An Introduction to the Old Testament: Sacred Texts and Imperial Contexts of the Hebrew Bible

Offering readers a balanced and informative guide to the forces that shaped the Old Testament and methods for study of it, this comprehensive text explores the emergence of the Hebrew Bible in the broader context of world history. It particularly focuses on the way the Hebrew Bible was shaped by its interaction with ancient empires, empowering students with a richer understanding of the Old Testament. In charting the development and impact of the work that forms the core of Judeo–Christian belief, the author examines how these early stories were variously shaped by contact with the Mesopotamian and Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, and Hellenistic empires. He explores the historical context of the varied readings of the Old Testament, revealing how the Bible came to be interpreted by Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths. This introductory text engages students by placing the development and reception of biblical texts in their historical context – enabling them to explore the formation of the Hebrew Bible and also its subsequent interpretation. Numerous reader–friendly features are incorporated throughout, including study questions, review sections, bibliographies, timelines, and illustrations and photos.

List of Figures vi List of Maps viii List of Boxes ix Preface xii Acknowledgments xiv List of Abbreviations xvi Overview of the Historical Period xvii Timeline xviii Prologue: Orientation to Multiple Bibles and Multiple Translations 1 1 Studying the Bible in Its Ancient Context(s) 15 2 The Emergence of Ancient Israel and Its First Oral Traditions 33 3 The Emergence of the Monarchy and Royal and Zion Texts 53 4 Echoes of Past Empires in Biblical Wisdom, Love Poetry, Law, and Narrative 71 5 Narrative and Prophecy amidst the Rise and Fall of the Northern Kingdom 91 6 Micah, Isaiah, and the Southern Prophetic Encounter with Assyria 115 7 Torah and History in the Wake of the Assyrian Empire 131 8 Prophecy in the Transition from Assyrian to Babylonian Domination 153 9 Laments, History, and Prophecies after the Destruction of Jerusalem 165 10 The Pentateuch and the Exile 187 11 The Torah, the Psalms, and the Persian–Sponsored Rebuilding of Judah 207 12 Other Texts Formed in the Crucible of Post–Exilic Rebuilding 229 13 Hellenistic Empires and the Formation of the Hebrew Bible 245 Glossary 264 Index 273

David M. Carr is Professor of Old Testament/Hebrew Bible at Union Theological Seminary in New York. Professor Carr′s book–length publications include From D to Q: A Study of Early Jewish Interpretations of Solomon′s Dream at Gibeon (1991); Reading the Fractures of Genesis: Historical and Literary Approaches (1996); The Erotic Word: Sexuality, Spirituality and the Bible (2003); and Writing on the Tablet of the Heart: Origins of  Scripture and Literature (2005).

"Carr′s book is an excellent introduction to what mainstream (non–evangelical) scholars have come to believe about ancient Israel′s literary history." (International Review of Biblical Studies, 2010)