Bible in History: How Writers Create a Past - Hardcover

Thompson, Thomas L.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0465006221 ISBN 13: 9780465006229

Publisher: Basic Books, 1999

Synopsis

A major new synthesis and interpretation of findings over the past twenty-five years in biblical archaeology. Thompsons conclusions are sure to spark intense debate.. This is a revolutionary, revisionist book on the Old Testament and the early history of the Middle East. There have been many extraordinary advances in Palestinian and biblical archaeology in recent years. This book is a synthesis of all the cutting-edge archaeology and textual studies of the last 25 years as well as studies in the history of agriculture and technology, settlement patterns, climatology, sociology, and economics. }This is a revolutionary, revisionist book on the Old Testament and the early history of the Middle East. There have been many extraordinary advances in Palestinian and biblical archaeology in recent years. This book is a synthesis of all the cutting-edge archaeology and textual studies of the last 25 years as well as studies in the history of agriculture and technology, settlement patterns, climatology, sociology, and economics. Among its startling conclusions are:1) Today we no longer have a history of Israel.2) We can no longer talk about a time of the patriarchs.3 ) There was never a United Monarchy [Saul, David, Solomon] in history and it is meaningless to speak of pre-exilic prophets and their writing.4) Israel was only a small highland patronate lying north of Jerusalem and south of the Jezreel Valley.5) The notion Israel and its history is a literary fiction.These conclusions are bound to set off some explosive arguments. The synthesis draws on established and widely accepted specific, scholarly work. The authors conclusions, however, are radical and new. }

About this title

About the Author:

Thomas L. Thompson is one of the leading biblical archaeologists in the world. He was awarded a National Endowment fellowship, has taught at Lawrence and Marquette Universities in Wisconsin, and currently teaches at the University of Copenhagen, which has one of the most prestigious Biblical Studies programs in the world. His book, The Early History of the Israelite People, a famously controversial book at the time, is now a standard text in the field. He lives in Denmark.

About this edition

• Publisher: Basic Books
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0465006221
• ISBN 13: 9780465006229
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 432