In Search of 'Ancient Israel': A Study in Biblical Origins

(Paperback, 2nd edition)

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Description

The appearance of In Search of 'Ancient Israel' generated a still-raging controversy about the historical reality of what biblical scholars call 'Ancient Israel'. But its argument not only takes in the problematic relationship between Iron Age Palestinian archaeology and the biblical 'Israel' but also outlines the processes that created the literature of the Hebrew bible-the ideological matrix, the scribal milieu, and the cultural adoption of a national literary archive as religious scripture as part of the process of creating 'Judaisms'. As such, in this volume Philip R. Davies challenges the whole spectrum of scholarly consensus about the origins of 'Israel' and its scriptures, in a manner that is both learned and accessible. For this new edition Davies has provided a new extended introduction, in which he considers how the debate has raged since the book was first published, and in which he repositions this classic work within the present scholarly context.

Reviews

Philip Davies has been a key force in resetting the agenda and method for modern historians and biblical scholars. His many studies on the Persian and Hellenistic periods have helped scholars to envision these late centuries as the time when the biblical text was most likely composed. But his monograph In Search of "Ancient Israel" belongs to those tours de force that cut through the complexities of a discipline to make a point that has been at once obvious to many, yet enunciated by few - in this case: "biblical Israel," "historical Israel," and the scholarly construct of "ancient Israel" are distinct entities and should not be facilely confused with each other. * Douglas A, Knight, Vanderbilt University, USA *
This new edition of In Search of "Ancient Israel" is more than welcome, because the questions that Philip Davies raises in this groundbreaking essay are still highly topical. He brilliantly challenges what has been for a long time a scholarly consensus about the origins of "biblical Israel" and its sacred texts. Whether one agrees always or not with Davies' provocative thesis this book is a must read for every student and scholar of Hebrew Bible. * Thomas Rmer, Professor of Hebrew Bible, Collge de France and University of Lausanne, Switzerland *
This book by Philip Davies is a classic because it articulated a compelling idea that is larger than and outlives any specific explanation. When we speak of ancient Israel, we must separate its biblical renditions from whatever Israel was in history. For those of us who persist in this search, it is still worth attending to Davies' acerbic challenge, which should make the reader think - and smile. * Daniel Fleming, New York University, USA *

Author Bio

Philip R. Davies is Emeritus Professor at the University of Sheffield, UK. His publications with T&T Clark include The Origins of Biblical Israel (2007) and The Old Testament World (2005).