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Old Testament Life and Literature

Gerald A. Larue

Table of Contents

Preface

A Word to the Reader

Part One: The Bible and How We Study It

1. What is the Old Testament?

The development of the Canon. Why do we read?

2. How Do We Read?

The problem of history. History and legend. Myth, fable and other literary categories. Poetry. Problems of text and authorship.

3. The Analysis of the Pentateuch

4. Other Methods of Approach

The Deuteronomic history. Cultic interpretation. Oral tradition. Form criticism. Archaeological and linguistic studies.

Part Two: Before There Was an Israel

Prologue to Part Two

5. The Land

6. The People, From the Paleolithic to the Chalcolithic Periods

7. The People, From the Early Bronze to the Early Iron Ages

Part Three: The Hebrews

8. Who Were the Hebrews?

Problems with dates and places.

9. The Settlement of Canaan

The invasion of Canaan. The judges.

Part Four: The Monarchy

10. Saul

11. David

12. Solomon

13. J and the Law

The J saga. The role of Moses. Monarchy and law.

Part Five: The Divided Kingdom

14. The History of the Kingdoms

International developments.

15. E

The E saga.

16. Prophecy and the Earliest Prophets

The nature of prophecy. The earliest prophets.

17. Amos and Hosea

Amos. Hosea.

18. Isaiah and Micah

Isaiah of Jerusalem. Micah.

Part Six: The Last 100 Years of Judah

19. From Manasseh to the Deuteronomic Reform

Zephaniah. The Deuteronomic era. Deuteronomy.

20. From the Fall of Nineveh to the Fall of Judah

Nahum. The growth of Neo-Babylonian power. Habbakuk. The last days of Judah. Jeremiah.

Part Seven: The Exile

21. Life and Literature of the Early Period

Ezekiel. Lamentations.

22. Literature of the Middle Period

Job. Continuing interpretation in the prophets. The Deuteronomists. The Holiness code. The Priestly source.

23. Life and Literature of the Late Period

The last days of the Neo-Babylonian empire. The Akitu festival. The rise of the Persian empire. Zoroastrian religion. The writings of Deutero-Isaiah.

Part Eight: The Persian Period

24. Life and Literature of the Early Period

Trito-Isaiah. Haggai. Zechariah. The completion of the temple. International developments. Malachi. Obadiah.

25. Life and Literature of the Late Period

The work of Ezra and Nehemiah. The Jews of Elephantine. Ruth. Jonah.

26. The Great Documents of the Persian Period

The Chronicler. P. Torah and cult. The Psalms.

Part Nine: The Hellenistic Era

27. The Early Hellenistic Period

The period of Hellenistic rule. Esther. Joel. Deutero-Zechariah.

28. Wisdom Writings

Proverbs. Ecclesiastes. Song of Songs. Ecclesiasticus (Sirach). Tobit.

29. The Period of Jewish Independence

Apocalypticism. Daniel. Judith. I Esdras.

30. The Hasmonean Dynasty

Literature of the period. Baruch. The additions to Daniel. I Maccabees. II Maccabees. The Wisdom of Solomon. II Esdras.

Part Ten: Canon, Text and Translations

31. Development of the Canon

The Samaritan canon. The “Alexandrian canon.” The Qumran scriptures. The Jewish canon. The Christian canon.

32. Text, Manuscripts and Translations

Early translations. Translations into English.

Chart of Central Events in the Near East

Bibliography

Old Testament Life and Literature is copyright © 1968, 1997 by Gerald A. Larue. All rights reserved.

The electronic version is copyright © 1997 by Internet Infidels with the written permission of Gerald A. Larue.