The Old Testament A Historical and Literary Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures

by Coogan, Michael D.

• ISBN13: 9780195139112
• ISBN10: 0195139119
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-12-01
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Lucidly written by a leading biblical scholar, this balanced, engaging, and up-to-date introduction to the Hebrew scriptures distills the best of current scholarship. Employing the narrative chronology of the Bible itself and the history of the ancient Near East as a framework, author MichaelD. Coogan covers all the books of the Hebrew Bible, along with the deuterocanonical books included in the Bible used by many Christians. He treats every book of the canon with careful attention to its historical context, its particular genre, and its distinctive features. Dealing in detail withancient Near Eastern sources and archaeological data, Coogan works from a primarily historical and critical methodology but also introduces readers to literary analysis and other interpretive strategies, especially current ones. The Old Testament: A Historical and Literary Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures is enhanced by a glossary, timelines, photos, illustrations, maps, and a four-color insert on Jerusalem in biblical times. Strategically placed boxes address issues that often puzzle readers of the Bible,provide models of interpretation of particular texts, and discuss their significance for Judaism and Christianity. Each chapter includes key terms, questions for review and discussion, and suggestions for further reading. Providing a non-denominational and non-doctrinal treatment, The Old Testamentis accessible to students of all backgrounds. It offers a unique and captivating introduction to the Hebrew scriptures themselves and to how they have been--and can be--interpreted.

Table of Contents

Preface

Abbreviations

Credits

Cosmic Origins

Creations. Genesis 1-3

The Book of Genesis

Genesis 1 and the Sabbath

Box 1.1 Chapter and Verse

Box 1.2 Genesis and Science

Box 1.3 The Sabbath in Jewish and Christian Tradition

The Second Account of Creation (Gen 2.4b-3.24)

Box 1.4 Myth and the Bible

Box 1.5 The Garden of Eden

Box 1.6 ""God"" and ""the Lord (God)""

Retrospect and Prospect

Box 1.7 Adam and Eve in Jewish and Christian Tradition

The Formation of the Pentateuch

The Traditional View

The Development of Modern Interpretation

A Summary of the Documentary Hypothesis

Challenges to the Documentary Hypothesis

The Formation of the Pentateuch

Other Strategies for Interpreting the Pentateuch

Retrospect and Prospect

Primeval History. Genesis 4-11

J (the Yahwist Source)

Box 3.1 Cain and Abel

Box 3.2 Noah's Drunkenness

Box 3.3 The Sons of God

Box 3.4 The Tower of Babel

P (the Priestly Source)

Box 3.5 The Table of Nations

Box 3.6 Enoch

The Flood

Retrospect and Prospect

National Origins

The Promised Land: Geography, History, and Ideology

Geography

History

Box 4.1 Timeline

Ideology

Box 4.2 The Land of Israel in Jewish and Christian Tradition

Retrospect and Prospect

The Ancestors of Israel. Genesis 12-50

The Nature of the Narratives

Source Criticism

Box 5.1 Abram and Abraham, Sarai and Sarah

Box 5.2 The Binding of Isaac

Form Criticism

Box 5.3 Circumcision

Ancient Near Eastern Parallels

Box 5.4 The Ugaritic Texts

The Joseph Narrative

The Ancestors of Israel

Box 5.5 Abraham, Father of Believers

History and the Ancestors of Israel

The Religion of the Ancestors

Retrospect and Prospect

Escape From Egypt. Exodus 1-15

The Book of Exodus

Exodus 1-15

Box 6.1 Hebrew and Hebrews

Box 6.2 Legends of Rescue

Box 6.3 The Divine Name Yahweh

Box 6.4 The Hardening of the Pharaoh's Heart

Box 6.5 The Development of the Passover Celebration

The Exodus and History

The Exodus and the History of Religions

Retrospect and Prospect

From Egypt To Sinai. Exodus 16-24

Itineraries

Incidents on the Journey

Box 7.1 Manna

At Sinai

Excursus on Covenant

Box 7.2 The Location of Sinai

Box 7.3 Excerpt from a Hittite Suzerainty Treaty

The Ten Commandments

The Ratification of the Covenant

Retrospect and Prospect

Box 7.4 The Status and Numbering of the Ten Commandments

Law and Ritual. Exodus 20.22-23.33 and 25-40

Law in the Ancient Near East

Box 8.1 Excerpt from the Code of Hammurapi

The Covenant Code (Ex 20.22-23.33)

The Ark, the Tabernacle, and the Priestly Vestments and Ordination

Box 8.2 ""An Eye for an Eye""

The Golden Calf

Box 8.3 Forty Days and Forty Nights

The Ritual Decalogue

Box 8.4 An Ancient Hebrew Agricultural Calendar

Sequel

Retrospect and Prospect

Ritual and Holiness. Leviticus

The Book of Leviticus

Sacrifices (Lev 1-7)

