Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical Books

Commendation Quotes: "Given the dramatic developments in the study of ancient Israelite history and historical writing over the past two decades, the publication of an up-to-date dictionary is a most welcome development. Arnold and Williamson have assembled a well-respected international team of scholars to provide readers with clear, concise and helpful overviews of a variety of relevant topics."Commendation Quotes: "It is quite a testimony to a dictionary to say I could hardly resist the temptation to read it through from "Aaron" to "Zerubbabel." History, archaeology, everyday life, theology, religion, geography, critical theories, hermeneutics--it's all there, in articles written by a very wide range of top scholars and younger experts. It is a marvelous volume."Commendation Quotes: "Quite simply, this is an excellent work of reference. Its list of articles has been carefully chosen, and includes all the important ones for understanding the Historical Books of the Old Testament in a wide range of perspectives: methodological, literary, geographical, archaeological, historical, religious, major personalities. Equally well chosen are the authors of the articles, who represent among the best in contemporary biblical scholarship internationally, many of them already well known for their work on the topics they here write about. The articles themselves are concise and yet comprehensive, presenting in lucid fashion the information about their topics, with very helpful bibliographies of relevant scholarship. But more than the presentation of information, the articles dig seriously into the problems of how that information has been and can be interpreted. They offer, thus, a real exposure to the challenges and debates that have made up the study of the Bible in the past and the present."Commendation Quotes: "This dictionary clearly recognizes the distinction between history as what happened in the past and history as a written record of the past, and gives sustained attention to each. Students will profit immensely from concise statements of the historical issues and from the fair presentation of all major points of view. The bibliographical references should stimulate those who want to dig deeper, and the dictionary format will surely please those who want to and/or need to focus their reading. At a time when so many issues in Israel's history are contested, this dictionary provides a reliable and competent guide."Commendation Quotes: "The publisher of DOTHB, the latest volume in the comprehensive series on the Old and New Testaments and their backgrounds, is to be commended on this magnificent achievement. The editors have distinguished and well-deserved reputations in biblical studies, while the authors, some better known than others, are uniformly well-qualified and in the forefront of our field. The list of contributors and articles is comprehensive, if not exhaustive, and those read by the present writer, across the spectrum of history, archaeology and theology, are first-rate both in terms of fair-minded scholarship and reader-friendly literary quality. Authors and editors alike are to be congratulated for a stellar accomplishment. As a person with some experience in the reference work business, I can recommend the new arrival with utmost enthusiasm."Commendation Quotes: "With entries ranging from 'agriculture' to 'Zion traditions, ' DOTHB attempts a 'total context' treatment of the Historical Books of the Old Testament. Since these books are concerned with much more than 'history, ' this approach is absolutely right, and is admirably carried through. I am particularly pleased to see the level of awareness of recent developments in biblical and archaeological study in many of the articles. This is a very valuable addition to the IVP dictionary series."Commendation Quotes: "An invaluable guide to the Historical Books which sums up current thinking on all the major issues. Readers can rely on this work for the best in today's scholarship."Commendation Quotes: "One of the best dictionaries I have encountered, this volume on the Historical Books of the Old Testament is a veritable gold mine of information, clearly and competently presented. The treatments are rich and complete, accessible to any reader. Some of them provide as fine a concise guide to the topic under consideration as can be found. Not only does the volume take up obvious and important topics, such as the main historical figures, historical issues and biblical books; it also engages hermeneutical, theological and linguistic matters. In some cases, while the essay is focused on the Historical Books, it will serve as a way into the topic within the whole of Scripture. The authors come from a wide spectrum of points of view, but they all work to present a broad and full picture of the issues under discussion. A valuable reference tool for anyone working in the Scriptures."Review Quotes: "Given the dramatic developments in the study of ancient Israelite history and historical writing over the past two decades, the publication of an up-to-date dictionary is a most welcome development. Arnold and Williamson have assembled a well-respected international team of scholars to provide readers with clear, concise and helpful overviews of a variety of relevant topics."