“Standard” handbooks on the historical books introduce general issues and then give brief commentaries on each individual book. This is not a standard handbook. Aimed at providing a broader interpretive guide, readers find in this volume thirty-six hermeneutically oriented essays organized in four parts: contexts (part 1), content (part 2), approaches (part 3), and reception (part 4).
A programmatic essay on biblical history and historiography begins part 1 in strong fashion, and two essays then situate the Hebrew Bible's historiographic endeavor in its broader Assyrian, Babylonian, and Achaemenid historical and literary contexts. A pair of essays then introduce the complex text-critical landscapes of the historical books before part 1 closes with historical surveys of Israel's origins, Israelite state formation, the late monarchy, exile, and the return to and life in Persian Yehud. Anyone underinformed about the history/historiography of the Hebrew Bible will benefit from these works.
Taking content to mean themes, concepts, and broader “issues” underlying the historical books, part 2 opens with a sketch of the socioeconomic conditions of biblical Israel and Judah during various periods based on economic theory. Subsequent essays treat the historical books’ portrayals of the institution of kingship and the social roles of prophets, women, and exogamous marriage. This section also contains essays on Yahwistic religion from the Assyrian to the Persian period, monotheism in the Deuteronomistic History and Book of Chronicles, and human and divine violence in the historical books. Although readers unfamiliar with the theories applied in this section may struggle to assent to some of these essays, all will find here models for applying theories and heuristics to the historical books.
In part 3 “approaches” focus on literary composition, synthetic readings, and theory-based studies. The opening essay is the best available state of research on the composition of the Deuteronomistic History. It is complemented by two studies on synthetic/synchronic approaches to the historical books construed as Genesis-Kings and Joshua-Kings, respectively. Focus then switches to the formation and relationship of Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and 1 Esdras. A single study then treats synchronic approaches to Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah, and part 3 concludes with essays indicating how critical contributions to the study of the historical books can come from the textuality-orality concerns of folkloric studies, tandem use of feminist and postcolonial studies, and trauma studies. The hermeneutical nature of this volume makes part 3 the collection's zenith by fostering a cross-pollination of familiar and emerging approaches.
Essays treating reception (part 4) focus primarily on how subsequent reading traditions (e.g., Jewish, Christian, higher criticism) interpret select characters (Joshua, Deborah, Samson, Saul, David, Solomon, Ezra, and Nehemiah), and a concluding essay presents the New Testament's use of the historical books.
Essays throughout exhibit an accessible, engaging register; meaningful depth; high-caliber content; and clear structure. (Only the essay on violence eschews descriptive headings to promote understanding.) Essays conclude with valuable bibliographies for further research, though some (e.g., those treating the primary history and textuality-orality) could have provided a broader sense of the research landscape. In general, essays achieve the volume's goal of opening up cutting-edge hermeneutical horizons by offering a sophisticated status quaestionis for the topic they take up and highlighting recent advances. Ann E. Killebrew, for example, concludes her treatment of Israel's origins by presenting her “mixed multitude” theory as a means of explaining (the most) evidence. Similarly, treatment of the Deuteronomistic History's formation is cutting edge as are the studies on the relationship between Chronicle's and Ezra-Nehemiah, which highlight the role of 1 Esdras for discerning that relationship.
A collection of this nature inevitably omits interesting, even important topics. No essay treats the text and composition of Joshua and Judges, nor will one find the “empirical” method applied in composition analysis. And of course, the unknown future of critical analysis means this volume, like any hermeneutically oriented essay collection, has a shelf life.
These criticisms aside, various audiences stand to benefit from this handbook. Undergrads may look to it for ideas for capstone projects. Neophyte grad students can use it to get a handle on hermeneutical questions pertaining to the historical books. And early career professors preparing courses will appreciate its consistent summative and synthetic work. Ultimately, this Oxford Handbook is a gem for those looking to interpret the historical books of the Hebrew Bible.