The Consecration Ceremonies and Their Aftermath (Lev 8-10)

Purity and Impurity (Lev 11-15)

The Day of Atonement

The Holiness Code

Box 9.1 Anointing

Box 9.2 Capital Punishment

Excursus on Women in Israelite Ritual and Law

The Ethics of Leviticus

Retrospect and Prospect

In the Wilderness. Numbers

The Book of Numbers

Preparations for the Journey

Law, Ritual, and Purity

The Chronology and Geography of the Wanderings

Rebellions in the Wilderness

Box 10.1 The Rebellions of the Israelites in Christian and Muslim Scriptures

Box 10.2 Miriam

Box 10.3 The Amalekites

Opposition on the Journey

Box 10.4 Excerpt from the Deir Alla Texts

Preparations for the Entry into the Land

Retrospect and Prospect

The End of the Journey to the Promised Land. Deuteronomy

The Book of Deuteronomy

Box 11.1 The Shema

The Origins of Deuteronomy

Box 11.2 Parallel Curses in the Treaties of Esarhaddon and in Deuteronomy

The Deuteronomic School

Excursus on the Character and Personality of Moses

Box 11.3 The Meanings of ""Torah""

Retrospect and Prospect

Joshua and the Conquest of the Land of Canaan. Joshua

The Former Prophets

The Deuteronomistic History

The Book of Joshua

Box 12.1 Parallels between Deuteronomy 27 and Joshua 8

Box 12.2 Shechem in Biblical Tradition

Box 12.3 Circumcision a Second Time?

Retrospect and Prospect

The Emergence of Israel in the Land of Canaan. Judges and Ruth

The Book of Judges

Box 13.1 The Moabites and the Ammonites

Box 13.2 The Song of Deborah

Box 13.3 The Philistines

History and the Israelite Confederation

The Book of Ruth

Retrospect and Prospect

Kings and Prophets

The Establishment of the Monarchy. 1 Samuel

The Book(s) of Samuel

Samuel

Box 14.1 Samuel in Other Traditions

Box 14.2 Positive Assessments of Saul

History

Retrospect and Prospect

The Reign of David. 2 Samuel, 1 Kings 1-2, and Psalm 132

Samuel

Box 15.1 David's Compositions

Box 15.2 Jerusalem

Retrospect and Prospect

Box 15.3 Psalm 132

The Reign of Solomon. 1 Kings 1-11 and Psalm 89

The Books of Kings

Kings 1-11

Box 16.1 Solomon in Later Tradition

Box 16.2 The ""Royal Psalms""

Excursus: The Ideology of the Davidic Monarchy

Box 16.3 The Psalms of Zion

Box 16.4 The Royal Ideology in Later Traditions

Retrospect and Prospect

The Divided Kingdoms of Israel and Judah From the Late Tenth to the Early Eighth Centuries Bce. 1 Kings 12-2 Kings 14

History

Box 17.1 Chronology of Kings of Israel and Judah Late Tenth to Mid-Eighth Centuries BCE

Institutions and Society

Excursus on Prophecy

Box 17.2 Prophets in Later Traditions

The Legends of Elijah and Elisha

Box 17.3 Elijah in Later Tradition

Retrospect and Prospect

The Northern Kingdom of Israel in the Eighth Century BCE. 2 Kings 14-17, Amos, and Hosea

History

Box 18.1 Chronology of the Eighth Century BCE

Prophetic Books and ""Classical"" Prophecy

Amos

Box 18.2 The Day of the Lord

Hosea

Box 18.3 Prophetic Attacks on Rituals

Box 18.4 Marriage in Ancient Israel

Box 18.5 God as Parent: Father or Mother?

Retrospect and Prospect

The Kingdom of Judah in the Eighth and Early Seventh Centuries BCE. 2 Kings 15-20, 2 Chronicles 29-32, Isaiah 1-39, and Micah

History

Box 19.1 Chronology of the Eighth and Seventh Centuries BCE

The Reign of Hezekiah

Isaiah

Box 19.2 Isaiah in Later Tradition

The Siege of Jerusalem in 734 BCE

Box 19.3 The Identity of Immanuel

Box 19.4 Sennacherib's Third Campaign (701 BCE) according to the Assyrian Annals

The Assyrian Invasion of Judah in 701 BCE

Box 19.5 Hezekiah's Tunnel

Micah

Box 19.6 The King from Bethlehem

Retrospect and Prospect

Judah in the Seventh Century Bce: The End of Assyrian Domination. 2 Kings 21-23, 2 Chronicles 33-35, Zephaniah, Nahum, and the Prayer of Manasseh

History

Box 20.1 Chronology of the Seventh Century BCE

The Reign of Manasseh

Box 20.2 Ashurbanipal's Library

The Reign of Josiah

The Book of Zephaniah

Box 20.3 Megiddo and Armageddon

The Book of Nahum

Retrospect and Prospect

The Fall of Jerusalem. 2 Kings 23.31-25.30, 2 Chronicles 36, Habakkuk, Jeremiah, and the Letter of Jeremiah

