A History of Ancient Israel And Judah

by Miller, J. Maxwell

• ISBN13: 9780664223588
• ISBN10: 0664223583
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-08-30
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Pr

Summary

This classic textbook, widely used for over two decades, constructs a history of ancient Israel and Judah through a thorough investigation of epigraphical, archaeological, and biblical sources. Approaching biblical history ashistory, Miller and Hayes examine the political and economic factors that give context to the Israelite monarchy's actions and the biblical writers' accounts. Now updated with the latest research and critical discoveries, including the Tel Dan Inscription, and considering the lively debate surrounding the reliability of biblical accounts, Miller and Hayes's judicious and even-handed portrayal gives detailed attention to the nature, strengths, and limitations of various forms of evidence for understanding Israel's origins and early history. The new edition also includes thirty-four new maps, helpful notes, and numerous charts and photographs.

Author Biography

J. Maxwell Miller is Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Candler School of Theology, Emory University John H. Hayes is Franklin N. Parker Professor of Old Testament at Candler School of Theology, Emory University

Table of Contents

List of Charts, Photographs, Maps, and Texts	xiii
Preface	xvii
Abbreviations	xix
1. The Setting	1	(29)
The Chronological Context	1	(5)
The Israelites and Judeans as "Latecomers"	3	(1)
Their Origins Shrouded in a Dark Age	3	(2)
Israel and Judah among the Peoples and Empires of the Iron Age	5	(1)
The Impact of Alexander's Conquest	6	(1)
The Geographical Context	6	(18)
The Fertile Crescent	6	(3)
The Eastern Mediterranean Seaboard	9	(3)
Palestine	12	(12)
Everyday Life in Ancient Palestine	24	(6)
2. Epigraphy and Archaeology	30	(31)
Epigraphical Evidence	30	(13)
Late Bronze and Early Iron Age Palestine as Known from Egyptian Sources	31	(2)
Early Iron Age Palestine's Heterogeneous Population	33	(6)
Texts That Relate Specifically to Israel	39	(4)
Archaeological Evidence	43	(14)
Late Bronze Age Palestine (ca. 1550-1200 B.C.E.)	46	(2)
The Early Iron Age	48	(3)
Questionable Correlations between Archaeology and the Bible	51	(6)
Early Israel and the Early Iron Age Highland Settlements	57	(4)
3. The Biblical Evidence	61	(23)
Summary of the Genesis Judges Narrative	62	(7)
Difficulties with Using the Genesis—Judges Narrative for Historical Research	69	(5)
Ancient Notions about the Past	70	(2)
General Improbabilities	72	(1)
Internal Contradictions	73	(1)
Composite Character of the Genesis-2 Kings History	73	(1)
Folk Materials Embedded in the Hebrew Bible	74	(3)
Folk Materials and Historical Evidence	77	(2)
Contemporary Approaches to the History of Ancient Israel	79	(2)
Our Approach	81	(3)
4. Earliest Israel	84	(35)
Families, Clans, and Tribes	85	(1)
Tribal Alignments and Territories	86	(12)
Ephraim and Satellite Tribes	86	(3)
Other Tribes Occasionally Involved in Ephraimite Affairs	89	(5)
Judah	94	(2)
Other Southern Tribal Groups	96	(2)
Leadership among the Clans and Tribes	98	(2)
Religion and Cult	100	(13)
El, Baal, and Yahweh	102	(4)
Priestly Lines and Houses	106	(2)
Shechem and Shiloh	108	(5)
Defining Early Israel	113	(6)
5. Eli, Samuel, and Saul	119	(29)
Eli, Samuel, and Saul according, tot Samuel	120	(9)
Summary of 1 Samuel 1-15	120	(4)
General Characteristics of the 1 Samuel Account	124	(2)
Separating the Traditions in 1 Samuel	126	(3)
Problem Areas for the Historian	129	(3)
Shiloh and the Elides	132	(2)
The "Historical" Samuel	134	(1)
Saul, an Early Israelite Chieftain	135	(8)
Saul's Rise to Power	136	(3)
The Territorial Extent of Saul's Chiefdom	139	(3)
Administrative Affairs	142	(1)
Saul and Yahwism	142	(1)
Opposition to Saul	143	(2)
Saul's Last Battle	143	(2)
