Steven L. McKenzie

John L. Kaltner

This book presents introductions and overviews of the following languages that are significant for the study of the Hebrew Bible: Biblical and inscriptional Hebrew; Akkadian; Northwest Semitic dialects (Ammonite, Edomite, and Moabite); Arabic; Aramaic; Egyptian; Hittite; Phoenician; Post-biblical Hebrew; and Ugaritic. Paperback edition is available from the Society of Biblical Literature (www.sbl-site.org).

A Handbook for Biblical Hebrew and Related Languages

Beyond Babel

John Kaltner

Beyond Babel provides a general introduction to and overview of the languages that are significant for the study of the Hebrew Bible and ancient Israel. Included are essays on biblical and inscriptional Hebrew, Akkadian, Northwest Semitic dialects (Ammonite, Edomite, and Moabite), Arabic, Aramaic, Egyptian, Hittite, Phoenician, postbiblical Hebrew, and Ugaritic. Each chapter in the volume shares a common format, including an overview of the language, a discussion of its significance for the Hebrew Bible, and a list of ancient sources and modern resources for further study of the language. A general introduction by John Huehnergard discusses the importance of the study of Near Eastern languages for biblical scholarship, helping to make the volume an ideal resource for persons beginning an in-depth study of the Hebrew Bible.

Matt Patrick Graham

The Heritage of Martin Noth

The History of Israel’s Traditions

M. Patrick Graham

In 1943, the famous Old Testament scholar, Martin Noth, published his monograph, _berlieferungsgeschichtliche Studien, in which he established the hypothesis of a Deuteronomistic History and gave his treatment of the Chronicler's History. It quickly became one of the classics in the field and is probably Noth's most enduring legacy. This book brings together essays from an international symposium of scholars celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of Noth's important volume and reviewing his other contributions to Old Testament study. Part I discusses Noth's life and work (Christopher Begg), his view of the Deuteronomistic History (Antony Campbell) and the Chronicler's History (Roddy Braun), his contributions to the history of Israel (Thomas Thompson), tradition criticism (Rolf Rendtorff), and Old Testament theology (Timo Veijola), as well as reflections on Noth's impact on current and future study (David Noel Freedman, Walter Dietrich). Part II analyses the scholarship over the past fifty years on each book in the Deuteronomistic History: Deuteronomy (Thomas Romer), Joshua (Brian Peckham), Judges (Mark O'Brien), 1-2 Samuel (P. Kyle McCarter), and 1-2 Kings (Steven McKenzie).

The History of Israel's Traditions

Gary N. Knoppers

The fifteen articles in this volume, arising from work in the Chronicles-Ezra-Nehemiah Section of the Society of Biblical Literature, engage with the author's thought and message through analysis of certain critical texts or by identifying and tracing larger themes through the work. The collection follows The Chronicler as Historian and The Chronicler as Author. Like these previous volumes, this book also endeavours to show the diverse approaches employed in Chronicles scholarship. Contributors: Robert H. Smith, Allen W. Mueller, Gary N. Knoppers, Gerrie F. Snyman, Ehud Ben Zvi, Philip Abadie, Mark A. Throntveit, Leslie C. Allen, Christopher T. Begg, Roddy L. Braun, John C. Endres, Isaac Kalimi, Brian E. Kelly, William M. Schniedewind and John W. Wright.

Essays in Honor of Ralph W. Klein

The Chronicler as Theologian

The Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries provide compact, critical commentaries on the books of the Old Testament for the use of theological students and pastors. The commentaries are also useful for upper-level college or university students and for those responsible for teaching in congregational settings. In addition to providing basic information and insights into the Old Testament writings, these commentaries exemplify the tasks and procedures of careful interpretation, all to assist students of the Old Testament in coming to an informed and critical engagement with the biblical texts themselves. The present volume gives an up-to-date, readable commentary on the books of First and Second Chronicles. The commentary covers critical issues section by section while emphasizing the larger theological and literary issues in Chronicles and illustrating its relevance for modern readers.

Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries: I & II Chronicles

This book analyzes the book of Kings on the basis of Noth's compositional model for the Deuteronomistic History, while also taking account of recent literary critical treatments of Kings. Consistent with Noth's theory, McKenzie sees Kings and the DH as originally being the work of a single author/editor that has received numerous later additions, some of them quite extensive. He dates Dtr, with Cross, to the reign of Josiah, seeing the final two and one-half chapters of Kings as an addition. But he believes that tensions among the additions to Kings show they are not the result of systematic editing (e.g., Dtr2).

