today as Ramesses’ … the Bible’s use of the word Ramesses might not be connected to a specific date but only to a place … The people of the Bible would’ve known where Ramesses was and where therefore their ancestors actually built the city. In the ancient times it was called Avaris [the Egyptian name] ..” ( - Patterns of Evidence: Exodus, 2015, pages 85, 117; by Tim Mahoney; interviewing: James Hoffmeier, Ph.D. and David Rohl, Egyptologist). “.. Hoffmeier also sees evidence of Semitic slavery in Egypt. ‘We have the depiction in the tomb of Rekhmire. And there we can see POWs, Semites from both Canaan and Syria, working alongside prisoners of war from Nubia .. they are making bricks, overseen by Egyptian taskmasters with sticks. Exodus 1:14 says they actually worked in brick and mortar and agriculture. We have agricultural scenes, especially work in vineyards, where the workers again are Semites, Nubians … So interestingly, the very two areas the Bible says the Israelites were forced to work in, agriculture and construction work, are the very two places we see this sort of work going on in private tombs in Egypt in the 15th century BC’ … what happened at Avaris? .. We’ve got a situation of prosperity followed by a lack of prosperity and a shortage of life. We begin to see in the graves of these people Harris Lines in the bones, which indicate shortage of food and nutrients. These people suddenly have become impoverished, and they are dying at an [earlier] age .. What would explain this dramatic change? .. The obvious answer is slavery” ( - Patterns of Evidence: Exodus, 2015, pages 155-6; by Tim Mahoney; interviewing: James Hoffmeier, Ph.D. and David Rohl, Egyptologist).
“Commonly called the Brooklyn Papyrus, it’s a middle Kingdom Egyptian papyrus with a list of slave names … 70 percent of them are Semitic names. And some of these names actually occur in the Bible: Menahem; Issachar and Asher, the names of two of the tribes of Israel; Shiphrah, one of the Hebrew midwives in the Exodus story … This is real evidence for the time when the Israelites were in Egypt as slaves … There are ninety-five servants listed in the document .. The implication of this large number of Asiatic domestic slaves found on a Theban estate in Upper (i.e., southern) Egypt during the reign of Sobekhotep III [c. 1740 BC] (when the papyrus was written) is quite obvious. The Semitic population had indeed spread throughout the land – just as the Bible states [Exo. 1:9] ..” ( - Patterns of Evidence: Exodus, 2015, pages 161-3; by Tim Mahoney; interviewing: David Rohl, Egyptologist with Exodus: Myth or History?, 2015, page 135; by David Rohl).
It appears the name Moses has been found on an early rock inscription from Egypt – on the Sinai Peninsula, at a turquois mine, near the time of the Exodus. The rock is named Sinai 361, written by a polytheistic Hebrew. The ancient writer gives credit to “the Lady,” referring to the area deity (Hathor/Ba’alath): “Stunning extra-biblical affirmation of these societally-devastating events is found within the text of Sinai 361 from Serabit el-Khadim [at a turquois mine] .., which biblical chronology dates to 1446 BC, although there is no date inscribed on the stone. The inscription concludes with these words, ‘.. Our bound servitude had lingered. Moses then provoked astonishment. It is a year of astonishment because of the Lady’ ” ( - Origins of the Hebrews, 2021, page 209, 266; by Douglas Petrovich, Ph.D. - Syro-Palestinian Archaeology/Egyptian Language, Professor of Biblical History and Exegesis, Brookes Bible College, Missouri).
Shortened review due to space limit.
Continuing from volume 1 (see my 1-star review), Joshua Bowen presents more misleading atheist (etc) mythology in this volume 2. Again, as with his previous books, the print and dimensions, and sentence spacing are oversized, which means the oversized book would be much smaller with a corrected sizing (at least half the size it is, maybe one-third size). Unfortunately, he still uses an immature sarcasm at times – “.. he determined that the city was destroyed around 1400 B.C.E. (go figure)” (page 93) and, “.. we will ‘dedicate’ ourselves (I’m so funny) to investigating ..” (page 216).
And, he writes on page 19, “.. two spies reach Jericho and enter the home of a prostitute named Rahab (what were they doing there we wonder? Probably not asking for directions, if you catch my drift ..” (cf. pages 83, 249). Unfortunately, he only uses that innuendo for his charge there and no text support. But, “.. Rahab was in charge of what was likely the fortress’s tavern or hostel … Traveling caravans and royal messengers would commonly stay overnight at such places during this period. The Code of Hammurabi parallels what we see in Joshua 2, complete with a female inn keeper: ‘If conspirators meet in the house of a [female] tavern-keeper, and these conspirators are not captured and delivered to the court, the tavern-keeper shall be put to death’ [§109] … What about the idea of a sexual liaison? The book of Joshua goes out of its way to state that no such activity took place. The text says the spies ‘stayed there’ not that they ‘stayed with her’ (2:1 NIV). And it says they ‘came into the house of .. Rahab’ (2:1) not that they ‘went in to Rahab,’ which would imply a sexual relationship. Consider Samson, by contrast, who ‘saw a harlot .. and went in to her’ (Judg. 16:1)” ( - Is God A Moral Monster?, 2011, page 177; by Paul Copan, Ph.D.).
