Edited by Bill T. Arnold and Hugh G. M. Williamson, the Dictionary
of the Old Testament: Historical Books picks up where the
Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch left off--with Joshua
and Israel poised to enter the land--and carries us through the
postexilic period. Following in the tradition of the award-winning
IVP dictionaries focused on the New Testament, this encyclopedic
work is characterized by in-depth articles focused on key topics,
many of them written by noted experts. The history of Israel forms
the skeletal structure of the Old Testament. Understanding this
history and the biblical books that trace it is essential to
comprehending the Bible. The Dictionary of the Old Testament:
Historical Books is the only reference book focused exclusively on
these biblical books and the history of Israel. The dictionary
presents articles on numerous historical topics as well as major
articles focused on the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings,
Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah. Other articles focus on the
Deuteronomistic History as well as the Chronicler's History, the
narrative art of Israel's historians, innerbiblical exegesis, text
and textual criticism, and the emergence of these books as
canonical. One feature is a series of eight consecutive articles on
the periods of Israel's history from the settlement to postexilic
period, which form a condensed history of Israel within the DOTHB.
Syro-Palestinian archaeology is surveyed in one article, while
significant archaeological sites receive focused treatment, usually
under the names of biblical cities and towns such as Jerusalem and
Samaria, Shiloh and Shechem, Dan and Beersheba. Other articles
delve into the histories and cultures of the great neighboring
empires--Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia and Persia--as well as lesser
peoples, such as the Ammonites, Edomites, Moabites, Philistines and
Phoenicians. In addition there are articles on architecture,
Solomon's temple, agriculture and animal husbandry, roads and
highways, trade and travel, and water and water systems. The
languages of Hebrew and Aramaic, as well as linguistics, each
receive careful treatment, as well as the role of scribes and their
schools, and writing and literacy in ancient Israel and its
environs. The DOTHB also canvases the full range of relevant
extrabiblical written evidence, with five articles focused on the
various non-Israelite written sources as well as articles on Hebrew
inscriptions and ancient Near Eastern iconography. Articles on
interpretive methods, on hermeneutics and on preaching the
Historical Books will assist students and communicators in
understanding how this biblical literature has been studied and
interpreted, and its proper use in preaching. In the same vein,
theological topics such as God, prayer, faith, forgiveness and
righteousness receive separate treatment. The history of Israel has
long been contested territory, but never more so than today. Much
like the quest of the historical Jesus, a quest of the historical
Israel is underway. At the heart of the quest to understand the
history of Israel and the Old Testament's Historical Books is the
struggle to come to terms with the conventions of ancient
historiography. How did these writers conceive of their task and to
whom were they writing? Clearly the Old Testament historians did
not go about their task as we would today. The divine word was
incarnated in ancient culture. Rather than being a dictionary of
quick answers and easy resolutions readily provided, the DOTHB
seeks to set out the evidence and arguments, allowing a range of
informed opinion to enrich the conversation. In this way it is
hoped that the DOTHB will not only inform its readers, but draw
them into the debate and equip them to examine the evidence for
themselves. Reference volumes in the IVP Bible Dictionary Series
provide in-depth treatment of biblical and theological topics in an
accessible, encyclopedia format, including cross-sectional themes,
methods of interpretation, significant historical or cultural
background, and each Old and New Testament book as a whole.
General
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