Prophets, Prophecy, and Ancient Israelite Historiography

The 18 essays by members of the Canadian Society for Biblical Studies published in this volume showcase the work of leading authorities on ancient Israelite and Jewish historiography as it intersects with the phenomenon of prophecy. A deep divide exists between the traditions of historiography and prophecy in the academic study of the Hebrew Bible, and the concern of the contributors is to close that gap, to expose the close relationship between these two traditions in the literature of the Hebrew Bible.

The first section of the book explores prophecy and prophets in ancient Israelite and Jewish historiographic books (Torah, Deuteronomistic History, Chronicles, Ezra–Nehemiah, Second Temple Jewish historiography). The second section surveys historiography in Israelite and Jewish prophetic books (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Book of the Twelve, Daniel, 1 Enoch). The contributors engage diverse methodological perspectives in these studies, the goal first being to show the role that the prophets played within the great Hebrew historiographic works and, second, to demonstrate the role that historiography plays within the great Hebrew prophetic works; this makes it clear that the influence is bidirectional.

Prophets, Prophecy, and Ancient Israelite Historiography will be of value for advanced students and scholars working on historiographic and prophetic materials in the ancient Israelite and Jewish traditions, featuring the best of research and analysis and interacting with many major ancient literary traditions of historiography and prophecy.

“The authors and editors of this volume are to be congratulated for setting forth a paradigm for biblical study pledging allegiance neither to historical-critical research nor literary analysis alone, but instead seeking creative ways to integrate synchronic and diachronic approaches to Scripture.”—Steven S. Tuell, Journal of the American Oriental Society

“Scholars and students alike with an interest in the biblical prophets and/or historiography will appreciate this volume for its perceptive readings of oft-familiar passages.”—Kyle R. Greenwood, Religious Studies Review

Introduction

Part 1: Prophets and Prophecy in Israelite Historiographic Books

“Face to Face”: Moses as Prophet in Exodus 11:1–12:28 Bernon Lee

The Shaping of a Prophet: Joshua in the Deuteronomistic History Gordon Oeste

Recycling Heaven’s Words: Receiving and Retrieving Divine Revelation in the Historiography of Judges Mark J. Boda

Samuel Agonistes: A Conflicted Prophet’s Resistance to God and Contribution to the Failure of Israel’s First King J. Richard Middleton

Prophecy as Prediction in Biblical Historiography John Van Seters

Jeroboam and the Prophets in 1 Kings 11–14: Prophetic Word for Two Kingdoms Lissa M. Wray Beal

Presumptuous Prophets Participating in a Deuteronomic Debate K. L. Noll

Prophecy Influencing History: Dialogism in the Chronicler’s Ahaz Narrative Paul S. Evans

Chronicles and Its Reshaping of Memories of Monarchic Period Prophets: Some Observations Ehud Ben Zvi

Deus ex Machina and Plot Construction in Ezra 1–6 Lisbeth S. Fried

Is the Governor Also among the Prophets? Parsing the Purposes of Jeremiah in the Memory of Nehemiah David Shepherd

The Use and Non-Use of Prophetic Literature in Hellenistic Jewish Historiography Andrew W. Pitts

Part 2: Historiography in Israelite Prophetic Books

The Poetics of History and the Prophecy of Deutero-Isaiah Danielle Duperreault

Personal Missives and National History: The Relationship between Jeremiah 29 and 36 Mark Leuchter

Ezekiel’s Perspective of Israel’s History: Selective Revisionism? Brian Peterson

The Ordering of the Twelve as Israel’s Historiography Grace Ko

The “Exilic” Prophecy of Daniel 7: Does It Reflect Late Pre-Maccabean or Early Hellenistic Historiography? Ralph J. Korner

(Re)Visionary History: Historiography and Religious Identity in the Animal Apocalypse Colin M. Toffelmire

Index of Authors

Index of Scripture