On page 11, Bowen misquotes Genesis 2: “.. God created another set of animals in Genesis 2 that are referred to as ‘all the animals’.” The phrase “all the animals” does not appear in Gen. 2. Even his own translation and description in Volume 1 does not use the phrase “all the animals,” pages 173, 176-7. If you wish to read it in a literal way, Gen. 2:19, 20 refers to every beast and bird “God had formed” (ESV) (as in had already formed), which sounds like a recounting or reference back to the Gen. 1 general creation (1:20, 24-5), and they were brought to the man to name in the garden. It does not appear to be saying every animal was generated in the garden. This is also contra page 10 where Bowen has “Animals were created in Genesis 1 before humans, but after humans in Genesis 2” (cf. Vol. 1, page 176) – but, chapter 2 doesn’t say they were created in the garden, it simply recounts the earlier creation and that they were brought to the man in the garden. Similarly, he has a misleading graph on page 174 of Volume 1 listing the term “vegetation” for Gen. 1 and 2, making it sound like the same thing. But, only certain types of plants were generated in the garden/for the garden in 2:8, while 1:11 has more types of plants in the general creation.
He writes on page 34 about 1 Samuel 15:3: “The command is to annihilate everyone … There is no question that the divine command to annihilate the Amalekites was not an exaggeration ..” But, this is strange for Bowen to declare; he also agrees there is use of bravado in war texts – “.. there is clearly hyperbolic language in the Hebrew Bible – as throughout most of ancient Near Eastern literature … This could explain why, in certain passages, X group is said to be ‘completely wiped out,’ but the same group shows up again later in the text … there is little doubt that rhetoric and hyperbole are employed in the Old Testament conquest narratives ..” (pages 243-5, 248). Bravado is also the case with 1 Samuel 15:3 (Bowen misses it): “.. the Amalekites reappear in statements made by the same narrator (1 Samuel 27:8; 30:1-2, 18; 2 Sam 1:1) and elsewhere (1 Chron 4:41-43; .. Esther 3:1; 8:3; 9:24) .. The continued existence of the Amalekites strongly indicates that 1 Samuel 15 uses hyperbole ..” ( - Bloody, Brutal, and Barbaric?, 2019, page 212; co-author: Gordon Oeste, Ph.D.)
On page 23, Bowen says God caused the sun to “stand still in the sky for an entire day (Joshua 10:12-14).” But, there is likely a translation issue, and it appears it is asking for a brief lapse to interfere with Amorite astro-superstition – in order to dishearten their attack: “The passage explicitly notes that the sun is over Gibeon and the moon over the Valley of Aijalon. Since Gibeon is east and Aijalon is west we must conclude that Joshua prays in the morning … the orb of the sun is fully visible above the eastern horizon line and the orb of the [full] moon is fully visible above the western horizon line for about four minutes. When we explore ancient celestial omen texts, we find that this is one of the most important times of the month for getting an important omen … Opposition on the wrong day was believed to be an omen of all sorts of disaster .. on the day of Joshua’s battle, he requests that the sun and moon would not give an omen that the Amorites would have hoped for … When the moon and/or sun do not wait, the moon sinks over the horizon before the sun rises and no opposition occurs. When the moon and sun wait or stand, it indicates that the opposition does occur .. they [Amorites] would have been hoping that opposition would not occur … The terminology suggests he [Joshua] requested that the sun and moon wait or stand, in opposition … the sun and moon do not act as they would on a ‘full-length’ day … when opposition occurred, it indicated that the month did not contain ‘full-length’ days” ( - NKJV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, 2017, pages 396-7 with Faith, Tradition and History, 1994, pages 188-9; A.R. Millard, co-editor; John Walton, Ph.D., contributor). “I translate the prayer of Joshua in Josh 10:12-13 as follows: O sun, wait over Gibeon and moon over the valley of Aijalon. So the sun waited and the moon stood, before the nation took vengeance on its enemies .. ‘The sun stood in the midst of the sky and did not hurry to set as on a [favorable] day of full length’ ..” ( -ibid., 1994, pages 186-7).
On page 93, Bowen points to Kenyon’s excavation of Jericho in the 1950’s attempting to show it does not match the Biblical description. Jericho is part of the conquest of Canaan in the Bible (Joshua 6), c. 1400 BC. He writes, “She concluded that .. the walls of the city had not collapsed in 1400 … ‘Jericho had not been inhabited in 1400 BCE’ ..” Yet, he does not point out her flawed methods; for example, she dated Jericho based on pottery that was not there, instead of the pottery that was there.
Actually, Kenyon’s work was finally published decades later and re-evaluated. The New York Times summarizes: “After years of doubt among archeologists, a new analysis of excavations has yielded a wide range of evidence supporting the biblical account about the fall of Jericho ... A study of ceramic remnants, royal scarabs, carbon-14 dating, seismic activity in the region and even some ruins of tumbled walls produced what is being called impressive evidence that the fortified city was destroyed in the Late Bronze Age, about 1400 B.C. The prevailing view among scholars has been that the city was destroyed some 150 years earlier [1550 BC] and thus did not exist at the time of the Israelite invasion .. 1400 B.C.” ( - NY Times, Feb 22, 1990, Section A, page 8). For greater detail, see Biblical Archaeology Review, March 1990, pages 44-58; article by Bryant Wood, Ph.D. – “The pottery, stratigraphic considerations, scarab data and a Carbon-14 date all point to a destruction of the city around the end of Late Bronze I, about 1400 B.C.” (page 57).
