In this volume, Norman Gottwald reconstructs the politics of ancient Israel within the larger political environment of the ancient Near East. He questions the prevailing view that the Hebrew Bible, supported by archeological evidence when necessary, should be the primary source to diagram the evolution of Israel's political history. Along with a thorough and nuanced discussion of the matrix of ancient Near Eastern politics, Gottwald suggests how the monarchies of Israel and Judah developed. With imaginative and masterful insight, Gottwald tackles head-on the problems of religion, power, and politics in the history of ancient Israel.Volumes in the Library of Ancient Israel draw on multiple disciplines--such as archaeology, anthropology, sociology, linguistics, and literary criticism--to illuminate the everyday realities and social subtleties these ancient cultures experienced. This series employs sophisticated methods resulting in original contributions that depict the reality of the people behind the Hebrew Bible and interprets these insights for a wide variety of readers.

Gottwald, Norman K.

Presbyterian Publishing Corporation

Geneva Press

First Edition, First Printing, PS, 2000

United States, United States of America

First Edition, First Printing, 2001

February 2001

<p>Gottwald (Old Testament, Pacific School of Religion) discusses the politics of ancient Israel at all levels of society. He begins with an overview of the biblical account of Israelite political history. Drawing upon materials from a variety of disciplines&#151;including archaeology, political science, and sociology&#151;he then describes the political situation during each period of ancient Israel's history. Gottwald contends that although Yahwistic religion exerted great influence over the culture, it was unable to maintain control over the politics of the country. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)</p> <h3>Internet Book Watch</h3> <p>In The Politics Of Ancient Israel, Norman Gottwald (Adjunct Professor of Old testament at the Pacific School of Religion and Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at New York Theological Seminary ) meticulously reconstructs the political environment of ancient Israel, as well as that of the larger political context of the ancient Near East. Gottwald insightfully questions the traditional and prevailing view that the Hebrew Bible ought to be the primary source to diagram the evolution of Israel's political history. Along with a scholarly and documented discussion of the matrix of monarchial development of Israel and Judah, The Politics Of Ancient Israel provides both the scholar and the non- specialist general reader with an informative survey and accounting of the problems of religion, power, and politics interwoven throughout the history of ancient Israel. The latest volume in the outstanding Westminister/John Knox Press "Library of Ancient Israel" series, The Politics Of Ancient Israel is very highly recommended for personal and academic Israelite history reference collections.</p>

"Gottwald reconstructs the politics of ancient Israel within the larger political environment of the ancient Near East. He questions the prevailing view that the Hebrew Bible should be the primary source to diagram the evolution of Israel's political history. Along with a thorough and nuanced discussion of the matrix of ancient Near Eastern politics, Gottwald suggests how the monarchies of Israel and Judah developed. With imaginative and masterful insight, Gottwald tackles head-on the problems of religion, power, and politics in the history of ancient Israel."--Jacket

In traditional critical biblical scholarship, treatment of the politics of ancient Israel has consisted principally of writing the political history of Israel in a straightforward and largely unproblematic manner, drawing primarily on the Hebrew Bible, supplemented and corrected at points by archaeology and ancient Near Eastern texts.

The Library of Ancient Israel draws on multiple disciplines to illumine the everyday realities and social subtleties of Ancient Israel. This volume in the series is an imaginative reconstruction of the politics of ancient Israel's according to the Hebrew Bible and in the context of the political environment of the Ancient Near East.

2024-12-21