History

Box 21.1 Chronology of the Late Seventh and Early Sixth Centuries BCE

Box 21.2 Throne Names of Kings of Judah

The Book of Habakkuk

Jeremiah

Box 21.3 Jeremiah in Postbiblical Tradition

Box 21.4 Parallels between Psalms and Jeremiah's Confessions

Box 21.5 Jeremiah and the History of Bookmaking

Retrospect and Prospect

Exile and Return

After The Fall: Jews in Judah and Babylon. Lamentations, Psalm 137, Obadiah, and Ezekiel

History

The Book of Lamentations

Box 22.1 Acrostic Poems

The Jews in Babylonia

Box 22.2 Nebuchadrezzar's Wonders

Psalm 137

Obadiah

Ezekiel

Box 22.3 Yahweh as Violent Spouse

Box 22.4 Leadership in the Restored Community

Box 22.5 Gog of Magog

Retrospect and Prospect

Return From Exile. Ezra 1-2 and Isaiah 34-35 and 40-55

History

Box 23.1 Chronology of the Sixth Century BCE

The Priestly Source of the Pentateuch

The Exilic Edition of the Deuteronomistic History

Isaiah 40-55

Box 23.2 The Development of Monotheism

Box 23.3 Female Images of God

Retrospect and Prospect

Reconstruction and Consolidation

The Early Restoration. Ezra 3-6, 1 Esdras, Haggai, Zechariah 1-8, and Isaiah 56-66

History

Ezra 3-6

Box 24.1 Aramaic

Box 24.2 The Books of Esdras

The Book of Haggai

Zechariah 1-8

Isaiah 56-66

Retrospect and Prospect

Judah in the Fifth Century BCE. Ezra 7-10, Nehemiah, Isaiah 24-27, Zechariah 9-14, Joel, Malachi, and 2 Esdras

History

Box 25.1 Chronology of the Late Sixth to the Late Fourth Centuries BCE

The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah

Box 25.2 The Elephantine Papyri

Apocalyptic Literature

The ""Isaiah Apocalypse"" (Isa 24-27)

Zechariah 9-14

The Book of Joel

The Book of Malachi

Box 25.3 Second Esdras

Retrospect and Prospect

History Rewritten. 1-2 Chronicles

The Books of Chronicles

Box 26.1 Samaria and the Samaritans

Box 26.2 Arrangement of the Genealogies of the Sons of Jacob (the Tribes of Israel)

Box 26.3 Comparison of 2 Samuel 24.1-9 and 1 Chronicles 21.1-7

Retrospect and Prospect

The Consolidation of Traditions. Psalms and Proverbs

The Book of Psalms

Box 27.1 Parallelism

Box 27.2 The Forms of the Psalms

Box 27.3 Form-critical Analysis of Psalm 3

Excursus on Music in Ancient Israel

Wisdom Literature

Box 27.4 Ahiqar and Proverbs

The Book of Proverbs

Retrospect and Prospect

Controversy and Challenge

Dissidents and Lovers. Job, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon

The Book of Job

Box 28.1 The Satan

Box 28.2 ""I Know That My Redeemer Liveth""

Box 28.3 Behemoth and Leviathan

Box 28.4 Job's Wife and Daughters

Box 28.5 Job in Later Tradition

The Book of Ecclesiastes

Excursus on the Development of Beliefs in Life after Death in Ancient Israel

The Song of Solomon

Retrospect and Prospect

Encounters with the Greeks. 1-2 Maccabees, Baruch, Sirach, The Wisdom of Solomon, and 4 Maccabees

History

Box 29.1 Tables of Rulers

Maccabees

Box 29.2 The Dead Sea Scrolls

Box 29.3 Hanukkah

Maccabees

Baruch

The Wisdom of Jesus, Son of Sirach (also known as Ben Sira and Ecclesiasticus)

Box 29.4 Different Views of Immortality in the Hebrew and Greek Texts of Ben Sira

The Wisdom of Solomon

Box 29.5 Contrasts in the Divine Treatment of the Egyptians and the Israelites during the Exodus

Retrospect and Prospect

Box 29.6 4 Maccabees

HEROES UNDER FOREIGN RULERS. Jonah, Esther, Additions to Esther, Judith, Tobit, 3 Maccabees, Daniel, and Additions to Daniel

The Book of Jonah

The Book of Esther

Box 30.1 The Festival of Purim

The Book of Judith

Box 30.2 Widows

The Book of Tobit

Box 30.3 Angels and Demons

Maccabees

The Book of Daniel

Box 30.4 ""Son of Man""

Box 30.5 Outline of the Visions of Successive Kingdoms in the Book of Daniel

Retrospect and Prospect

Appendix: The Canons of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament

Chronological Chart

General Bibliography

Glossary

Index

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