--Gary N. Knoppers, Head, Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies, The Pennsylvania State UniversityReview Quotes: "One of the best dictionaries I have encountered, this volume on the Historical Books of the Old Testament is a veritable gold mine of information, clearly and competently presented. The treatments are rich and complete, accessible to any reader. Some of them provide as fine a concise guide to the topic under consideration as can be found. Not only does the volume take up obvious and important topics, such as the main historical figures, historical issues and biblical books; it also engages hermeneutical, theological and linguistic matters. In some cases, while the essay is focused on the Historical Books, it will serve as a way into the topic within the whole of Scripture. The authors come from a wide spectrum of points of view, but they all work to present a broad and full picture of the issues under discussion. A valuable reference tool for anyone working in the Scriptures."--Patrick D. Miller, Princeton Theological SeminaryReview Quotes: "This dictionary clearly recognizes the distinction between history as what happened in the past and history as a written record of the past, and gives sustained attention to each. Students will profit immensely from concise statements of the historical issues and from the fair presentation of all major points of view. The bibliographical references should stimulate those who want to dig deeper, and the dictionary format will surely please those who want to and/or need to focus their reading. At a time when so many issues in Israel's history are contested, this dictionary provides a reliable and competent guide."--Ralph W. Klein, Lutheran School of Theology at ChicagoReview Quotes: "With entries ranging from 'agriculture' to 'Zion traditions, ' DOTHB attempts a 'total context' treatment of the Historical Books of the Old Testament. Since these books are concerned with much more than 'history, ' this approach is absolutely right, and is admirably carried through. I am particularly pleased to see the level of awareness of recent developments in biblical and archaeological study in many of the articles. This is a very valuable addition to the IVP dictionary series."--Robert P. Gordon, Regius Professor of Hebrew, University of CambridgeReview Quotes: "It is quite a testimony to a dictionary to say I could hardly resist the temptation to read it through from "Aaron" to "Zerubbabel." History, archaeology, everyday life, theology, religion, geography, critical theories, hermeneutics--it's all there, in articles written by a very wide range of top scholars and younger experts. It is a marvelous volume."--John Goldingay, David Allan Hubbard Professor of Old Testament, Fuller Theological SeminaryReview Quotes: "An invaluable guide to the Historical Books which sums up current thinking on all the major issues. Readers can rely on this work for the best in today's scholarship."--John Barton, Oriel and Laing Professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture, University of OxfordReview Quotes: "The publisher of DOTHB, the latest volume in the comprehensive series on the Old and New Testaments and their backgrounds, is to be commended on this magnificent achievement. The editors have distinguished and well-deserved reputations in biblical studies, while the authors, some better known than others, are uniformly well-qualified and in the forefront of our field. The list of contributors and articles is comprehensive, if not exhaustive, and those read by the present writer, across the spectrum of history, archaeology and theology, are first-rate both in terms of fair-minded scholarship and reader-friendly literary quality. Authors and editors alike are to be congratulated for a stellar accomplishment. As a person with some experience in the reference work business, I can recommend the new arrival with utmost enthusiasm."--David Noel Freedman, Editor-in-Chief, The Anchor Bible ProjectReview Quotes: "Quite simply, this is an excellent work of reference. Its list of articles has been carefully chosen, and includes all the important ones for understanding the Historical Books of the Old Testament in a wide range of perspectives: methodological, literary, geographical, archaeological, historical, religious, major personalities. Equally well chosen are the authors of the articles, who represent among the best in contemporary biblical scholarship internationally, many of them already well known for their work on the topics they here write about. The articles themselves are concise and yet comprehensive, presenting in lucid fashion the information about their topics, with very helpful bibliographies of relevant scholarship. But more than the presentation of information, the articles dig seriously into the problems of how that information has been and can be interpreted. They offer, thus, a real exposure to the challenges and debates that have made up the study of the Bible in the past and the present."