In Search of History
Historiography in the Ancient World and the Origins of Biblical History
John Van Seters
In Search of History
Historiography in the Ancient World and the Origins of Biblical History
John Van Seters
The primary concern of the book is to understand the origins and nature of history-writing in ancient Israel. The investigation is undertaken against the background of history-writing in the Near Eastern and classical worlds. Professor Van Seters begins with a broad survey of all the historiographic material relevant for the study of Israel’s own writing of history. He then turns his attention to the question of Israel’s historiography by focusing particularly on the Deuteronomistic Historian, the first Israelite historian.
- Description
- Table of Contents
Preface
Abbreviations
1. INTRODUCTION
a. A Definition of History Writing
b. The Method of Investigation
2. EARLY GREEK HISTORIOGRAPHY
a. The Rise of Historiography in Greece
b. The Relationship of Epic to Historiography
c. Unity in Herodotus and the Old Testament
d. The Problem of Sources in Herodotus and the Old Testment
3. MESOPOTAMIAN HISTORIOGRAPHY
a. Royal Inscriptions
b. King Lists
c. Omens
d. Chronicles
e. Historical Epics
f. Prophecies
4. HITTITE HISTORIOGRAPHY
a. Annals
b. Political Use of the Past
5. EGYPTIAN HISTORIOGRAPHY
a. The Palermo Stone and Its Antecedents
b. The Turin Canon and Other King Lists
c. Royal Inscriptions
d. Dedication Inscriptions
e. Commemorative Inscriptions
f. The Historical Novel
g. The Use of the Past as Propaganda
h. Biographies
6. TEXTS AND INSCRIPTIONS OF THE LEVANT
a. The Statue of Idrimi
b. Memorial Inscriptions in the Levant
c. The Annals of Tyre
d. The Literature of Ugarit
e. The Phoenician History of Philo Byblius
7. ISRAELITE HISTORIOGRAPHY
a. The Critical Issues
b. Narrative Forms
c. The Histories of the Old Testament
d. The Idea of History in Israel
8. HISTORIOGRAPHY IN THE BOOKS OF SAMUEL
a. The Story of Saul
b. The Story of David’s Rise
c. The Dynastic Promise: 2 Samuel 7
d. The Court History of David
9. STRUCTURE, GENRE, AND THEME IN THE BOOKS OF KINGS
a. Chronicles, King Lists, and Annals
b. The Prophetic Legends
c. Thematic Continuity in Samuel and Kings
d. The Judgments upon the Kings of Judah and Israel
10. THE DEUTERONOMIST FROM JOSHUA TO SAMUEL
a. Joshua 1-12
b. The Land Division: Joshua 13-24
c. Judges 1:1-2:5
d. Judges 2:6-16:31
e Samuel 1-7
11. CONCLUSIONS
Bibliography
Index of Authors
Index of Biblical References
General Index
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