The Chronicler S History

Martin Noth's study of the Chronicler's History may not be so widely known as his celebrated Deuteronomistic History (published by JSOT Press in English translation in 1981). However, as Williamson argues in his introduction, written specially to accompany this translation, it was a most significant contribution to the study of Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah, and a translation of it has been long overdue. In view of the recent revival of interest in this body of literature, it is important that English-speaking readers should have first-hand access to one of the seminal studies in this field.

The thirteen essays in this volume are largely revised papers which were originally presented as part of the Ancient Historiography Seminar of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies and they investigate particular texts of Chronicles, examine central themes, and consider future prospects for Chronicles study. The volume includes chapters by Shannon E. Baines, Ehud Ben Zvi, Mark J. Boda, Keith Bodner, Paul S. Evans, Louis Jonker, Gary N. Knoppers, Christine Mitchell, Peter J. Sabo, Steven J. Schweitzer, and John W. Wright. The essays represent many different perspectives, methodologies, and conclusions regarding the Chronicler’s work and this volume will be of particular interest to scholars and students of Chronicles, ancient Israelite historiography and biblical literature in general.

Since the Book of Chronicles is increasingly studied on its own, and not as a copy of 1-2 Samuel and 1-2, this study treats the various aspects and themes of this rich document. It provides an analysis of specific texts and topics uncovering the Chronicler's permanent creativity to transform Israel's tradition(s) into a new theological and ideological system of its own.

This volume of essays, dedicated to the late Raymond B. Dillard, addresses the question, 'Was the Chronicler a Historian?' It includes profiles of the diverse kinds of material found in Chronicles, and assesses their value for the reconstruction of the history of ancient Israel. This collection represents the best of recent scholarship on a subject that is generating intense discussion in biblical research.

Daily life in Ancient Israel - Great prophets including, Hosea, Amos, Isaiah - People and lands of the Old Testament.

"The Oxford Handbook of the Historical Books of the Hebrew Bible offers 36 essays on the so-called "Historical Books": Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, Ezra-Nehemiah, and 1-2 Chronicles. The essays are organized around four nodes: contexts, content, approaches, and reception. Each essay takes up two questions: (1) what does the topic/area/issue have to do with the Historical Books?" and (2) how does this topic/area/issue help readers better interpret the Historical Books?" The essays engage traditional theories and newer updates to the same, and also engage the textual traditions themselves which are what give rise to compositional analyses. Many essays model approaches that move in entirely different ways altogether, however, whether those are by attending to synchronic, literary, theoretical, or reception aspects of the texts at hand. The contributions range from text-critical issues to ancient historiography, state formation and development, ancient Near Eastern contexts, society and economy, political theory, violence studies, orality, feminism, postcolonialism, and trauma theory-among others. Taken together, these essays well represent the variety of options available when it comes to gathering, assessing, and interpreting these particular biblical books"--

This book analyses a much neglected writer's contribution to the debate within Judaism in the post-exilic period about who might legitimately be included within the reconstituted Jerusalem community, and notably the Chronicler's attitude to the status of the Samaritan sect. It has been almost universally accepted that Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah are all parts of a single work, and so the rather 'exclusive' attitude of Ezra-Nehemiah has been read back into Chronicles. Many believe that the Chronicles intended to reject the Samaritan claim to inclusion. Dr Williamson challenges both the assumption of unity of authorship and the attribution of an exclusive attitude to the Chronicler, providing evidence to support the case for separate authorship, and examining Chronicles in its own right. A study of the use of the word 'Israel' and an analysis of the narrative structure jointly lead to the conclusion that the Chronicler reacted against the over-exclusive attitudes of some of his contemporaries, and looked for the reunion of 'all Israel' around Jerusalem and its temple. This study will interest both Old Testament scholars and students of Jewish history and culture.

“Kalimi, one of the esteemed specialists of the Chronicler’s work... has provided us an intriguing historical and theological study about the Chronicler’s work that will surely provoke further discussion.” — Stefan Beyerle, In: Journal for the Study of Judaism in the Persian, Hellenistic and Roman Period 37 (2006). “Among Biblical scholars of Jewish background, Kalimi shows an outstanding ability to see and draw relationships between original passages and sources as well as ancient and modern commentaries.... Kalimi accomplished what he promised in the title of the book: to demonstrate that the Chronicler is “an ancient Israelite historian.'" - Chen Yiyi, In: Journal of Ancient Civilizations 24 (2009). “The book is another important contribution to the study of Chronicles by an eminent expert on that field, and as such is indispensable on every scholar’s desk, not only in the field of Chronicles but also for everyone with an interest in biblical historiography in general.” – M. Marciak, In: The Polish Journal of Biblical Research 8 (2009). “Professor Kalimi is to be congratulated for these two works, which are perhaps the finest analysis of Chronicles in the recent decades. Tons of ink has been spent on discussions that have gone above basic questions that the author has analyzed point by point, and no doubt studies in the future have come in the work of Kalimi a base and inescapable benchmark for discussions.” – J.M. Tebes, In: Antiguo Oriente 8 (2010).