--Peter Machinist, Harvard University, Department of Near Eastern Languages and CivilizationsTable of Contents: Preface How to Use This Dictionary Abbreviations Transliterations List of Contributors Dictionary Articles Table of Archaeological Periods Maps Scripture Index Subject Index Articles IndexPublisher Marketing: Edited by Bill T. Arnold and Hugh G. M. Williamson, the Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical Books is the second volume in IVP's Old Testament dictionary series. This volume picks up where the Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch left off--with Joshua and Israel poised to enter the land--and carries us through the postexilic period. Following in the tradition of the four award-winning IVP dictionaries focused on the New Testament, this encyclopedic work is characterized by in-depth articles focused on key topics, many of them written by noted experts. The history of Israel forms the skeletal structure of the Old Testament. Understanding this history and the biblical books that trace it is essential to comprehending the Bible. The Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical Books is the only reference book focused exclusively on these biblical books and the history of Israel. The dictionary presents articles on numerous historical topics as well as major articles focused on the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah. Other articles focus on the Deuteronomistic History as well as the Chronicler's History, the narrative art of Israel's historians, innerbiblical exegesis, text and textual criticism, and the emergence of these books as canonical. One feature is a series of eight consecutive articles on the periods of Israel's history from the settlement to postexilic period, which form a condensed history of Israel within the DOTHB. Syro-Palestinian archaeology is surveyed in one article, while significant archaeological sites receive focused treatment, usually under the names of biblical cities and towns such as Jerusalem and Samaria, Shiloh and Shechem, Dan and Beersheba. Other articles delve into the histories and cultures of the great neighboring empires--Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia and Persia--as well as lesser peoples, such as the Ammonites, Edomites, Moabites, Philistines and Phoenicians. In addition there are articles on architecture, Solomon's temple, agriculture and animal husbandry, roads and highways, trade and travel, and water and water systems. The languages of Hebrew and Aramaic, as well as linguistics, each receive careful treatment, as well as the role of scribes and their schools, and writing and literacy in ancient Israel and its environs. The DOTHB also canvases the full range of relevant extrabiblical written evidence, with five articles focused on the various non-Israelite written sources as well as articles on Hebrew inscriptions and ancient Near Eastern iconography. Articles on interpretive methods, on hermeneutics and on preaching the Historical Books will assist students and communicators in understanding how this biblical literature has been studied and interpreted, and its proper use in preaching. In the same vein, theological topics such as God, prayer, faith, forgiveness and righteousness receive separate treatment. The history of Israel has long been contested territory, but never more so than today. Much like the quest of the historical Jesus, a quest of the historical Israel is underway. At the heart of the quest to understand the history of Israel and the Old Testament's Historical Books is the struggle to come to terms with the conventions of ancient historiography. How did these writers conceive of their task and to whom were they writing? Clearly the Old Testament historians did not go about their task as we would today. The divine word was incarnated in ancient culture. Rather than being a dictionary of quick answers and easy resolutions readily provided, theDOTHB seeks to set out the evidence and arguments, allowing a range of informed opinion to enrich the conversation. In this way it is hoped that the DOTHB will not only inform its readers, but draw them into the debate and equip them to examine the evidence for themselves. Review Citations: American Reference Bks Annual 01/01/2006 pg. 573 (EAN 9780830817825, Hardcover) Choice 07/01/2006 pg. 1965 (EAN 9780830817825, Hardcover) Contributor Bio:  Arnold, Bill T Bill T. Arnold (PhD, Hebrew Union College) es Director de Estudios Hebreos y Profesor de Antiguo Testamento y de Lenguas Semiticas en el Seminario Teologico Asbury, en Wilmore, Kentucky. Es autor de la obra -Encountering the Book of Genesis- y tambien coautor de -Encountering the Old Testament- y de -A Guide to Biblical Hebrew Syntax-. Bill y su esposa Susan tienen tres hijos y viven en Lexington, Kentucky.