Abner and Ish-bosheth	145	(3)
6. David	148	(38)
David as Presented in the Biblical Materials	149	(11)
Summary of 1 Samuel 16-1 Kings 2	149	(3)
Observations Regarding the Genesis-2 Kings Account of David's Reign	152	(4)
The Chronicler's Presentation of David's Reign	156	(2)
David and the Psalms	158	(1)
The Biblical David and the Historical David	159	(1)
David in Saul's Court	160	(2)
David the Renegade	162	(5)
Escape from Saul's Court	162	(2)
David in Adullam and Vicinity	164	(1)
Roaming the Wilderness of Ziph	165	(1)
David with the Philistines	166	(1)
David Rules from Hebron	167	(2)
David, King of Jerusalem	169	(3)
Dealing with Opposition	172	(5)
The Execution of Saul's Descendants	172	(1)
Absalom's Rebellion	173	(3)
Sheba's Revolt	176	(1)
David's Administration 176
The "High Officials"	177	(1)
The Zadokites and the Priests of Nob	178	(1)
The Levites	179	(1)
The Extent of David's Rule and His Frontier Wars	180	(6)
Determining the Extent of David's Direct Rule	180	(2)
David's Frontier Wars	182	(4)
7. Solomon	186	(35)
Solomon in the Biblical Materials	188	(9)
The Genesis-2 Kings Presentation of Solomon's Reign	188	(1)
Summary of 1 Kings 1-11	188	(3)
Composition and Structure of 1 Kings 1-11	191	(4)
The Chronicler's Presentation of Solomon	195	(1)
Solomon and the "Wisdom" Books	196	(1)
The Biblical Solomon and Historical Reconstruction	197	(1)
Solomon and Archaeology	197	(7)
Possible Glimpses of the Historical Solomon	204	(17)
Solomon's Accession to the Throne	204	(2)
The Extent of Solomon's Kingdom and International Relations	206	(3)
Solomon and International Commerce	209	(2)
Solomon's Administration	211	(3)
Solomon the Builder	214	(2)
Solomon and the Cult	216	(3)
Internal Conflict	219	(2)
8. Separate Kingdoms	221	(38)
The International Scene during the Mid-Centuries of the Iron Age	224	(15)
Peoples of the Iron Age	225	(9)
The Neo-Assyrian Empire	234	(4)
The Neo-Babylonian Empire	238	(1)
Sources of Information about the Two Kingdoms	239	(13)
The Hebrew Bible	239	(5)
Epigraphical Evidence	244	(4)
The Archaeology of Iron II Palestine	248	(4)
Matters of Interpretation	252	(7)
Origins of the Separate Kingdoms	253	(1)
Establishing Dates for the Kings of Israel and Judah	254	(5)
9. Four Decades of Hostilities	259	(25)
Sources for the Period	259	(3)
The Biblical Materials	259	(2)
Sheshonq's Inscription	261	(1)
The Shechem Assembly and Its Aftermath	262	(4)
The Constituency of the Shechem Assembly	263	(1)
Rehoboam's Rejection	264	(1)
The Role of the Tribe of Benjamin	265	(1)
Jeroboam at Shechem	265	(1)
Differences between the Kingdoms	266	(5)
Territorial Size and Strength	266	(1)
Instability of the Northern Kingdom	267	(1)
Absence of a Sustaining Royal Theology	268	(1)
The Role of Prophets in Northern Politics	269	(2)
Rehoboam, Abijam, and Asa of Judah	271	(3)
Jeroboam, Nadab, Baasha, and Elah of Israel	274	(4)
Shishak's Invasion	278	(1)
Conflicts between the Kingdoms	279	(5)
10. The Omride Era	284	(43)
Sources for the Period and Their Problems	286	(14)
The Omride Era as Presented in 1-2 Kings	286	(3)
The Omride Era according to the Chronicler	289	(2)
Royal Inscriptions of Moab, Assyria, and Syria	291	(4)
Archaeological Evidence	295	(1)
Conflicts in the Sources	295	(4)
Chronological Issues	299	(1)
Israel at Its Zenith under Omri and Ahab	300	(15)
Omri's Rise to Power	300	(2)
A New Capital at Samaria	302	(1)
Omri and Ahab in International Affairs	303	(8)
Omri and Ahab as Builders	311	(2)
Yahwism and Baalism under the Omrides	313	(2)
Ahab's Death and the Beginning of Decline under Ahaziah	315	(1)
Jehoshaphat of Judah	316	(4)
Jehoshaphat in the Shadow of Ahab	316	(3)
Jehoshaphat's Maritime Venture	319	(1)
The Two Jehorams (?)	320	(3)
The End of the Omrides in Israel	323	(4)
11. The Century of the Jehu Dynasty	327	(33)
Sources of Information	327	(9)
The Biblical Materials	327	(2)
Royal Assyrian and Syrian Records	329	(6)
