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Title: A History of Israel by John Bright, William P. Brown ISBN: 0-664-22068-1 Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press Pub. Date: August, 2000 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $34.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.33 (6 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Good, but not objective
Comment: I had to write this when I saw the other reviews. I purchased the book because I felt that it would be an objective analysis of the archeological findings from the region. Israel and Palestine are some of the most heavily excavated real estate in the world. If there had been a palace of Salomon and David, it would have been found by now - and properly identified in time. Much of the work in this book I would describe as wishful thinking. Its fine to take the Hebrew Bible as a guide, just as others took Homer's Iliad as a guide to Troy. But no one seriously feels that finding some evidence for a historical Troy means that Hector, Paris and Helena were real people. Nice story, but without some factual evidence, it's still just a nice story, no matter how strongly you believe.
That's where this book falls down. It looks at the evidence in the best light for what he want to prove (that's perfectly acceptable) but then he over-reaches and makes claims that can not be supported by any evidence. 2 + 2 do not equal 8 no matter how fervently you believe it.
Despite this, there is some very good analysis in the book, and I look forward to using some parts of it as reference in future. I am glad I purchased it, but just be advised of its shortcomings. It's not the objective read that the reviews trumpet.
Rating: 5
Summary: Almost does it
Comment: For a long time I had been looking for a history of Israel in which the conclusions are based on the same kinds of evidence as any other history. Bright's wonderful book is almost it. I do not understand why he says things like "that Moses was an actual person can scarely be doubted" or something to that effect. He vacillates between an historian's examination of data and the same old deference to Scripture from which I've needed a relief for decades. He does say that sometimes the only source we have is the scripture, but he still seems to be influenced by what people have found sacred, such as the existence of Abraham as a real person or the event of the Exodus. All in all though, it is the best I've seen.
Rating: 5
Summary: The Old Reliable OT Background Book
Comment: At sem this was required reading to achieve an accurate, full understanding of the historical context of the OT books.
Bright is intense, thorough and up-to-date with archaeological finds, coming out of the Albright school.
He updates his text with the Dead Sea scrolls as well as the Ebla tablets and other findings which provide additional insight into the historical setting.
Conflicting views are given attention along with excellent footnotes for further reading and a well stocked bibliography.
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Title: The Kingdom of God: The Biblical Concept and Its Meaning for the Church by John Bright ISBN: 0687209080 Publisher: Abingdon Press Pub. Date: December, 1980 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
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Title: Introduction to the Old Testament, An by Tremper Longman ISBN: 0310432502 Publisher: Zondervan Pub. Date: 22 December, 1994 List Price(USD): $27.99 |
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Title: Survey of Israel's History, A by Leon James Wood ISBN: 031034770X Publisher: Zondervan Pub. Date: 11 October, 1986 List Price(USD): $26.99 |
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Title: The World That Shaped the New Testament by Calvin J. Roetzel, David L. Tiede ISBN: 0664224156 Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press Pub. Date: November, 2002 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: An Introduction to the Old Testament: The Canon and Christian Imagination by Walter Brueggemann ISBN: 0664224121 Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press Pub. Date: November, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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