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).

More people read the Bible than any other book. Indeed, many try to live their lives according to its words. The question is, do they understand what they're reading? As Steven McKenzie shows in this provocative book, quite often the answer is, "No." McKenzie argues that to comprehend the Bible we must grasp the intentions of the biblical authors themselves-what sort of texts they thought they were writing and how they would have been understood by their intended audience. In short, we must recognize the genres to which these texts belong. McKenzie examines several genres that are typically misunderstood, offering careful readings of specific texts to show how the confusion arises, and how knowing the genre produces a correct reading. The book of Jonah, for example, offers many clues that it is meant as a humorous satire, not a straight-faced historical account of a man who was swallowed by a fish. Likewise, McKenzie explains that the very names "Adam" and "Eve" tell us that these are not historical characters, but figures who symbolize human origins ("Adam" means man, "Eve" is related to the word for life). Similarly, the authors of apocalyptic texts-including the Book of Revelation-were writing allegories of events that were happening in their own time. Not for a moment could they imagine that centuries afterwards, readers would be poring over their works for clues to the date of the Second Coming of Christ, or when and how the world would end. For anyone who takes reading the Bible seriously and who wants to get it right, this book will be both heartening and enlightening.

This volume of essays, dedicated to the late Raymond B. Dillard, addresses the question, 'Was the Chronicler a Historian?' It includes profiles of the diverse kinds of material found in Chronicles, and assesses their value for the reconstruction of the history of ancient Israel. This collection represents the best of recent scholarship on a subject that is generating intense discussion in biblical research.>

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.>

The first biography of David from a purely historical perspective reveals not a hero but a holy terrorist and a ruthless despot.

The series Beihefte zur Zeitschrift fur die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft (BZAW) covers all areas of research into the Old Testament, focusing on the Hebrew Bible, its early and later forms in Ancient Judaism, as well as its branching into many neighboring cultures of the Ancient Near East and the Greco-Roman world.

The first biography of David from a purely historical perspective reveals not a hero but a holy terrorist and a ruthless despot.

KAnig David ist eine der herausragendsten Gestalten der Alten Welt. Sein sagenhafter Aufstieg vom Hirten zum KAnig durch den Sieg A1/4ber Goliath hat Dichter und KA1/4nstler A1/4ber die Jahrhunderte inspiriert. In dieser erstmals auf deutsch verAffentlichten Biographie zeigt der renommierte amerikanische Alttestamentler Steven McKenzie auf, daA viele Geschichten, die sich um David ranken, tatsAchlich Mythen sind: Die Bezeichnung "Hirte" ist eine Metapher fA1/4r "KAnig," und David kam aus einer reichen Familie der Oberschicht und nicht aus "kleinen VerhAltnissen." Der David, der bei kritischer Durchsicht der biblischen Texte, althistorischen Dokumente und neuen archAologischen Funde zum Vorschein kommt, war ein ThronrAuber, Ehebrecher und MArder, der seinen Aufstieg zum KAnig geschickter Machtpolitik und Terror verdankte. Steven McKenzie bietet mit dieser sorgfAltig 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.

Scholarship in the Hebrew Scriptures is more bountiful and diverse than ever before, a situation that presents a formidable challenge to the student trying to understand the critical issues in Hebrew Bible study. This book deals with each section of the canon and explains the standard questions, with special attention to points of scholarly agreement and contention. Written by an international group of preeminent scholars, this collection is intended for readers with a diversity of interests and is specifically designed for those making their first acquaintance with the complex character of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament.

This volume introduces the reader to the most important methods of biblical criticism. It serves as an indispensable handbook for the work of students approaching biblical studies for the first time and for the professional interpreter of scripture who wants to understand the latest currents in biblical scholarship.

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.

Contributors: Timothy Beal, Warren Carter, Norman C. Habel, Gina Hens-Piazza, Nyasha Junior, D. Andrew Kille, Hugh S. Pyper, Linda S. Schearing, Jeremy Schipper, Ken Stone, and Valarie H. Ziegler.