Archaeology	335	(1)
Chronological Matters	336	(2)
Under Syrian Oppression and Recovery	338	(14)
Jehu, Jehoahaz, and Joash of Israel	340	(7)
Athaliah, Joash, and Amaziah of Judah	347	(5)
National Restoration under Jeroboam II and Uzziah	352	(5)
Israel under Jeroboam	352	(4)
Judah under Uzziah and Jotham	356	(1)
Social and Religious Conditions	357	(3)
12. The Era of Assyrian Domination: The End of the Kingdom of Israel	360	(32)
Sources for the Period	360	(3)
Syria-Palestine and the Assyrian Empire	363	(8)
The Assyrian Conquest of the Eastern Mediterranean Seaboard	363	(4)
Assyrian Administrative Policies	367	(2)
Chronological Issues	369	(2)
Rezin's "Greater Syria"	371	(3)
The Last Years of Israel	374	(14)
Shallum and Menahem	376	(1)
Pekahiah	377	(1)
Pekah	378	(1)
The Syro-Ephraimite Attack on Jerusalem	378	(2)
Tiglath-pileser III's 734-731 Campaign	380	(3)
Hoshea and the Fall of Samaria	383	(5)
The Assyrian Province of Samerina	388	(5)
Deportation and Resettlement	388	(2)
Of Lions and Priests	390	(2)
13. The Era of Assyrian Domination: Judean History from Ahaz to Amon	392	(47)
Ahaz (Jehoahaz I)	393	(7)
Ahaz as Depicted in the Biblical Sources	394	(1)
Ahaz and the Syro-Ephraimite Crisis	395	(3)
Ahaz's Religious Practices	398	(2)
Hezekiah	400	(21)
Hezekiah as Depicted in the Biblical Sources	400	(3)
Chronological Difficulties	403	(1)
Sargon and Hezekiah	404	(6)
Hezekiah's Revolt and Sennacherib's Invasion	410	(11)
Manasseh	421	(16)
Pax Assyriaca	423	(4)
Assyrian-Egyptian Rapprochement	427	(6)
Manasseh and Assyria	433	(3)
Manasseh in Babylon?	436	(1)
Amon	437	(2)
14. The Last Years of the Davidic Kingdom	439	(39)
Sources for the Period	439	(3)
The Accounts in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles	439	(2)
The Prophetical Books	441	(1)
The Babylonian Chronicles	441	(1)
Hebrew Ostraca	442	(1)
Chronological Problems	442	(2)
The Collapse of Assyria and the Rise of Babylonia	444	(6)
Cimmerians, Scythians, and Medes	445	(1)
Egypt and Syria-Palestine	446	(2)
The Rise of Babylon	448	(1)
The Last Days of Assyria	449	(1)
Judah and International Affairs	450	(11)
Judah as an Egyptian Vassal	451	(2)
Judah and the Barbarian Movements	453	(1)
The Reign of Josiah	454	(1)
Literary and Chronological Matters	454	(1)
The Book of the Law	455	(5)
Josiah's Reform 457
The Death of Josiah	460	(1)
Jehoahaz II	461	(1)
Jehoiakim	462	(6)
King Jehoiakim and the Prophet Jeremiah	462	(4)
Judah as a Babylonian Vassal	466	(2)
Jehoiachin	468	(1)
Zedekiah	468	(10)
Judah under Babylonian Hegemony	469	(5)
The Judean Rebellion and the Fall of Jerusalem	474	(4)
15. The Period of Babylonian Domination	478	(20)
Sources for the Period	478	(1)
Judah after the Fall of Jerusalem	479	(9)
General Destruction in the Land	479	(1)
Judean Exiles	480	(2)
Verification of Prophetic Proclamation	482	(1)
The Rule of Gedaliah	482	(3)
An Attempt at Davidic Restoration	485	(2)
Continuation of Cultic Life	487	(1)
The Era of Babylonian Dominance	488	(3)
The Diaspora	491	(7)
The Biblical Source Material	492	(1)
Nonbiblical Sources	492	(1)
The Exiles in Babylonia	493	(3)
The Egyptian Diaspora	496	(2)
16. The Era of the Persian Empire	498	(43)
Sources for the Period	498	(2)
The Rise of Cyrus and the Persians	500	(12)
Cyrus as Liberator and Propagandist	505	(3)
Persian Policy toward the Judean Exiles	508	(2)
The Political Situation in Judah	510	(1)
The Extent of the Return	511	(1)
The Reconstruction of the Jerusalem Temple	512	(10)
Cambyses	513	(2)
Darius I	515	(3)
The Completion of Temple Reconstruction	518	(4)
Judah as a Persian Province after Darius I	522	(2)
Persia and the West from Darius I to Artaxerxes III	524	(4)
The Activity of Ezra and Nehemiah	528	(10)
The Chronological Problem	528	(3)
The Work of Nehemiah	531	(4)
Ezra's Attempted Reform	535	(3)
Later Developments in the Period	538	(3)
Scripture Index	541	(12)
Name Index	553