Introduction to the Hebrew Bible and Deutero-Canonical Books

666 Pages·2018·303.69 MB·English

by  John J. Collins

A leading introduction to the Hebrew Bible
I n t r o d u c tI o n t o t h e
J
ohn J. Collins’s Introduction to the Hebrew Bible is one of the most reliable and widely adopted critical textbooks
at undergraduate and graduate levels alike, and for good reason. Enriched by decades of classroom teaching, it is hebrew
aimed explicitly at motivated students, regardless of their previous exposure to the Bible or faith commitments. The
third edition is presented in a new and engaging format with new maps and images. An index has been added to the
collins
volume for the first time.
Praise for Introduction to the Hebrew Bible
“At last! This is the introduction to the Hebrew Bible I have been looking for: a balanced and richly informative bIble
introduction that covers essential critical and comparative perspectives and sets up pertinent interpretive issues, leaving
the instructor free to work with the class in any number of directions. Using Collins’s textbook is like team-teaching
with a master teacher. His tone is welcoming but often wry, accessible yet authoritative. This is a textbook written by
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someone who not only knows his students but who genuinely likes them—and likes to challenge them. Collins does not I
take refuge in an antiquarian approach to the Hebrew Bible but repeatedly identifies the complex ethical issues raised n
by the text and by the responsibilities involved in interpreting the text.” e t
Carol Newsom, Candler School of Theology r
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“John Collins’s introduction is a timely and welcome contribution, one based on his own extensive research and on his
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many years of teaching the subject. The reader will find not only a careful presentation of the biblical material but also
a judicious assessment of scholarship on it. This book will be a valuable tool for classroom use, and the bibliographies u
e Th iR D eD iTi o n
appended to each chapter will help the student who wishes to pursue a topic in greater detail.” c
James C. VanderKam, emeritus, University of Notre Dame w t
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“Drawing on years of teaching in seminary and university, and of addressing Christian and Jewish popular audiences, o
Collins has produced a clear, concise, and up-to-date introduction to the Old Testament, including the deuterocanoni- n
cal books. Wisely following the canonical order of books (slightly adapted), he describes each book’s contents, critical B

issues, and religious meaning. Collins situates each biblical book squarely in its historical setting and deals honestly with t
the problems as well as the bounty of the Bible. A special bonus is his masterful coverage of the often-slighted Second i o
Temple literature. Its seriousness, detail, and sophistication set this textbook apart and make it an excellent resource for b