On page 236, Bowen also focuses on Canaanite child sacrifices in his book for an example of the Bible not matching discoveries. The Bible has the practice of child sacrifice by Canaanites as a reason for Israel’s conquest of Canaan in Lev. 18:3, 21, 24; 20:2, 23-4; Deut. 9:4; the conquest is considered by some (and me) to have occurred in the 2nd millennium BC, around 1400 BC. He writes, “as we saw in chapter three of Volume 1, the claims of widespread child sacrifice cannot be substantiated by the evidence outside of the biblical texts.” And, in Volume 1 he writes in part, “.. the primary evidence for the practice of child sacrifice among the Canaanites – the Punic material – comes from the 1st millennium B.C.E., from the 7th through the 1st c. B.C.E. … there is insufficient extra-biblical evidence to support the biblical claim of grossly immoral population groups that practiced child sacrifice in Canaan during the 2nd millennium B.C.E. … the archaeological evidence that we have for child sacrifice does not come from the 2nd millennium, but from the middle and latter portions of the 1st millennium B.C.E. The evidence itself also does not come from the land of Canaan, but from Carthage and Punic colonies. Thus, we have no solid evidence of child sacrifice in Canaan proper ..” (pages 135, 137).
Actually, evidence of child sacrifice was found at Jericho (which is inside Canaan) as noted by excavator Kenyon, contrary to Bowen (etc); not sure what date is assigned to it, but it is pre-conquest and pre-1st millennium BC. She writes: “.. the earlier people had one thing in common with the later one. They also had a cult of skulls, … the skulls are found arranged in groups, in one case closely packed in a circle, all looking inwards … there is an unpleasant suggestion of infant sacrifices, for beneath a curious bath-like structure of mud-plaster there is, besides one complete infant burial, a collection of infant skulls with the neck vertebrae attached, showing that the heads were cut off and not merely collected from burials” ( - Digging Up Jericho, 1957, page 72; by Kathleen Kenyon).
And, evidence of child sacrifice was found at Gezer in Canaan at a Canaanite High Place by Macalister/Dever, but it was strangely later redated to not match with the Bible time (this may be another date correction waiting to happen, as with Jericho). It still dates to the 2nd millennium contrary to Bowen. And, it was (mis?)reinterpreted to be a sacrificial celebration instead of a religious sacrifice (still sounds like it would fit into what the Israelites were upset about) - “.. Macalister [excavated 1902-9] also discovered several burial jars containing the bones of infants. Macalister estimated the infants were less than one week old. Some of the infants’ bodies had been burned … The Gezer High Place probably celebrates and commemorates a covenant or contract … a covenant of tribes or towns” ( - Biblical Archaeology Review, January 2015, pages 64-5). Further, “Macalister .. interpreting the stelae as typical Canaanite asheroth and construing burial jars in the vicinity (now known to be earlier) as evidence for child sacrifice … renewed investigation of the high place in 1968 (field V) demonstrated that it was constructed in the Middle Bronze Age IIC [c. 1650-1500 BC] ..” ( - The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land, 1993, Vol. 2, pages 496-7, 501; article by William Dever, Ph.D.). Archaeologist Joel Kramer, notes: “.. in his excavation report, Macalister found a pit which he described being filled with a great number of bones of human beings in a confused heap. Nearby, was the skeleton of a young girl who had evidently been sawn asunder .. And along with this, found the skulls of two other girls who had been decapitated, and this could be determined by the cut marks through the vertebrae … The many idols found in the area provided evidence that this was a cultic site. Among the many idols found was a bronze serpent representing Molech, the king of the Amorite gods … the secular agenda, which basically teaches that man by nature is basically good, couldn’t have a bunch of Canaanites running around sacrificing children. And, so, the later interpretations were these alliances [covenants] and were these other explanations [instead] of what this evidence actually was ..” ( - from Joel Kramer’s You Tube; episode title: Excavated Canaanite High Place – “the sin of the Amorites”).
Bowen writes, “.. stories like the Exodus from Egypt .. are not supported by the archaeological and historical evidence at our disposal” (page 406), and he quotes Grabbe that “There is nothing in Egyptian texts that could be related to the story in the book of Exodus” (page 170; cf. 197, 204). Yet, there are good reasons why Egyptian texts do not specifically name the Exodus: “.. the most popular reason for rejecting the veracity of the exodus events, namely that nowhere in Egypt’s vast records is it documented. However, this dearth can be explained by the lack of Egyptian censuses and the tendency to write comparatively little about foreigners, especially slaves … the proud Egyptians should not be expected to have documented their own humiliating defeat, which would smear their records and tarnish the glorious legacy ..” ( - Origins of the Hebrews, 2021, page 185; by Douglas Petrovich, Ph.D.)
But, strikingly, corroborative matches have been found. Here, the main Egyptian city where the Israelites started was found: “[Genesis] 47:5a and 47:27 identify the place Jacob and his sons settled as ‘the region of Goshen,’ whereas 47:11 calls it ‘the region of Ramesses’ .. centuries before the city of Pi Ramesse was built … this statement is clearly recognized by scholars as an anachronism. A later biblical redactor [or copyist/scribe] has amended .. the text to locate that part of the Egyptian delta .. in terms of the geography or toponymy of his own day. He did so because the people living in his time would have known the location of Ramesses but probably not its older name of Goshen. So the redactor helps out his readers … Archaeologists have found no evidence for a large population of ‘Asiatics’ (Semitic-speaking people from the ancient Middle East) [includes Israelites] living in the .. city of Pi Ramesse – but beneath the expansive southern quarter of that Ramesside foundation lies a much older city which was almost entirely populated by Asiatics originating from Canaan .. named Avaris [in Egyptian] .. the name ‘Ramesses’ was synonymous with the city ..” ( - Exodus: Myth or History?, 2015, pages 20-2; by David Rohl, Egyptologist).