The Composition of the Book of Kings in the Deuteronomistic History

The Trouble with Kings

One of the most important and complex characters in the Bible, King David has been the subject of innumerable portraits, both artistic and literary. Michaelangelo's magnificent sculpture of him is perhaps the single best known work of art in the world, and the story of the humble shepherd who slew Goliath and became king has assumed a powerful mythological status. But was David a real person--and if so what kind of person was he? Through a close and critical reading of biblical texts, ancient history, and recent archeological discoveries, Steven L. McKenzie concludes that David was indeed a real person. This David, however, was no hero but a usurper, adulterer, and murderer--a Middle Eastern despot of a familiar type. McKenzie shows that the story of humble beginnings is utterly misleading: "shepherd" is a metaphor for "king," and David came from a wealthy, upper-class background. Similarly, McKenzie reveals how David's ascent to power, traditionally attributed to popularity and divine blessing, in fact resulted from a campaign of terror and assassination. While instituting a full-blown Middle Eastern monarchy, David was an aggressive leader, a devious politician, and a ruthless war chief. Throughout his scandalous reign, important figures who stood in his way died at convenient times, under questionable circumstances. Even his own sons were not spared. David's story, writes McKenzie, "reads like a modern soap opera, with plenty of sex, violence, and struggles for power." Carefully researched and vividly written, King David: An Unauthorized Biography offers a provocative reappraisal of the life of one of the Bible's most compelling figures.

A Biography

King David

Covenant (biblical Themes Series)

Linda S. Schearing

As recent scholarship dates Hebrew Bible materials later and later, the Deuteronomistic History has grown in importance. Viewed as the original, earliest document of the Hebrew Scriptures, it is credited with influencing (formally or informally) almost every level of the Hebrew Bible's composition. The 13 essays in this book include articles by N. Lohfink, A.G. Auld, J. Blenkinsopp, R.J. Coggins, J. Crenshaw, J. Van Seters and R.R. Wilson, as well as outstanding articles by newer scholars in the field. All address the question of whether or not the claims made by the pervasive pan-deuteronomism movement sweeping the discipline can, in fact, be verified.

'Pandeuteronomism' and Scholarship in the Nineties

Those Elusive Deuteronomists

Dealing with each section of the canon, this book explains standard questions, paying special attention to where scholars agree and where they don't.

An Introduction to Critical Issues

The Hebrew Bible Today

"As . . . newer approaches [to biblical criticism] become more established and influential, it is essential that students and other serious readers of the Bible be exposed to them and become familiar with them. That is the main impetus behind the present volume, which is offered as a textbook for those who wish to go further than the approaches covered in To Each Its Own Meaning by exploring more recent or experimental ways of reading." from the introduction This book is a supplement and sequel to To Each Its Own Meaning, edited by Steven L. McKenzie and Stephen R. Haynes, which introduced the reader to the most important methods of biblical criticism and remains a widely used classroom textbook. This new volume explores recent developments in, and approaches to, biblical criticism since 1999. Leading contributors define and describe their approach for non-specialist readers, using examples from the Old and New Testament to help illustrate their discussion. Topics include cultural criticism, disability studies, queer criticism, postmodernism, ecological criticism, new historicism, popular culture, postcolonial criticism, and psychological criticism. Each section includes a list of key terms and definitions and suggestions for further reading.

Recent Approaches to Biblical Criticisms and Their Applications

New Meanings for Ancient Texts

In this much-needed reminder for those struggling to live faithful lives today, Steven McKenzie insists that the Bible's true message leads Christians away from the evils of racism and narrowness of bigotry to God's vision of humanity and unity.

A Biblical Critique of Racism

All God's Children

König David ist eine der herausragendsten Gestalten der Alten Welt. Sein sagenhafter Aufstieg vom Hirten zum König durch den Sieg über Goliath hat Dichter und Künstler über die Jahrhunderte inspiriert. In dieser erstmals auf deutsch veröffentlichten Biographie zeigt der renommierte amerikanische Alttestamentler Steven McKenzie auf, daß viele Geschichten, die sich um David ranken, tatsächlich Mythen sind: Die Bezeichnung "Hirte" ist eine Metapher für "König", und David kam aus einer reichen Familie der Oberschicht und nicht aus "kleinen Verhältnissen". Der David, der bei kritischer Durchsicht der biblischen Texte, althistorischen Dokumente und neuen archäologischen Funde zum Vorschein kommt, war ein Thronräuber, Ehebrecher und Mörder, der seinen Aufstieg zum König geschickter Machtpolitik und Terror verdankte. Steven McKenzie bietet mit dieser sorgfältig recherchierten und spannend geschriebenen Biographie ein provokantes Portrait. Die englische Originalausgabe wurde mit dem Preis "Best Book of the Year 2000" der Los Angeles Times Book Review ausgezeichnet.

Eine Biographie

König David

Steven McKenzie here surveys the historical books of the Old Testament Joshua through Ezra-Nehemiah for their historical context, contents, form, and themes, communicating them clearly and succinctly for an introductory audience. / By providing a better understanding of biblical history writing in its ancient context, McKenzie helps readers come to terms with tensions between the Bible s account and modern historical analyses. Rather than denying the results of historical research or dismissing its practitioners as wrongly motivated, he suggests that the source of the perceived discrepancy may lie not with the Bible but with the way in which it has been read. He also calls into question whether the genre of the Bible s historical books has been properly understood.

Steven L. McKenzie

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