college and seminary courses, and for pastors and educated laity.” t
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Richard J. Clifford, SJ, emeritus, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry
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John J. collins is Holmes Professor of Old Testament Criticism and Interpretation
at Yale Divinity School and author of many works, including, from Fortress Press,
Encounters with Biblical Theology (2005), Does the Bible Justify Violence? (2004),
and Daniel (Hermeneia, 1994).
thIrd
edition
RElIgIOn / OlD TESTAmEnT
John J. collins
Introduction to the Hebrew Bible
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Introduction
to the Hebrew Bible
AND DEUTERO-CANONICAL BOOKS
THIRD EDITION
JOHN J. COLLINS
Fortress Press
Minneapolis
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INTRODUCTION TO THE HEBREW BIBLE, THIRD EDITION
Copyright © 2018 Fortress Press. All Rights reserved. Except for brief
quotations in critical articles or reviews, no part of this book may be
reproduced in any manner with prior permission from the publisher. Email
[email protected] or write to Permissions, Fortress Press, PO Box 1209,
Minneapolis, MN 55440-1209.
Cover image: Wikipedia CC-BY-SA-4.0 / Lachish Relief, British Museum.
Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net).
Cover design: Alisha Lofgren
Interior design: Tim Dowley and Associates
ISBN: 978-1-5064-4598-4
eBook ISBN: 978-1-5064-4605-9
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper
for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z329.48-1984.
Manufactured in U.S.A.
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Contents
Maps .........................................................................................................................................................vii
Illustrations ...............................................................................................................................................ix
Preface .....................................................................................................................................................xiii
Preface to the Second Edition ..............................................................................................................xv
Preface to the Third Edition ...............................................................................................................xvi
Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................................xvii
Introduction: What Are the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament? ...................................................1
PART ONE: THE TORAH/PENTATEUCH
1 The Near Eastern Context .....................................................................................................25
2 The Nature of the Pentateuchal Narrative .........................................................................53
3 The Primeval History ..............................................................................................................71
4 The Patriarchs ............................................................................................................................85
5 The Exodus from Egypt .......................................................................................................107
6 The Revelation at Sinai.........................................................................................................125
7 The Priestly Theology: Exodus 25–40, Leviticus, and Numbers ...............................143
8 Deuteronomy ..........................................................................................................................163
PART TWO: THE DEUTERONOMISTIC HISTORY
9 The Book of Joshua ..............................................................................................................191
10 Judges ........................................................................................................................................215
11 First Samuel .............................................................................................................................231
12 Second Samuel ........................................................................................................................245
13 1 Kings 1–11: Solomon and the Divided Monarchy .....................................................261
14 1 Kings 12–2 Kings 25: Tales of Prophets and the End of the Kingdoms
of Israel and Judah .................................................................................................................281
v
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PART THREE: PROPHECY
15 Amos and Hosea ....................................................................................................................313
16 Isaiah, Micah, Nahum, and Zephaniah .............................................................................335
17 The Babylonian Era: Habakkuk, Jeremiah, and Lamentations ....................................361
18 The Exilic Period: Ezekiel and Obadiah ..........................................................................383
19 The Additions to the Book of Isaiah ................................................................................405
20 Postexilic Prophecy: Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Joel ..................................................427
PART FOUR: THE WRITINGS
21 Ezra and Nehemiah ...............................................................................................................459
22 The Books of Chronicles .....................................................................................................477
23 The Psalms and Song of Songs ..........................................................................................495
24 Proverbs ....................................................................................................................................521
25 Job and Qoheleth ...................................................................................................................539
26 The Hebrew Short Story: Ruth, Esther, Tobit, Judith ...................................................561
27 Daniel, 1–2 Maccabees .........................................................................................................579
28 The Deuterocanonical Wisdom Books: Ben Sira,
Wisdom of Solomon, Baruch .............................................................................................607
29 From Tradition to Canon .....................................................................................................627
Glossary .................................................................................................................................................634
Index ......................................................................................................................................................641
Picture acknowledgments ..................................................................................................................646
vi INTRODUCTION TO THE HEBREW BIBLE
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Maps
The Fertile Crescent ..............................................................................................................................14
Some Major Archaeological Sites in Anatolia and the Middle East ...........................................30
The World of the Patriarchs ................................................................................................................87
The Landscape of the Book of Exodus .........................................................................................112
Israel Physical .......................................................................................................................................193
Israel Settlement before the Monarchy ...........................................................................................194
Canaanite Sites in the Late 13th/Early 12th Century b.c.e. .....................................................198
Major Archaeological Sites ...............................................................................................................202
12 Tribes of Israel ...............................................................................................................................210
Tribes of Israel before the Monarchy .............................................................................................219
Migration of the Sea Peoples ...........................................................................................................224
Saul’s Kingdom ....................................................................................................................................238
Minimum Extent of David’s Kingdom ..........................................................................................254
Maximum Extent of David’s Kingdom ..........................................................................................255
Minimum Extent of Solomon’s Kingdom .....................................................................................263
Ancient Trade Routes .........................................................................................................................266
Elijah and Elisha Narratives .............................................................................................................284
Israel and Judah under Jeroboam and Uzziah ...............................................................................292
Campaigns of Tiglath-pileser ...........................................................................................................295
Assyrian Empire ..................................................................................................................................297
The End of the Kingdom of Judah ................................................................................................302
Sennacherib’s Invasion 701 b.c.e. .....................................................................................................348
Neo-Babylonian Empire ....................................................................................................................356
The Persian Empire at its Zenith ....................................................................................................411
Alexander the Great’s Invasion .........................................................................................................438
Alexander’s Empire at its Zenith ......................................................................................................439
vii
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Judah as a Province of the Persian Empire 445–333 b.c.e. .......................................................462
Maccabean-Hasmonean Palestine 166–76 b.c.e. .........................................................................601
The Ptolemaic and Seleucid Empires c. 240 b.c.e.. .....................................................................608
The Ancient Near East c. 60 b.c.e. .................................................................................................617
viii INTRODUCTION TO THE HEBREW BIBLE
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Illustrations
The Dead Sea Scrolls caves ....................................................................................................................7
Isaiah Scroll ...............................................................................................................................................8
Amulet ......................................................................................................................................................23
Slab inscribed with cuneiform .............................................................................................................26
The Rosetta Stone .................................................................................................................................28
Sir Austen Layard removes human-headed bull ...............................................................................29
Cuneiform tablet with part of the Enumah Elish ...............................................................................36
Tablet XI of the Epic of Gilgamesh ..................................................................................................38
Terracotta relief probably depicting the marriage of Inanna and Dumizi ................................40
Babylonian relief of winged and eagle-footed goddess ..................................................................41
Bronze figurine of Baal .........................................................................................................................42
Bronze female figurine (Anat) .............................................................................................................46
Carved head of Akhenaten ..................................................................................................................47
Cutaway illustration of an Egyptian pyramid ..................................................................................48
Gold mask of Tutankhamun ...............................................................................................................49
Sculpture of Moses by Michelangelo ................................................................................................54
Noah builds the ark with his sons ......................................................................................................61
Ziggurat of Ur ........................................................................................................................................86
Horned altar from Beersheba ..............................................................................................................92
Statue of Ramesses II ........................................................................................................................108
Relief depicting Asian captives from Temple of Ramesses .......................................................110
Traditional site of Mount Sinai.......................................................................................................114
Statuette of Baal ..................................................................................................................................119
Akhenaten, Nefertiti and their children .........................................................................................132
Hammurabi receives the law from the god Marduk ....................................................................135
Bronze calf, Samaria ...........................................................................................................................139
ix
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