The Book of Kings and Exilic Identity: 1 and 2 Kings as a Work of Political Historiography: 708 (The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies)

Lovell, Nathan

ISBN 10: 0567695328 / ISBN 13: 9780567695321

Published by T&T Clark, 2021

Print on Demand. Seller Inventory # 379263444

Synopsis:

Nathan Lovell proposes that 1 and 2 Kings might be read as a work of written history, produced with the explicit purpose of shaping the communal identity of its first readers in the Babylonian exile. By drawing on sociological approaches to the role historiography plays in the construction of political identity, Lovell argues the book of Kings is intended to reconstruct a sense of Israelite identity in the context of these losses, and that the book of Kings moves beyond providing a reason for the exile in Israels history, and beyond even connecting its exilic audience to that history. The book recalls the past in order to demonstrate what it means to be Israel in the (exilic) present, and to encourage hope for the Israelite nation in the future. After developing a reading strategy for 12 Kings that treats the book as a coherent narrative, Lovell examines the construction of Israelite identity within Kings under the headings of covenant, nationhood, land, and rule. In each case he suggests that the narrative of the book creates room for a genuine but temporary expression of Israelite identity in exile: genuine to show that it remains possible for Israel to be Yahwehs people during the exile, but temporary to encourage hope for a future restoration.

About the Author: Nathan Lovell is Director of Postgraduate Studies and Senior Lecturer in Old Testament and HebrewGeorge Whitefield College, Cape Town, South Africa.

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Book of Kings and Exilic Identity: 1 and...
Publisher: T&T Clark
Publication Date: 2021
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: New