Rawlinson chronicles the history surrounding each king, giving account of the politics, warfare, religion, and culture of the reign. With close reference to the Bible throughout, Rawlinson's study has become an essential part of Old Testament studies and is important tool to aid with the examination of The Books of Kings and Chronicles in particular. In addition to this, Rawlinson provides a close look at the lives of the various kings of Israel and Judah: the events of their reigns; the battles fought; and the effect on the kingdoms of the decisions made by the monarchs.
This pioneering study wrestles with the perpetual problem of chronology in the Books of Kings. Starting from the conservative assumptions that the courts of Israel and Judah maintained regnal records, and that these for the most part accurately reflect regnal length, the author arrives at a new and persuasive dating for the reigns and their synchronisms. In addition, his chronological scheme includes all points of contact between Israel and Judah and external powers, especially Assyria. The result is one of the most responsible and yet most critical chronologies proposed to date, and will be the standard chronological reference for the next decade, if not longer.
“Correctly interpreted, the historical records of Egypt and Israel show a remarkable consistency with the Bible records which we can accept as not only inspiring but entirely reliable.” -From the Introduction Unearth the history of the small nation of Israel – the troubled and devastating periods of loss and exile – once lost to time. Far from being a book of myths, the Bible is an amazing historical record, and each year, more archaeological discoveries continue to prove its validity and significance. Follow the intriguing clues found buried in ancient cities, on the walls of early monuments, and in the written records of our world’s oldest civilizations. Walk the ancient streets, explore the distant temples, and unearth the compelling history that continues to resonate with the world today. Cultural references proven through artifacts and archives displayed in full color Fascinating accounts that fill in some of history’s unwritten record Follow the Biblical timeline through detailed photos and examples This eye opening and provocative assemblage of literary history and effervescent illustrations, creates a book that you just can’t put down. For years to come, this book will be an enduring resource for children, scholars, students, or anyone interested in learning more about biblical archaeology and its place in history. Unveiling the Kings of Israel was simple a joy to read and review. @AncientDigger - student of Archaeology and curator of AncientDigger.com
The book of Chronicles, the last book of the Hebrew Bible and a central historical book of the Christian Old Testament, has in recent decades gone from being “the Cinderella of biblical studies” to being one of the most researched books of the Bible. The anonymous author, often simply called “the Chronicler” by modern scholars, looks back at the old Israelite monarchy, before the Babylonian exile, from his vantage point in the post-exilic early Second Temple Period, and attempts to “update” the older historiographies of Samuel and Kings in order to elucidate their meaning to the people of his own time. In The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, Yigal Levin does the same for the modern reader. He offers a brand-new translation and commentary on 2 Chronicles chapters 10-36, tracing the “sacred history” of the monarchy from the division of Solomon's kingdom to the final exile and return. Each chapter is translated from the original Hebrew into an English that is both faithful to the original and easy for the modern reader to follow. Extensive footnotes provide full explanations of the translator's choices and of linguistic and literary issues, taking note of alternative versions offered by a wide array of ancient and modern versions and translations. The comprehensive commentary on each section provides historical background and explains the text both on a literary and a historical level, making full use of the most up-to-date research on the text, literature, history, geography and on the archaeological background of the biblical world. The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah is to be followed by The Chronicles of David and Solomon on 1 Chronicles 10 – 2 Chronicles 9, and then by The Chronicles of All Israel on the genealogies of 1 Chronicles 1-9 and including comprehensive essays on the book of Chronicles, its time, purposes, methods and meanings.
This is the extended and annotated edition including * an extensive annotation of almost 10.000 words about the oracles in religion * an interactive table-of-contents * perfect formatting for electronic reading devices THE Sibyls occupy a conspicuous place in the traditions and history of ancient Greece and Rome. Their fame was spread abroad long before the beginning of the Christian era. Heraclitus of Ephesus, five centuries before Christ, compared himself to the Sibyl "who, speaking with inspired mouth, without a smile, without ornament, and without perfume, penetrates through centuries by the power of the gods." The ancient traditions vary in reporting the number and the names of these weird prophetesses, and much of what has been handed down to us is legendary. But whatever opinion one may hold respecting the various legends, there can be little doubt that a collection of Sibylline Oracles was at one time preserved at Rome. There are, moreover, various oracles, purporting to have been written by ancient Sibyls, found in the writings of Pausanias, Plutarch, Livy, and in other Greek and Latin authors. Whether any of these citations formed a portion of the Sibylline books once kept in Rome we cannot now determine; but the Roman capitol was destroyed by fire in the time of Sulla (B. C. 84), and again in the time of Vespasian (A. D. 69), and whatever books were at those dates kept therein doubtless perished in the flames. It is said by some of the ancients that a subsequent collection of oracles was made, but, if so, there is now no certainty that any fragments of them remain.
(New revised edition) Considered the classic and comprehensive work in reckoning the accession of kings, calendars, and coregencies based upon the Old Testament text and other extra-biblical sources.
Is the Bible just a random collection of old stories, or is there something more going on within the pages of Scripture? Is it possible that the ancient books of the Old and New Testaments are part of a single, unified story, begun long ago but extending into our world today? In this introduction to biblical theology, professor James Hamilton orients Bible readers afresh to the overarching story line of Scripture, helping Christians read and interpret the Bible as the biblical writers intended and as the early Christians read it. Examining Scripture's key symbols, patterns, and themes, Hamilton helps readers truly grasp—and be transformed by—the theology of redemption contained in God's Word.
