Books On The Bible

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Early history of Israel:
 

When Moses leads the Israelis out of Egypt to "the promised land," along with Moses, out of maybe two million Israelites,  there were only two adults that accompanied Moses: Joshua and Caleb.

After Moses' death, Joshua became the leader of Israel and "reunited" the twelve tribes but the tribes were hardly reunited. 

Israel's conquest of Canaan: 1406 - 1376 BC -- late Bronze Age in Mesopotamia.

For the next several decades, the Israelites were ruled by Judges, 1376 - 1050 BC. 

In Egypt at this time: Dynasty 18; New Kingdom/Dynasties; Dynasty 19.

The last judge was Samuel. Samuel's ministry overlapped the "Time of The Judges" and "the United Monarchy." Just prior to Samuel was Eli as priest, and at the beginning of Eli's presence, the events of Ruth (about 1100 BC), right after the fall of Troy in 1200 BC).

Egypt: last half of the Judges time, Dynasty 20 (1186 - 1069 BC.

Samuel prepared the way for the first king. The first king: Saul, 1050 - 1010 BC).

Saul was chosen, but Saul turned out not to be God's choice.

David becomes king, the second king of Israel, and the nation's "biggest" king.

In Mesopotamia, the Iron Age appears about the time Saul and David transition.

God is so pleased, he makes a promise that the Messiah will be from the family of David.

David: 1010- 970 BC

David's son Solomon becomes king.

Solomon: 970- 930 BC. 

Egypt: during Saul, David, and Solomon -- Dynasty 21 1069 - 945 BC; and the beginning of the Third Intermediate Period, 1069 - 664 BC).

Solomon's two sons take control of a divided kingdom -- Jeroboam I, the northern kingdom, from the House of Ephraim; and, Rehoboam, Judah, the southern kingdom. Rehoboam was a member of the tribe of Judah.

The northern kingdom conquered by the Assyrians; the southern kingdom, by Babylon.

 

 

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The Books

Who Really Wrote The Bible: The Story of the Scribes, William M. Schniedewind, c. 2024. Notes here.

Assyria: The Rise and Fall of the World's First Empire, Eckart Frahm, c. 2023. Link here.

Stories from Ancient Canaan, second edition, edited and translated by Michael d. Coogan, Mark S. Smith, c. 2012. Notes here.

The Invention of Hebrew, Seth L. Sanders, c. 2011. Notes here.

Life in Ancient Egypt, Adolf Erman, translated by H. M. Tirard, with a new introduction by Jon Machip White, 411 illustrations, c. 1971.

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The Dead Sea Scrolls

The Magazine, May 6, 1955. Link here.

Part I, The Dead Sea Scrolls, Edmund Wilson, March 14, 1969. Link here.

Part II, The Dead Sea Scrolls, Edmund Wilson, March 21, 1969. Link here.

Edmund Wilson's book on the Dead Sea Scrolls from Amazon, about $8.50. Link here.

The original Edmund Wilson article: link here. May 14, 1955. Basis for his book published later that year.

 

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Historical Books of the Bible

The New Oxford Annotated Bible, ecumenical study bible, Michael D. Coogan, editor, c. 1989.

Introduction fo the Pentateuch, p. 3 -- come back to this later.

Introduction to the Historical Books

Bible:

1st division: Torah
2nd division: the Former Prophets (the Prophets)
3rd division: the Writings

The Former Prophets

Joshua
Judges
[Ruth should be moved to 3rd division]
Samuel 
Kings

 

[Ruth should be moved to this division]
Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther

 

Originally one book -- divided first in Greek Bible (the Septuagith [LXX]) 

In the formation of the canon: originally one book -- 
Erza
Nehemiah 

800 years;
Deuteronomy                -- end of life of Moses, 14th century BC
Joshua                
Judges                            
Samuel                        -- Homer, 8th century BC; ten lost tribes (Assria / Samaria) -- 8th century)
Kings                         -- Babylonia exile, early 6th century

 

So, human history:
Homer: 13th century, fall of Troy
Moses: died - 13th / 14th century
800 years
Deuteronomy
Kings -- Babylon exile -- 6th century

Alongside the above -- Middle East resurgence; empires -- between the end of the Bronze Age and the Classical Era

Bronze Age: 1200 BC 
Classical Age: marked by hte decline of wester Roman Empire and the emergence of Christianity

Story of Manasseh: most evil king of Judah; ruled for 55 years; longest of any of the Jewish kings in this period 

Chronicles: Manasseh.

722 - 721 BCE; ten lost tribes 

First destruction of the Temple: 587/586 BCE
    -- Babylonian Exile
    -- King Nebuchadnezzar

Second destruction of the Temple: 70 BC -- Jewish-Roman War

 

Second destruction: ended the Sacrificial System 
-- displacement of many jews
-- fundamental shift in Jewish life towards Rabbinic Judaism

Ten lost tribes: 

• 722 - 721 BCE;
• Northern Kingdom of Israel
• Assyrian King captured Samaria 
• all but Judah and Benjamin (survived until Babylonia Exile: 587 BC)
• Assyian King: Tiglath-Pileser III
• sacked Damascus and Israel
• annexed Aramea
• King of southern Israel at this time (Judah)
• King Hezekiah