“.. the building of the city of Ramesses mentioned in Exodus 1:11. The Hebrews are making bricks to build this city of Ramesses … Most scholars will say if you look at the city of Ramesses, there are no Asiatics [Hebrews] there. There are no Semites … But dig down a little bit deeper and you do find a city full of Asiatics … this particular mention of the city of Ramesses – the building of Ramesses – is what we call an anachronism. It’s something that’s been added into the text later .. what the editor [copyist/scribe] is basically saying is, ‘This is the place where the Israelites built the store city, and we know it today as Ramesses’ … the Bible’s use of the word Ramesses might not be connected to a specific date but only to a place … The people of the Bible would’ve known where Ramesses was and where therefore their ancestors actually built the city. In the ancient times it was called Avaris [the Egyptian name] ..” ( - Patterns of Evidence: Exodus, 2015, pages 85, 117; by Tim Mahoney; interviewing: James Hoffmeier, Ph.D. and David Rohl, Egyptologist). “.. Hoffmeier also sees evidence of Semitic slavery in Egypt. ‘We have the depiction in the tomb of Rekhmire. And there we can see POWs, Semites from both Canaan and Syria, working alongside prisoners of war from Nubia .. they are making bricks, overseen by Egyptian taskmasters with sticks. Exodus 1:14 says they actually worked in brick and mortar and agriculture. We have agricultural scenes, especially work in vineyards, where the workers again are Semites, Nubians … So interestingly, the very two areas the Bible says the Israelites were forced to work in, agriculture and construction work, are the very two places we see this sort of work going on in private tombs in Egypt in the 15th century BC’ … what happened at Avaris? .. We’ve got a situation of prosperity followed by a lack of prosperity and a shortage of life. We begin to see in the graves of these people Harris Lines in the bones, which indicate shortage of food and nutrients. These people suddenly have become impoverished, and they are dying at an [earlier] age .. What would explain this dramatic change? .. The obvious answer is slavery” ( - Patterns of Evidence: Exodus, 2015, pages 155-6; by Tim Mahoney; interviewing: James Hoffmeier, Ph.D. and David Rohl, Egyptologist).
“Commonly called the Brooklyn Papyrus, it’s a middle Kingdom Egyptian papyrus with a list of slave names … 70 percent of them are Semitic names. And some of these names actually occur in the Bible: Menahem; Issachar and Asher, the names of two of the tribes of Israel; Shiphrah, one of the Hebrew midwives in the Exodus story … This is real evidence for the time when the Israelites were in Egypt as slaves … There are ninety-five servants listed in the document .. The implication of this large number of Asiatic domestic slaves found on a Theban estate in Upper (i.e., southern) Egypt during the reign of Sobekhotep III [c. 1740 BC] (when the papyrus was written) is quite obvious. The Semitic population had indeed spread throughout the land – just as the Bible states [Exo. 1:9] ..” ( - Patterns of Evidence: Exodus, 2015, pages 161-3; by Tim Mahoney; interviewing: David Rohl, Egyptologist with Exodus: Myth or History?, 2015, page 135; by David Rohl).
It appears the name Moses has been found on an early rock inscription from Egypt – on the Sinai Peninsula, at a turquois mine, near the time of the Exodus. The rock is named Sinai 361, written by a polytheistic Hebrew. The ancient writer gives credit to “the Lady,” referring to the area deity (Hathor/Ba’alath): “Stunning extra-biblical affirmation of these societally-devastating events is found within the text of Sinai 361 from Serabit el-Khadim [at a turquois mine] .., which biblical chronology dates to 1446 BC, although there is no date inscribed on the stone. The inscription concludes with these words, ‘.. Our bound servitude had lingered. Moses then provoked astonishment. It is a year of astonishment because of the Lady’ ” ( - Origins of the Hebrews, 2021, page 209, 266; by Douglas Petrovich, Ph.D. - Syro-Palestinian Archaeology/Egyptian Language, Professor of Biblical History and Exegesis, Brookes Bible College, Missouri).
Shortened review due to space limit.
November 20, 2022
This volume 2 is just as great, if not better, than volume 1! I highly recommend both books if you would like an overview of the Old Testament events and a better understanding of the time period and area where the events may have taken place.
If you decide to listen to this one as an audiobook, just know that Seth Andrews is a wonderful narrator.
Chapter One — The Story of the Old Testament: The Conquest to the Divided Monarchy
Chapter Two — A Brief History of Egypt
Chapter Three (Parts 1 and 2)— The Conquest of Canaan - Fact or Fiction? Archeology and the Origins of Israel
Chapter Four (Parts 1 and 2) — The Exodus from Egypt: What We Can and Cannot Say About It
Chapter Five (Parts 1 and 2) — “Your Eye Shall Have No Pity”: Old Testament Violence and Genocide
Chapter Six (Parts 1 and 2) — “Because He Has Deflowered Her”: Old Testament Laws on Adultery and Rape
Chapter Seven (Parts 1 and 2) — Did the Old Testament Plagarize?
Chapter Eight — Conclusion
If you decide to listen to this one as an audiobook, just know that Seth Andrews is a wonderful narrator.
