Old Testament Introduction

by Schmidt, Werner H.; O'Connell, Matthew J.; Reimer, David J.

• ISBN13: 9780664221959
• ISBN10: 0664221955
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-11-01
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Pr

Summary

The purpose of this book is to provide a comprehensive introduction to the complexities of the Old Testament; it also provides the basic knowledge required for students of O.T. theology. This widely used textbook appears here in its second English edition and is based on the fifth German edition (1995). This new edition has been expanded especially in regard to Pentateuch research and the anthropology of the O.T.

Author Biography

Werner H. Schmidt has been Professor of Old Testament at the University of Bonn since 1984.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
Part I. Survey of the Old Testament and Its History
The Parts of the Old Testament	3	(5)
Name and Structure	3	(3)
The Formation of the Canon	6	(2)
The Stages of Israel's History	8	(20)
Nomadic Antiquity	9	(6)
The Early Period before the State (Settlement and Age of the Judges)	15	(3)
The Period of the Monarchy	18	(7)
The Period of the United Kingdoms	19	(1)
The Period of the Divided Kingdoms the Northern Kingdom, Israel	20	(3)
The Southern Kingdom, Judah	23	(2)
The Exilic and Postexilic Periods	25	(3)
Aspects of Social History	28	(13)
The Nomadic Clans	28	(3)
Ownership of Land	31	(2)
Changes Brought by the Monarchy	33	(2)
Social Contrasts in the Time of the Major Prophets	35	(2)
The Postexilic Situation	37	(4)
Part II. Traditions and Documentary Sources of the Pentateuch and the Historical Books
The Pentateuch	41	(22)
Name and Structure	41	(3)
Stages and Problems of Pentateuchal Scholarship	44	(19)
Criticism of Moses' Authorship	44	(1)
Discovery and Delimitation of the Pentateuchal Sources	45	(1)
Dating of the Documentary Sources	46	(2)
Results and Still Open Questions of Literary Criticism	48	(10)
Form Criticism and Tradition History	58	(5)
Selected Types of Narrative	63	(12)
Myth and Primeval History	63	(2)
The Saga as a Form of Transmission	65	(6)
The Individual Saga	65	(4)
Etiological Motifs	69	(1)
Sanctuary Legends	69	(1)
Saga Cycles and Later Form of the Sagas	70	(1)
The Joseph Novella	71	(4)
The Yahwist History	75	(9)
Introductory Questions	75	(4)
Theological Intentions	79	(5)
The Elohist History	84	(9)
Introductory Questions	84	(5)
Theological Intentions	89	(4)
The Priestly Document	93	(17)
Introductory Questions	93	(9)
Theological Intentions	102	(8)
Old Testament Law	110	(10)
The Forms of Legal Statement	110	(4)
Collections of Laws	114	(6)
The Decalogue	114	(2)
The Book of the Covenant	116	(2)
The Law of Holiness	118	(2)
Deuteronomy	120	(16)
Introductory Questions	120	(9)
Theological Intentions	129	(7)
The Deuteronomistic History	136	(24)
Introductory Questions	136	(4)
Theological Intentions	140	(5)
From the Book of Joshua to the Books of Kings	145	(15)
The Book of Joshua	145	(3)
The Book of Judges	148	(3)
The Books of Samuel	151	(5)
The Books of Kings	156	(4)
The Chronicler's History	160	(13)
Chronicles	160	(2)
Ezra and Nehemiah	162	(5)
Theological Intentions	167	(6)
Part III. The Prophets
The Form of Prophecy	173	(21)
Prophetic Utterance and Prophetic Book	173	(7)
Distinction between Oral Proclamation and Written Record	173	(2)
Distinction between Individual Utterance and Composition	175	(2)
Distinction between Original Prophetic Utterance and Later Redaction	177	(3)
Main Categories of Prophetic Literature	180	(8)
Stories about the Prophets	180	(2)
Visions	182	(1)
Words	183	(5)
Questions in Contemporary Study of the Prophets	188	(2)
Precursors of the Writing Prophets	190	(4)
Amos	194	(7)
Hosea	201	(8)
Isaiah	209	(11)
Micah	220	(5)
Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and Obadiah	225	(8)
Jeremiah	233	(13)
Ezekiel	246	(10)
Second Isaiah and Third Isaiah	256	(14)
Haggai, Zechariah, Second Zechariah, Malachi	270	(12)
Joel and Jonah	282	(6)
Daniel	288	(11)
Part IV. Liturgical and Sapiential Poetry
The Psalter	299	(12)
Song of Solomon, Lamentations, Ruth, and Esther	311	(10)
Proverbs	321	(7)
Qoheleth or Ecclesiastes: Solomon the Preacher	328	(5)
The Book of Job	333	(10)
Part V. Theology and Hermeneutics
Discourse about God in the Old Testament	343	(23)
The Question of the Unity of the Old Testament Aspects of a ``Theology of the Old Testament''	366	(6)
On Understanding Humankind: Anthropological Insights of the Old Testament	372	(17)
For and Against the Old Testament: Hermeneutic Themes	389	(10)
Bibliography	399	(50)
Index	449