The Book of Judges / Edition 1

by Marc Zvi Brettler

Overview

The Book of Judges has typically been treated either as a historical account of the conquest of Israel and the rise of the monarch, or as an ancient Israelite work of literary fiction. In this new approach, Brettler contends that Judges is essentially a political tract, which argues for the legitimacy of Davidic kingship. He skilfully and accessibly shows the tension between the stories in their original forms, and how they were altered and reused to create a book with a very different meaning. Important reading for all those studying this part of the Bible.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415162166
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/13/2001
Series:	Old Testament Readings
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	5.44(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Marc Zvi Brettler is Professor of Hebrew Bible in the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, Brandeis University. His previous publications include The Creation of History in Ancient Israel, also published by Routledge.

Table of Contents

Preface 1. Judges and the Historian 2. Reading Judges as Literature? 3. The Short Story 4. The Samson Cycle 5. Poetry and Prose in Judges 4-5 6. Winding Down: The Concubine of Gibeah 7. A Conclusion that became an Introduction 8. Conclusion: The Center Does Cohere Bibliography