Abstract
The editors introduce their approach and aims in a concise introduction. The Old Testament, or Hebrew Bible, is a collection of ancient texts that is also revered as ‘God’s Word’ in ‘communities of faith’. But to understand what was not written ‘to us’—even if it is believed by many to have been written ‘for us’ (echoing NT language: Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:11)—readers need to learn about its ancient setting, separated from us by ‘vast chasms of time, space, culture, and language’, rather than imposing our understanding upon it. This volume, accordingly, ‘introduces students to “background studies” and “comparative studies”’ (p. xvii). Intended for different kinds of readers (student, clergy, lay, scholar), the essays offer breadth of coverage in a sturdy single-volume compendium. The contents are written by experts from various institutions (e.g., confessional, non-confessional), various backgrounds (e.g., Christian, Jewish), and various standpoints (e.g., on historical questions). The editors describe themselves as ‘confessional scholars working in Protestant institutions’. They all agree, nevertheless, that ‘understanding the ancient world illuminates our understanding of the Old Testament and are committed to sharing their expertise to that end with a broad audience’ (p. xviii).
There are 66 chapters by a slightly higher number of authors including the editors. Each non-illustrated contribution typically runs to 6 or 7 pages. The contents are as follows: Part One Elements of the Drama (I. The Stage: Historical Geography; II. The Sets and Props: Archaeology; III. The Scripts: Ancient Near Eastern Literature; IV. The Frames: Ancient Near Eastern Iconography); Part Two Acts and Scenes of the Drama (V. Acts: Integrated Approaches to Broad Historical Contexts; VI. Scenes: Integrated Approaches to Event-Based Historical Contexts); and Part Three Themes of the Drama (VII. God: Integrated Approaches to Themes in Israelite Religion; VIII. Family: Integrated Approaches to Themes in Family Networks; IX. Sustenance: Integrated Approaches to Themes in Economic Contexts; X. Governance: Integrated Approaches to Themes in Social Organization). There are over 60 illustrations (e.g. maps, charts, diagrams, photos); some chapters naturally include more than others (e.g., in section IV on iconography). The volume closes with a lengthy bibliographical Reference List (pp. 515–593), Scripture Index (pp. 594–601), Ancient Text Index (pp. 602–605), and Author Index (pp. 606–615).
The essays are written with clarity and appropriate detail; the chapter format includes helpful section headings; and all ancient words are translated. The essays display the benefits of modern discovery and inquiry that help readers appreciate the ‘cultural embeddedness’ of the HB/OT, labelled methodologically as ‘“cognitive environment criticism”’ (p. xvii)—recalling the work of one of its editors/contributors (Walton). The volume is similar, in principle, to other historically-minded publications (e.g. Stager & King Life in Biblical Israel, 2002; Yamauchi & Wilson Daily Life in Biblical Israel and Post-Biblical Antiquity, 2014). The contents still raise a hermeneutical question: how is the transition to be made between the ancient setting and the ‘communities of faith’ many of its contributors recognise? Some make connections via NT texts or universalising transference; others do not. Further imagination is needed on the part of readers to determine how this might work out in practice. Overall, however, its pedagogy is intelligent; for instance, distinguishing traditional contexts (V.) and specific events or episodes (VI.) for integrated approaches to history. The distinctive presentation of the volume in dramatic terms (e.g., stage, scripts, acts), in response to the narrative art of biblical texts and to the biblical texts as story, enables the editors and contributors to ‘“pull back the curtain”’ and illuminate the drama’ (p. xviii) in a very appealing way.