Chapter One — The Story of the Old Testament: The Conquest to the Divided Monarchy
Chapter Two — A Brief History of Egypt
Chapter Three (Parts 1 and 2)— The Conquest of Canaan - Fact or Fiction? Archeology and the Origins of Israel
Chapter Four (Parts 1 and 2) — The Exodus from Egypt: What We Can and Cannot Say About It
Chapter Five (Parts 1 and 2) — “Your Eye Shall Have No Pity”: Old Testament Violence and Genocide
Chapter Six (Parts 1 and 2) — “Because He Has Deflowered Her”: Old Testament Laws on Adultery and Rape
Chapter Seven (Parts 1 and 2) — Did the Old Testament Plagarize?
Chapter Eight — Conclusion
July 31, 2022
As everyone knows, the sequel rarely measures up to the original. In the case of the Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament, however, the second volume is even better than the first! After providing a historical synopsis of the OT, from the death of Moses to the early Israelite monarchies, as well as a brief overview of Egyptian history, Dr. Bowen deftly guides us through the debate over the historicity of the Israelite conquest of Canaan and the Exodus. He rigorously, objectively, and meticulously lays out the facts and the historical consensus regarding these two topics that are a staple in apologetics/counter-apologetic circles. Dr. Bowen then carefully transitions to two very sensitive issues in the Old Testament: violence (including genocide), and sexual misconduct (including rape). As is his wont, Dr. Bowen throughout the text explores these issues within the broader context of the Ancient Near East (ANE), as well as comparing and contrasting biblical legal codes with modern jurisprudence. As in the first volume, Dr. Bowen is circumspect and measured in his approach to these incendiary issues; he neither seeks to sensationalize nor polemicize: his only goal is clarity. Finally, Dr. Bowen concludes the book with a thorough discussion of plagiarism, borrowing, and mimesis in the Old Testament. As I wrote in my review of the first volume, this book isn’t a polemic for skeptics. Rather, it’s a neutral exploration of the Old Testament that anyone, from fundamentalist evangelist to armchair skeptic to seasoned biblical scholar would benefit from reading.
January 6, 2023
I liked listening to both this book and Volume 1. This review will cover both.
- The Good
The content is very instructive and is something that both atheist and hard core Christians should grapple with. There were some things I had heard before, and some things I had not (child sacrifaces made to Yahweh?). It seems to be intended as a book accessible to non academics of reasonable education level, written about the Old Testament by an atheist (who used to be a believer) from the perspective of an atheist, in order to 1) give atheists information to use in coversation with apologists or 2) give apologists something to think about and take away some of their arguments. The author mentions a few times that he was a Christian but overall I think it is very balanced and factual, not a Dawkins/Hitchens style rant.
One helpful thing the books often do is look at the history, laws, and literature of the surrounding civilzations of that time period. For example, the author talks some about laws dealing with slavery in other nations like Assyria and Babylon, then compares them to laws in the Torah (spoiler - they aren't very different). Similarly for adultery and rape. Bowen is careful to point out the fact that the marital status of the woman is very important and makes a very compelling case that adultery and rape, both in the Ancient Near East in general in the Old Testament in particular, are generally crimes committed against a woman's husband or father. Even in the case of rape, it is not a crime committed against her but against her male supervisor. I think any Christian who has read the Olt Testament has had to squirm a few times and turn the page (I have) when confronting laws about slavery and rape. Bowen does a good job of collecting the laws into one place, telling the reader what they are, comparing them to other ANE countries, and letting the reader deal with it.
Volume 1 contains a lengthy introduction (well, lengthy for the lay reader) of the methods of archeology, then discusses the archeological findings of cities conquered in the Conquest of Canaan in the Torah and Joshua. The author states that there is very little agreement between the archeology and the text.
Similarly, Volume 2 contains a discussion of the Exodus, making the case that there is little evidence for 2 - 3 million people wondering through the desert for 40 years. One weakness of this section, in my opinion, is little discussion of the archeological and historical evidence of a large group of Isrealites living in Egypt for hundreds of years.
One thing he says several times is that Apologists will often say "Well, it is _possible_ that the literal interpretation is true." He responds by saying that the person who disagrees should say "Yeah, it is possible. But is it likely." This is a better way of conversations than simply shouting facts at each other.
-The Less Good
One point of irritation the reader or listener might have is that the writing style can be wordy and a little academic, and he tends to repeat himself. I suspect all the material could have been said in about 3/4 the number of words. Some of the summary of the Old Testament is overly detailed.
Another thing is that the order in which he deals with the history seems a little out of place and out of order. But if you can get past that, the books are very good.
One potential good side of the "academic" style of writing is that it keeps him on task of presenting the facts and the scholarly consensus, instead of sermonizing. He does sermonize a little, but not much, and those few times are easy to spot.
-Overall
Whether you are a Christian or Jewish Apologist or an Atheist who has conversations with Christians, I think the material in the book is something you should grapple with. To me, it seems well researched, balanced, and generally factual.
- The Good
The content is very instructive and is something that both atheist and hard core Christians should grapple with. There were some things I had heard before, and some things I had not (child sacrifaces made to Yahweh?). It seems to be intended as a book accessible to non academics of reasonable education level, written about the Old Testament by an atheist (who used to be a believer) from the perspective of an atheist, in order to 1) give atheists information to use in coversation with apologists or 2) give apologists something to think about and take away some of their arguments. The author mentions a few times that he was a Christian but overall I think it is very balanced and factual, not a Dawkins/Hitchens style rant.
