This collection of essays provide resources for the interpretation of the "Historical Books" of the Hebrew Bible that includes the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah. The contributors to this collection are guided by two primary questions: (1) What does this topic have to do with the Old Testament Historical Books? and (2) How does this topic help readers better interpret the Old Testament Historical Books? By first providing a critical survey of prior scholarship, each essay prepares the reader before presenting current and prospective approaches to understanding these texts.

Brad E. Kelle is Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew, Point Loma Nazarene University (San Diego, CA).
Brent A. Strawn is Professor of Old Testament, Duke University.

• Preface


• Abbreviations


• List of Contributors


• Introduction, Brad E. Kelle and Brent A. Strawn


• I. Contexts: Sources, History, Texts


• 1. Historiography and History Writing in the Ancient World, Richard D. Nelson


• 2. Assyrian and Babylonian Sources, Martti Nissinen


• 3. Achaemenid Political History and Sources, Amélie Kuhrt


• 4. Text-Critical Issues with Samuel and Kings, Julio Trebolle Barrera and Eugene Ulrich


• 5. Text-Critical Issues in Ezra-Nehemiah and 1 Esdras, Lisbeth S. Fried


• 6. Early Israel's Origins, Settlement, and Ethnogenesis, Ann E. Killebrew


• 7. Israelite State Formation and Early Monarchy in History and Biblical Historiography, Walter Dietrich


• 8. The Later Monarchy in History and Biblical Historiography, Paul S. Evans


• 9. New Perspectives on the Exile in Light of Cuneiform Texts, Laurie Pearce


• 10. New Perspectives on the Return from Exile and Persian-Period Yehud, Mary Joan Winn Leith


• II. Content: Themes, Concepts, Issues


• 1. Israelite and Judean Society and Economy, Roger S. Nam


• 2. Politics and Kingship in the Historical Books, with Attention to the Role of Political Theory in Interpretation, Geoffrey Parsons Miller


• 3. The Distinctive Roles of the Prophets in the Deuteronomistic History and the Chronicler's History, Marvin A. Sweeney


• 4. The Various Roles of Women in the Historical Books, Mercedes L. García-Bachmann


• 5. Exogamy and Divorce in Ezra and Nehemiah, Herbert R. Marbury


• 6. Yahwistic Religion in the Assyrian and Babylonian Periods, Richard S. Hess


• 7. Yahwistic Religion in the Persian Period, Melody D. Knowles


• 8. A Theological Comparison of the Deuteronomistic History and Chronicles, Matthew J. Lynch


• 9. Divine and Human Violence in the Historical Books, Douglas S. Earl


• III. Approaches: Composition, Synthesis, Theory


• 1. The So-called Deuteronomistic History and Its Theories of Composition, Thomas Römer


• 2. Reading the Historical Books as Part of the Primary History, Richard S. Briggs


• 3. Synchronic Readings of Joshua-Kings, Serge Frolov


• 4. The Rise and Fall of the So-Called Chronicler's History and the Current Study of the Composition of Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah, Ralph W. Klein


• 5. 1 Esdras: Structure, Composition, and Significance, Kristin De Troyer


• 6. Synthetic and Literary Readings of Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah, Steven J. Schweitzer


• 7. The Role of Orality and Textuality, Folklore and Scribalism in the Historical Books, Susan Niditch


• 8. Feminist and Postcolonial Readings of the Historical Books, Cameron B. R. Howard


• 9. The Deuteronomistic History as Literature of Trauma, David Janzen


• IV. Reception: Literature, Traditions, Figures


• 1. Joshua in Reception History, Zev I. Farber


• 2. Deborah in Reception History, Joy A. Schroeder


• 3. Samson in Reception History, Kelly J. Murphy


• 4. Saul in Reception History, Barbara Green


• 5. David in Reception History, Dominik Markl


• 6. Solomon in Reception History, Sara M. Koenig


• 7. Ezra and Nehemiah in Reception History, Armin Siedlecki


• 8. The Historical Books in the New Testament, Steve Moyise