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 | | A History of Israel by John Bright ISBN-10: 9780664220686 ISBN-10: 0-664-22068-1 ISBN-13: 9780664220686 ISBN-13: 978-0-664-22068-6 Paperback 2000-08 Westminster John Knox Press Find Lowest Price |
Editorials | ||
Product Description The definitive text and resource for every student of the Old Testament. this thire edition of John Bright's classic work is a thorough revision of the text that has become a standard for reference and classroom use. | ||
Reviews | ||
Biblical Assertions are based on misinterpretations. I prefer: A History of Israel, Walter C. Kaiser; Kingdom of Priests, Eugene H. Merrill, and The Old Testament Speaks, Samuel J. Schultz. All are faithful to the archaeological record and use objective readings of scripture. When a position can not be adequately supported, they say so. John Bright in contrast, seems overly concerned with keeping accord with those holding views from the ongoing Wellhasen tradition. That is O.K. if you support your position. However, when Bright denies the accuracy of the scriptural record, he does it by taking the passage totally out of context. Such novel interpretations must be backed with either linguistical, historical, or other evidence. Bright provides neither for his assertion that Gen. 34 is a later event backwardly ascribed to the 16th century. He calls Israel's blessing a rewriting of an ejection of the tribes of Simeon and Levi from the Shechem area after prior conquest. (ch. 49:5-7) | ||
Still the standard text on biblical history For anyone interested in biblical history, this is still one of the standard texts. Bright presents great scholarship and very insightful analysis that makes one look at OT in a different light. | ||
great deal thanks for the book, great service..shipping a bit slow..but was a big help to find discounted books | ||
Historic & Insightful Bright does nothing to insult or diminish the traditions of religous persons; nor does he ask those with pure scholastic interest to carry beliefs in line with any given tradition. Instead, he articulates the scripture's statements of history and infuses external sources in a lively narrative reading that provides much insight into the history of Israel. Hebrew Scripture is not dismissed with harsh disregard for its riches; external evidence is not dismissed either. Tensions are allowed to remain and presented to the reader. | ||
Good, but not objective I had to write this when I saw the other reviews. I purchased the book because I felt that it would be an objective analysis of the archeological findings from the region. Israel and Palestine are some of the most heavily excavated real estate in the world. If there had been a palace of Salomon and David, it would have been found by now - and properly identified in time. Much of the work in this book I would describe as wishful thinking. Its fine to take the Hebrew Bible as a guide, just as others took Homer's Iliad as a guide to Troy. But no one seriously feels that finding some evidence for a historical Troy means that Hector, Paris and Helena were real people. Nice story, but without some factual evidence, it's still just a nice story, no matter how strongly you believe. That's where this book falls down. It looks at the evidence in the best light for what he want to prove (that's perfectly acceptable) but then he over-reaches and makes claims that can not be supported by any evidence. 2 + 2 do not equal 8 no matter how fervently you believe it. Despite this, there is some very good analysis in the book, and I look forward to using some parts of it as reference in future. I am glad I purchased it, but just be advised of its shortcomings. It's not the objective read that the reviews trumpet. | ||