One helpful thing the books often do is look at the history, laws, and literature of the surrounding civilzations of that time period. For example, the author talks some about laws dealing with slavery in other nations like Assyria and Babylon, then compares them to laws in the Torah (spoiler - they aren't very different). Similarly for adultery and rape. Bowen is careful to point out the fact that the marital status of the woman is very important and makes a very compelling case that adultery and rape, both in the Ancient Near East in general in the Old Testament in particular, are generally crimes committed against a woman's husband or father. Even in the case of rape, it is not a crime committed against her but against her male supervisor. I think any Christian who has read the Olt Testament has had to squirm a few times and turn the page (I have) when confronting laws about slavery and rape. Bowen does a good job of collecting the laws into one place, telling the reader what they are, comparing them to other ANE countries, and letting the reader deal with it.
Volume 1 contains a lengthy introduction (well, lengthy for the lay reader) of the methods of archeology, then discusses the archeological findings of cities conquered in the Conquest of Canaan in the Torah and Joshua. The author states that there is very little agreement between the archeology and the text.
Similarly, Volume 2 contains a discussion of the Exodus, making the case that there is little evidence for 2 - 3 million people wondering through the desert for 40 years. One weakness of this section, in my opinion, is little discussion of the archeological and historical evidence of a large group of Isrealites living in Egypt for hundreds of years.
One thing he says several times is that Apologists will often say "Well, it is _possible_ that the literal interpretation is true." He responds by saying that the person who disagrees should say "Yeah, it is possible. But is it likely." This is a better way of conversations than simply shouting facts at each other.
-The Less Good
One point of irritation the reader or listener might have is that the writing style can be wordy and a little academic, and he tends to repeat himself. I suspect all the material could have been said in about 3/4 the number of words. Some of the summary of the Old Testament is overly detailed.
Another thing is that the order in which he deals with the history seems a little out of place and out of order. But if you can get past that, the books are very good.
One potential good side of the "academic" style of writing is that it keeps him on task of presenting the facts and the scholarly consensus, instead of sermonizing. He does sermonize a little, but not much, and those few times are easy to spot.
-Overall
Whether you are a Christian or Jewish Apologist or an Atheist who has conversations with Christians, I think the material in the book is something you should grapple with. To me, it seems well researched, balanced, and generally factual.
June 12, 2024
When people were livestock. Or close to it. Notes on _The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament_:
This book isn't just for atheists. It's valuable for anyone who wants to learn more about the history of the Ancient Near East. The author sticks close to accepted scholarship -- which supports the atheist case, but doesn't compel it.
Old Testament scholarship has changed significantly in the past 50 years, due in large part to archeological studies that undermine the historicity of OT accounts. There is no evidence for the exodus story as recounted in the Bible or for the conquest of Canaan, for instance. Most modern scholars now accept that figures such as Abraham and Moses were fictional.
Not surprisingly, the OT reflects the time and place where its books were composed. The Levant was a corridor for invaders from Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Greece, and Rome. So all or part of the region was ruled by outside powers for much of its history. The laws of the OT mirror those of surrounding nations and its narratives draw on their ancient mythology.
Ancient Israelite law reflects the oppressive strictures of most ancient societies, where the majority of people farmed or herded under the yoke of kleptocratic rulers who portrayed themselves as chosen by the gods. OT laws are in most respects no worse than other nations', but no better either (selling your daughter into slavery was acceptable, genocidal assaults on enemy nations were celebrated). The real question is why anyone would view the OT as divinely inspired or valuable as an ethical guide. _The Iliad_ is a wonderful book, but most of us don't think we should behave like Achilles.
The big innovation of the OT was a fanatical devotion to monotheism, specifically worship of the god Yahweh. This unfortunately was one of humanity's worst inventions since it gave rise to religious exclusivity that is still plaguing the world today (see Christian Nationalism in the US). It wasn't so much of a problem in the early days, when Yahweh was merely a regional god and not viewed as all powerful (Judges 1:19 even tells us that he couldn't defeat iron chariots; this is one of many biblical passages that religious apologists have to reinterpret or massage into metaphor). Monotheism became a bigger problem when the god of the Bible was inflated into an omni-deity over the centuries -- particularly after Christianity gained power in the late Roman Empire.
The author doesn't say much about when the books of the OT may have been written (except for the Book of Daniel, which is now widely regarded as second century BCE apocalyptic literature masquerading as sixth century BCE prophecy). Several modern scholars argue that the OT books were actually compiled during the Hellenistic era (that is, after around 300 BCE), though its authors probably drew on earlier narratives. There is in fact interesting evidence of Greek influence on the text, something that was noticed long before modern scholars started seriously questioning the OT's traditional composition dates.
The author does a good job of highlighting how the OT authors changed Ancient Near Eastern mythology to suit their needs. For example, OT authors clearly drew on _The Epic of Gilgamesh_, which in its earliest form dates back to the Sumerian period. But _Gilgamesh_ celebrated the achievements of civilization, while devaluing people who lived outside the control of its city states (think, for example, of how Enkidu is portrayed as a scary wild man before he is "civilized" by sleeping with a prostitute from Uruk). By contrast, the OT authors -- who may have taken a dim view of their powerful, urbanized foreign rulers -- portray the earliest humans as being innocent (and presumably virtuous) before they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
This book isn't just for atheists. It's valuable for anyone who wants to learn more about the history of the Ancient Near East. The author sticks close to accepted scholarship -- which supports the atheist case, but doesn't compel it.
