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| Plot Summary of What Did The Biblical Writers Know and When Did They Know It? |
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"Published in 2001, William G. Dever, a top archaeologist in Near East studies, sums up in this book 35 years of his life's work, concentrating on Israel in the Iron Age (c.1200-600BC). His main motivation for this substantial 300 page work is the academic polemic of the last decade instigated by the minimalist postmodern school. He examines their philosophical worldview, the logic of their argument and interpretation, and the coalition supporting their case. (The beginning student in this area might be best advised to start with something like 'The Bible and the Ancient Near East' by Gordon & Rendsburg.) As an expert excavator and director of fieldwork his great strength is his interpretation of the physical data, respect for professional standards such as establishment of context and stratigraphy, and relation of hard evidence to the bible text. He engages in a little light anthropology, explaining the wars and peacetime behaviour of the nation. Above all his orthodox motivation and passion sizzle off the page - he correctly feels his life's work and archaeology itself to be threatened by the minimalist approach.
The chapters are hard to summarise as they present so much physical evidence and close argument but here are the titles. 1) The bible as history, literature, and theology. 2) Revisionists and their non-histories. 3) What archaeology is and what it can contribute to biblical studies. 4) Getting at the 'history behind the history': convergences between texts and artifacts - Israelite origins and the rise of the state. 5) Daily life in Israel in the time of the divided monarchy. 6) What is left of the history of ancient Israel and why should it matter to anyone? Hugely recommended."
Michael JR Jose, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of What Did The Biblical Writers Know and When Did They Know It? |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Kind Of History
Time of history:
- 2000-0 BC
- Bible Time!
History of a people?
Yes
History of religion?
Yes
Nationality?
- Israel
Religion?
- Jews!
Subjects of this Historical Account
Religion? (if plays a major part)
- Jews!
Is the portrayal sympathetic?
- Sympathetic
Intelligence of subject of
history:
- Smart
Main Adversary
From a certain profession/group?
- dictators
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a little/some
Is the portrayal sympathetic?
- Sympathetic
Setting
Middle East?
Yes
Middle East
- Israel
If applicable, liberal/conservative?
- Historian is moderately liberal
Style
How much gore?
- 1 ()
How fast-paced is the book?
- 2 ()
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
Book makes you feel...
- thoughtful
How much focus on stories of individuals?
- Focuses mostly on the people/nation level
How much romance?
- 1 ()
Is book humorous?
Yes
If humorous, kind of humor
- Dry-cynical
Minor characters feature lots of:
- farmers
Pictures/Illustrations?
- A lot
Maps necessary?
- Necessary maps provided
Length of book
- 300-350 pages
How much emphasis on small details?
- 8 ()
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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