How Old Is the Hebrew Bible?: A Linguistic, Textual, and Historical Study (The Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library)
Digital Verbum Edition
Overview
From two expert scholars comes a comprehensive study of the dating of the Hebrew Bible
The age of the Hebrew Bible is a topic that has sparked controversy and debate in recent years. The scarcity of clear evidence allows for the possibility of many views, though these are often clouded by theological and political biases. This impressive, broad‑ranging book synthesizes recent linguistic, textual, and historical research to clarify the history of biblical literature, from its oldest texts and literary layers to its youngest. In clear, concise language, the authors provide a comprehensive overview that cuts across scholarly specialties to create a new standard for the historical study of the Bible. This much‑needed work paves the path forward to dating the Hebrew Bible and understanding crucial aspects of its historical and contemporary significance.
- Synthesizes recent linguistic, textual, and historical research
- Clarifies the history of biblical literature from oldest to youngest texts
- Paves the path forward to dating the Hebrew Bible and understanding its significance
- Preface, or, Why Did We Write This Book?
- List of Abbreviations
- 1. All Things Change: Language and Method
- 2. Kinds and Causes of Linguistic Change
- 3. How to Handle Linguistic Variation
- 4. Textual History and Linguistic History
- 5. Inscriptions and Preexilic Hebrew Literature
- 6. Transitional Biblical Hebrew
- 7. Pseudoclassicism: Late Biblical Hebrew and Qumran Hebrew
- 8. Consilience and Cultural History: The Ages of Biblical Literature
- Appendix 1. Historical Linguistics and the Books of the Hebrew Bible: A Bibliographical Survey
- Appendix 2. A Critique of the Revisionist Model
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Sources
- Index of Authors
- Index of Subjects
- Index of Words and Expressions
A work of scholarship that offers an elegant solution to an enduring mystery . . . a serious monograph that confronts some of the hottest controversies in biblical scholarship . . . [and] a kind of whodunit in which words serve as clues and a lens through which we can learn new and wonderful things about the ancient writings the world regards as sacred scripture.
—Jonathan Kirsch, Jewish Journal
Hendel and Joosten [are] a perfect match well hammered on the anvil of biblical scholarship.
—Hadith Sivan, Book Post
In this impressive volume Hendel and Joosten synthesize the latest linguistic, textual, and historical research to clarify the history of [Old Testament] writings.
—John R. Barker, The Bible Today