Old Testament scholarship has changed significantly in the past 50 years, due in large part to archeological studies that undermine the historicity of OT accounts. There is no evidence for the exodus story as recounted in the Bible or for the conquest of Canaan, for instance. Most modern scholars now accept that figures such as Abraham and Moses were fictional.
Not surprisingly, the OT reflects the time and place where its books were composed. The Levant was a corridor for invaders from Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Greece, and Rome. So all or part of the region was ruled by outside powers for much of its history. The laws of the OT mirror those of surrounding nations and its narratives draw on their ancient mythology.
Ancient Israelite law reflects the oppressive strictures of most ancient societies, where the majority of people farmed or herded under the yoke of kleptocratic rulers who portrayed themselves as chosen by the gods. OT laws are in most respects no worse than other nations', but no better either (selling your daughter into slavery was acceptable, genocidal assaults on enemy nations were celebrated). The real question is why anyone would view the OT as divinely inspired or valuable as an ethical guide. _The Iliad_ is a wonderful book, but most of us don't think we should behave like Achilles.
The big innovation of the OT was a fanatical devotion to monotheism, specifically worship of the god Yahweh. This unfortunately was one of humanity's worst inventions since it gave rise to religious exclusivity that is still plaguing the world today (see Christian Nationalism in the US). It wasn't so much of a problem in the early days, when Yahweh was merely a regional god and not viewed as all powerful (Judges 1:19 even tells us that he couldn't defeat iron chariots; this is one of many biblical passages that religious apologists have to reinterpret or massage into metaphor). Monotheism became a bigger problem when the god of the Bible was inflated into an omni-deity over the centuries -- particularly after Christianity gained power in the late Roman Empire.
The author doesn't say much about when the books of the OT may have been written (except for the Book of Daniel, which is now widely regarded as second century BCE apocalyptic literature masquerading as sixth century BCE prophecy). Several modern scholars argue that the OT books were actually compiled during the Hellenistic era (that is, after around 300 BCE), though its authors probably drew on earlier narratives. There is in fact interesting evidence of Greek influence on the text, something that was noticed long before modern scholars started seriously questioning the OT's traditional composition dates.
The author does a good job of highlighting how the OT authors changed Ancient Near Eastern mythology to suit their needs. For example, OT authors clearly drew on _The Epic of Gilgamesh_, which in its earliest form dates back to the Sumerian period. But _Gilgamesh_ celebrated the achievements of civilization, while devaluing people who lived outside the control of its city states (think, for example, of how Enkidu is portrayed as a scary wild man before he is "civilized" by sleeping with a prostitute from Uruk). By contrast, the OT authors -- who may have taken a dim view of their powerful, urbanized foreign rulers -- portray the earliest humans as being innocent (and presumably virtuous) before they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
April 19, 2023
Like the first volume, Vol. 2 is a useful blend of summaries of the Israelite Old Testament/Tanakh “sacred” texts, a discussion of how those writings affected the origins and development of the Jewish/christian religions, and a general history of the Ancient Near East (ANE) where that is relevant to those writings. In addition, Bowen explores what these writings say about a few specific topics including slavery, violence & genocide, adultery & rape, and how women were viewed/described in not just the biblical writings but in the ANE in general. Vol. 2 concludes with a section on “plagiarism” in the ancient world and how the Israelite writings/myths borrowed from the mythologies and legends of other ANE (and beyond) ideas. Like with Vol. 1, for atheist, agnostic, believer, or member of a different religious tradition, The Atheist Handbook can be a valuable tool for developing a deeper understanding of the world and context of these ancient writings.
October 27, 2023
Excellent collation of the relevant Mesopotamian texts.
Bowen continues to tackle a very touchy subject concerning the major Western belief system(s) with grace and candor. Having been raised in Fundamentalist Christianity we were taught that the Bible was the only truth written sans any influence from other cultures. Without being overly pedantic or critical he provides a non-threatening pathway for discussion of where our ideas about how the Bible, with a quick review of other disciplines influence on the topic, was developed and how possibly the original authors viewed the world and mankind’s place in it. Easy to read and follow. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in what we were not taught in Sunday School and lends one a ready handbook to speak more intelligently as to who we are today.
Bowen continues to tackle a very touchy subject concerning the major Western belief system(s) with grace and candor. Having been raised in Fundamentalist Christianity we were taught that the Bible was the only truth written sans any influence from other cultures. Without being overly pedantic or critical he provides a non-threatening pathway for discussion of where our ideas about how the Bible, with a quick review of other disciplines influence on the topic, was developed and how possibly the original authors viewed the world and mankind’s place in it. Easy to read and follow. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in what we were not taught in Sunday School and lends one a ready handbook to speak more intelligently as to who we are today.
January 31, 2023
Another good addition to the series of Bowen's. It is a good overview of the select portions of the Old Testament that he wants to cover. Although there were times that I wanted to dive deeper into a topic, I understood that the aim of this book was not meant to be scholarly and detailed, but rather a cursory overview of the topic to familiarize ourselves with the topic. It did suffer from some of the same editorial problems as the first, but less so, in my opinion.
February 13, 2023
If you liked volume 1, you will definitely like volume 2. I really loved all the comparisons with other ancient near eastern texts. We get to see Assyrian and Hittite law codes that preceded the composition of the Bible. We also get a healthy dose of religion and myth texts, along with the explaining of cultural influence and exchange. Cognates, I'm always a sucker for a bit of cognate analysis. Can't escape a volume like this without an archaeological survey. Just a lot of great information.