This volume represents an international collaboration focusing on the books of Chronicles as literature, looking at their literary sources, their techniques of composition, their perspectives, how they were read in antiquity, and the value of contemporary reading strategies for bringing the text to life in the present day. It opens with five 'Overview' articles by Kai Peltonen, Steven McKenzie, Graeme Auld, Rodney Duke and John Wright; William Schniedewind, Gary Knoppers, Ehud Ben Zvi, Armin Siedlecki and Howard Wallace deal with 'Themes'; and James Trotter, Christine Mitchell, Kirsten Nielsen, Noel Bailey, Roland Boer and Magnar Karveit address specific texts. The collection both reflects and stimulates recent and contemporary fascination with the Chronicler in biblical scholarship.>

A collection of fifteen articles by colleagues and former students of Professor Willis of Abilene Christian University. The papers deal with the topic of worship from a variety of perspectives and, in different connections, with the life and thought of ancient Israel. These include the participation of foreigners in the worship of ancient Israel, the prophetic critique of the cult, the tradition of the construction of the Jerusalem temple, women and prayer in the Deutero-canonical literature, various ethical aspects of worship and the value placed on the internal dynamics of worship offered to God, the Psalms and ancient Near Eastern mourning customs, and some of the implications of the Old Testament tradition regarding worship for contemporary communities of faith. A select bibliography of Willis's writings is also included.>

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.

McKenzie argues that to comprehend the Bible we must grasp the intentions of the biblical authors themselves--what sort of texts they thought they were writing and how they would have been understood by their intended audience. In short, we must recognize the genres to which these texts belong. McKenzie examines several genres that are typically misunderstood, offering careful readings of specific texts to show how the confusion arises, and how knowing the genre produces a correct reading. The book of Jonah, for example, offers many clues that it is meant as a humorous satire, not a straight-faced historical account of a man who was swallowed by a fish. Likewise, McKenzie explains that the very names "Adam" and "Eve" tell us that these are not historical characters, but figures who symbolize human origins ("Adam" means man, "Eve" is related to the word for life ). Similarly, the authors of apocalyptic texts--including the Book of Revelation--were writing allegories of events that were happening in their own time. Not for a moment could they imagine that centuries afterwards, readers would be poring over their works for clues to the date of the Second Coming of Christ, or when and how the world would end.
For anyone who takes reading the Bible seriously and who wants to get it right, this book will be both heartening and enlightening.

The Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries provide compact, criticalcommentaries on the books of the Old Testament for the use of theological studentsand pastors. The commentaries are also useful for upper-level college or universitystudents and for those responsible for teaching in congregational settings. Inaddition to providing basic information and insights into the Old Testamentwritings, these commentaries exemplify the tasks and procedures of carefulinterpretation, all to assist students of the Old Testament in coming to an informedand critical engagement with the biblical texts themselves.

Thepresent volume gives an up-to-date, readable commentary on the books of First andSecond Chronicles. The commentary covers critical issues section by section whileemphasizing the larger theological and literary issues in Chronicles andillustrating its relevance for modern readers.

For centuries some people have used the Bible to defend racist beliefs and practices, and church burnings on the evening news remind us that the relationship between religion and race remains fraught with complexity -- and, sadly, evil. Yet Steven McKenzie insists that the Bible's true message leads Christians away from the evils of racism and the narrowness of bigotry to God's vision of humanity, free from racial division.

In the Old Testament, Israel was called beyond its nationalistic pride; similarly, Christ's church in the New Testament began as an inclusive community. Inspirational as well as educational, All God's Children is a much-needed reminder for all those struggling to live faithful lives today.

An innovative translation and commentary on the book of Jonah by a trio of award-winning scholars   The book of Jonah, which tells the outlandish story of a disobedient prophet swallowed by a great fish, is one of the Bible’s best-known narratives. This tale has fascinated readers for millennia and has inspired countless interpretations.   This commentary features a new translation of Jonah as well as an introduction outlining the major interpretive issues in the text. The introduction traces the composition history of the book, paying special attention to the psalm in the second chapter; and the authors explore new theories surrounding the time and place where Jonah delivers his message to Nineveh, as well as the city’s act of repentance. In addition to these features, this volume draws on a variety of critical approaches to biblical literature—including affect theory, animal studies, performance criticism, postcolonial criticism, psychological criticism, spatial theory, and trauma theory—to reveal the book’s many interpretive possibilities. An updated treatment of Jonah’s reception history includes analyses of the story in religious traditions, art and literature, and popular culture.