A Concise History of Ancient Israel: From the Beginnings Through the Hellenistic Era

Bernd U. Schipper

Published by Penn State University Press 2019

A Concise History of Ancient Israel

From the Beginnings Through the Hellenistic Era

Bernd U. Schipper
Translated by: Michael Lesley

Volume 11 in the series Critical Studies in the Hebrew Bible

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781646020294

Overview
Contents

About this book

The history of biblical Israel, as it is told in the Hebrew Bible, differs substantially from the history of ancient Israel as it can be reconstructed using ancient Near Eastern texts and archaeological evidence. In A Concise History of Ancient Israel, Bernd U. Schipper uses this evidence to present a critical revision of the history of Israel and Judah from the late second millennium BCE to the beginning of the Roman period.

Considering archaeological material as well as biblical and extrabiblical texts, Schipper argues that the history of “Israel” in the preexilic period took place mostly in the hinterland of the Levant and should be understood in the context of the Neo-Assyrian expansion. He demonstrates that events in the exilic and postexilic periods also played out differently than they are recounted in the biblical books of Ezra and Nehemiah. In contrast to previous scholarship, which focused heavily on Israel’s origins and the monarchic period, Schipper’s history gives equal attention to the Persian and early Hellenistic periods, providing confirmation that a wide variety of forms of YHWH religion existed in the Persian period and persisted into the Hellenistic age.

Original and innovative, this brief history provides a new outline of the historical development of ancient Israel that will appeal to students, scholars, and lay readers who desire a concise overview.

Author / Editor information

Schipper Bernd U. :

Bernd U. Schipper is Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Religion at the Humboldt University of Berlin.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
List of Illustrations Publicly Available Download PDF	ix
Preface Publicly Available Download PDF	xi
List of Abbreviations Publicly Available Download PDF	xiii
Chronology Publicly Available Download PDF	xv
Chapter 1 Introduction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
Chapter 2 The Origins of Israel and Its Early History (1208–926/925 BCE) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	10
Chapter 3 Israel and Judah from 926/925 to the Conquest of Samaria in 722/720 BCE Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	34
Chapter 4 The Judean Monarchy from 722/720 to the Conquest of Jerusalem in 587/586 BCE Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	55
Chapter 5 The Persian Period (550–333 BCE) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	71
Chapter 6 The Hellenistic Period (333–64/63 BCE) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	93
Archaeological Periods Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	117
Maps Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	119
Bibliography Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	125
Index of Authors Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	149
Index of Place and Personal Names Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	153
Index of Scripture Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	159
Index of Other Ancient Sources Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	163

Language: English
Publisher: Penn State University Press
Audience: Professional and scholarly;
Pages
- Main content: 184
Illustrations
- Illustrations: 11
- Images: 11
- Other: 11 illustrations
Keywords: Ancient Israel; Biblical Israel; History of Ancient Israel; Israel in the Persian Period

eBook

Published: April 28, 2020
ISBN: 9781646020294