June 7, 2024
This book is one of those rare books that stays useful while still being an enjoyable read. It goes through the major episodes in the Hebrew Bible and discusses the archeological, historical, and moral problems found there. Further, it compares the law codes of ancient Israelite religion to other contemporaneous codes to put the Old Testament in the greater context of the ancient near east. A worthy entry into the series that has me anxiety to read the third and final book when it comes out.
April 14, 2023
En præcis og omfattende gennemgang af det gamle Testamente, set ud fra moderne bibelstudier. Kan godt grænse til det kedelige, med mange opsamlinger, men det gør i mine øjne også det mere troværdigt, og nemmere at huske. Værd at tjekke ud, både for troede og ikke troende. Langt det meste af den er en objektiv gennemgang af feltet, fra en ekspert på området.
March 21, 2024
Like the previous volume, this book gives the consensus scholarship about various Old Testament topics, such as the archeology surrounding the Exodus and Joshua's conquest of Canaan, as well as discussion of laws and cultural practices in the Bible and writings from surrounding cultures. I look forward to Volume 3 when it comes out!
August 9, 2023
Fantastic read
Dr Josh never fails. His discourse is not only brilliant but easy to read and understand. He manages to fit a ton of academic information in a relatively small format. This book is a definite must-have for anyone who is a true seeker of knowledge
Dr Josh never fails. His discourse is not only brilliant but easy to read and understand. He manages to fit a ton of academic information in a relatively small format. This book is a definite must-have for anyone who is a true seeker of knowledge
February 26, 2025
Meh. There are better texts:
Finkelstein, Israel; Silberman, Neil Asher, The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts. Simon & Schuster, 2002 ISBN 0-684-86912-8
Finkelstein, Israel; Silberman, Neil Asher, The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts. Simon & Schuster, 2002 ISBN 0-684-86912-8
May 19, 2024
This was not what I was expecting. I’m really glad I read this!
October 3, 2024
As a life long Atheist who's spent much of the last decade watching Atheist videos on YouTube, but who also has a deeper, more scholarly interest in the Bible, I was really looking forward to reading these books. But when I found out that there was a 'THIRD' (as yet unpublished?) volume of this interminable snore-fest, I literally yelled "Oh F*** Off!"
Maybe it's simply that I've been ruined by a decade or more of #Edgy Atheist YouTube videos, or maybe it's just ADHD. But I literally can't remember anything that I learned from this book which would be helpful in a debate or discussion with any Theist who takes the Bible seriously. (Or for that matter, anything that I learned from it at all!) And it's laughably ironic that having begun this second volume with a warning that relatives who argue with you about the Bible at Thanksgiving aren't going to listen to an hour-long lecture with PowerPoint slides, the rest of the book is essentially nothing but an increasingly dry, tedious and pointless collection of hour long lectures about increasingly obscure trivia that most Theists have never even heard of, let alone care about. So any useful information that 'IS' buried in these books (plural) could have easily been boiled down into a much more accessible, single volume work.
In conclusion then, if you're looking for clear, concise arguments and snappy comebacks for the apologetic rhetoric that certain Christians are taught to spout whenever their dogma is threatened like a porcupine shooting its quills, then these 'Books' (plural) will almost certainly be of no use to you. And although I'll surely read these books again at some point in case I missed something and consider picking up the third volume whenever it comes out, for now, these volumes are far too long, dry and rambling to be considered a 'Handbook.' (Seriously, a 'Handbook' in 3+ volumes is a contradiction in terms!) And I highly recommend looking elsewhere.
Maybe it's simply that I've been ruined by a decade or more of #Edgy Atheist YouTube videos, or maybe it's just ADHD. But I literally can't remember anything that I learned from this book which would be helpful in a debate or discussion with any Theist who takes the Bible seriously. (Or for that matter, anything that I learned from it at all!) And it's laughably ironic that having begun this second volume with a warning that relatives who argue with you about the Bible at Thanksgiving aren't going to listen to an hour-long lecture with PowerPoint slides, the rest of the book is essentially nothing but an increasingly dry, tedious and pointless collection of hour long lectures about increasingly obscure trivia that most Theists have never even heard of, let alone care about. So any useful information that 'IS' buried in these books (plural) could have easily been boiled down into a much more accessible, single volume work.
In conclusion then, if you're looking for clear, concise arguments and snappy comebacks for the apologetic rhetoric that certain Christians are taught to spout whenever their dogma is threatened like a porcupine shooting its quills, then these 'Books' (plural) will almost certainly be of no use to you. And although I'll surely read these books again at some point in case I missed something and consider picking up the third volume whenever it comes out, for now, these volumes are far too long, dry and rambling to be considered a 'Handbook.' (Seriously, a 'Handbook' in 3+ volumes is a contradiction in terms!) And I highly recommend looking elsewhere.
June 9, 2024
Illuminating and intriguing, Dr. Bowen expertly dissects the old testament biblical historical claims using archaeology and modern scholarship. This is a comprehensive and detailed analysis that I wish I recalled better. As I listened to these two volumes as audiobooks on 2x speed my listening comprehension was not phenomenal. What I took away was that not only was the bible not correct in almost every case from the exodus to the conquest of Canaan, it was very often wrong. To wish it was correct, and that the atrocities that are depicted in the bible -- as an adult and atheist, I'm now reading through the bible cover to cover and it is bloodier and more gruesome than anything I could imagine, easily surpassing what I was obviously selectively taught as a christian child -- are true is unfathomable or at very least a display of absolute ignorance. These are books I will be rereading for sure once I have completed reading the bible.
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