The Bible in History: How Writers Create a Past

by ThomasL.Thompson (Author)

• Used

  Hardcover
  1999

  $3.25

  For centuries, archeologists, historians and biblical scholars believed that the stories of the Bible describe real historical events, such as the Exodus, the kingdom of David and the Exile. But since the mid-1980s this understanding has been radically challenged: it is generally accepted today that there is very little archeological or historical evidence that confirms the stories of the Bible. In this lucid and fascinating book, Professor Thompson - who has been the forefront of the international debate for many years - shows that we understand the Bible if we read it as history, a modern concept completely incompatible with the world-view of the ancient world. Combining literary criticism of biblical texts and detailed analysis of ancient history, he shows that we have to look at the Bible as a body of literature that reflects the philosophical and moral views of its authors. By examining the social and political forces at work in the Middle East during the period that saw the Bible's text composed, Thomas Thompson puts the Bible in its proper context and sheds new light on the relationship between the Old Testament and the New, Judaism and Greek philosophy, Yahweh and Christ. By taking the Bible seriously as a collection of literature that reflects the world and the experience of its authors.