A comprehensive introduction to the critical issues raised by scholarship on both books of Samuel. The often intricate problems are dealt with clearly and engagingly; the chapters deal with the Deuteronomistic History, the Shiloh tradition, the Ark narrative, the rise of the monarchy, the reign of Saul, the story of David, the Davidic covenant, the Succession Narrative and the Samuel appendix. A first-rate guide for students, with annotated bibliographies and indexes.

A much-neglected prophet, Ezekiel is nevertheless a key figure in Old Testament religion. Standing where he does, at the great crisis point of Israel's history, the exile, he confronts the basic questions, can the nation survive?, and, should it? Ezekiel represents the priestly strand in Israel's thinking, which lays such weight on the temple as the place of the presence of God. How can the nation be sustained when it has been deprived of its traditional place of worship? Ezekiel's reply is that the presence of God is still available, even in the land of exile, but that the presence is yet...

This addition to Sheffield's acclaimed Old Testament Guides series introduces students not only to Proverbs but also to the genre of 'wisdom literature' in general (dealing with such questions as the origin and location of 'wisdom' in ancient Israel). Martin discusses the structure of the book of Proverbs as a whole, provides a guided reading to the more or less sustained discourses in chapters 1-9 and to the collections of proverb-type sentences in the remaining chapters, and considers the relationship of Proverbs to other ancient Near Eastern literature. The Guide is completed by essays...

Lambdin's Introduction to Biblical Hebrew has established itself as a standard textbook in colleges and universities as well as being frequently used by those who wish to teach themselves Biblical Hebrew. The lack of a key to the many exercises in the book has been widely regretted, but this lack is made good with the present publication. Having used Lambdin as a teaching aid for more than ten years, however, Williamson has become aware of some areas in which students still find difficulty. He has therefore supplemented his Key with many further comments and explanations drawn from his...

Ecclesiastes is at once a strange book and a modern one, at once enigmatic and curiously familiar. Here we find a man detached from the world and yet intensely aware of it, setting down in writing his thoughts about human life. Yet from the very first his readers have been unable to agree about his basic attitude to life. Whybray sorts through the options by asking questions regarding the author, his times, his language and his ideas.

While the book of Jonah is, in some ways, unique, it stands firmly in the Old Testament tradition. There have been various suggestions as to genre, the most likely being the (short) didactic story; but the aim of the author is not easy to discern. The authenticity of Jonah's message to the Ninevites is stressed, as is their repentance, and Yahweh's mercy. The purpose of the book must lie in a combination of these themes. Lamentations is a neglected book, perhaps because it was associated with the book of Jeremiah and considered almost as an appendix. On the question of genre it has the...

Daniel has engendered a good deal of controversial debate, especially regarding its date and authorship and its 'apocalyptic' character. In this introduction for the student, the scholarly issues are carefully described and assessed, while emphasis is placed on the literary and theological aspects of the book, which have been comparatively neglected, but which reflect the concerns and interests of contemporary Old Testament scholarship. This volume thus looks both at the past scholarship and points towards future trends in the understanding of a unique literary and theological masterpiece....

As the only historical source available for the period of the Jewish return from the Babylonian exile and its aftermath, the books of Ezra and Nehemiah are crucial for those who would study not only the political, but also the religious and social history of the Old Testament. In this valuable addition to the Guides series, Williamson seeks to steer a clear path for the student, showing how an understanding of the way the books were put together from their constituent sources can elucidate both the historical problems of the period and the theological outlook of the writer.

The book of Joshua stands between the Pentateuch and the story of Israel in its land. It recounts the familiar traditions of the conquest of Canaan, and details the portions of territory allotted to the tribes. But how is the book of Joshua to be related to the neighbouring biblical books? To what extent does it contain history?-or geography?-or theology? How should it be understood in the light of archaeological discoveries, or recent studies of the emergence of Israel? How might it read as piece of literature? This study guide offers an introduction to the contents of the book and a...