How Writers Create a Past
For the last century, archaeologists, historians and biblical scholars have believed that the stories of the Bible describe real historical events, such as the Exodus, the Kingdom of David and the Exile. But in the last two decades this understanding has been radically challenged: it is generally accepted today that there is very little archaeological or historical evidence that confirms the stories of the Bible.
This fascinating book shows that we misunderstand the Bible if we read it as history. It combines literary criticism of biblical texts and detailed analysis of ancient history to show that we have to look at the Bible as a body of literature that reflects the philosophical and moral views of its authors.
'The Bible In History' examines the social and political forces at work in the Middle East during the period that saw the Bible's texts composed, to put the Bible in its historical context and shed new light on the relationship between the Old Testament and the New, Judaism and Greek philosophy, Yahweh and Christ.
