Israelite religions : an archaeological and biblical survey

Archaeological excavation in the Holy Land has exploded with the resurgence of interest in the historical roots of the biblical Israelites. __Israelite Religions__ offers Bible students and interested lay leaders a survey of the major issues and approaches that constitute the study of ancient Israelite religion. Unique among other books on the subject, __Israelite Religions__ takes the Bible seriously as a historical source, balancing the biblical material with relevant evidence from archaeological finds The Last Several Decades Have Witnessed Important Discoveries Of Archaeological And Documentary Materials From The Ancient Near East That Shed Light On Ancient Israel And Its Religious Practices. The Study Of These Extrabiblical Materials Has Had A Significant Impact On Scholarly Debates Regarding The Religion Of Israel And The Interpretation Of The Bible. Until Now, However, There Have Been Few Introductions That Help Students Consider The Importance Of These Contemporary Discoveries And Juxtapose Them With The Biblical Narrative To Understand Ancient Israelite Religions. Richard Hess Provides Just That In This Accessible Account Of The Discovery Of Archaeological And Textual Materials And The Debates That Have Arisen Over Their Importance For Biblical Studies. After A General Introduction To The Study Of Religion, He Surveys The Field With Regard To Ancient Israelite And Pre-israelite, Western Semitic Religious Traditions. Hess Then Turns To Consider The Biblical Literature And How Other Documentary Evidence Might Enlarge Our Understanding Of Ancient Israelite Religious Practices And Beliefs. One Of The Central Scholarly Debates Concerns The Question Of When The Israelites Developed Their Monotheistic Impulse. After Examining The Evidence, Hess Argues For The Early Establishment Of The Monotheistic Tradition In Ancient Israel. Hess Brings A Wealth Of Knowledge To This Study, And Scholars, Students, And Clergy Interested In The Contemporary Study Of The Ancient Near East And The Old Testament Will Welcome The Expert Guidance Provided In This Illustrated Volume. - Publisher. Approaches To The Study Of Religion -- Previous Study Of Israelite Religion -- Pre-israelite West Semitic Religion : Syria And Egypt -- Pre-israelite West Semitic Religion : Palestine And Jordan -- Narrative And Legal Strands Of The Pentateuch -- Priestly And Cultic Strands Of The Pentateuch -- Early Israel And The United Monarchy -- Written Sources For The Divided Monarchy -- Archaeological Sources For The Divided Monarchy -- Exilic And Postexilic Religion. Richard S. Hess. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 353-407) And Indexes. Archaeological excavation in the Holy Land has exploded with the resurgence of interest in the historical roots of the biblical Israelites. Israelite Religions offers Bible students and interested lay leaders a survey of the major issues and approaches that constitute the study of ancient Israelite religion. Unique among other books on the subject, Israelite Religions takes the Bible seriously as a historical source, balancing the biblical material with relevant evidence from archaeological finds. Helps readers consider the importance of contemporary archaeological discoveries and juxtapose them with the biblical narrative to understand ancient Israelite religions.