Pre-Script:
Motivation for writing this book. Issues concerning the history, the text and the translation.
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Chapter 1: Ancient Traditions (Third and Early Second Millennium BCE):
Influences from Ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt and Arabia. Hurrian, Babylonian, Amorite and Canaanite writings and traditions. Gilgamesh, Enuma Elish
and the Baal cycle.
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Chapter 2. Origins (Later in the Second Millennium BCE)
The Levant in the 2nd millennium BCE. Theories of the Exodus and the Conquest.
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Chapter 3. Ideas, Images and Early works (ca 13th to 11th centuries BCE)
The Canaanite religion; the 7th day, the semi-divine, the rider on the clouds, the mountain of God, the duties of Kings. Early Iconography; Images from Egypt; Balaam.
Five early songs. The prose envelope of Job. The triumph over death. Gilgal, Shechem and Shiloh. Some early Psalms.
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Chapter 4. The Paramount Chiefs (ca 10th Century BCE)
The background to the Saul, David and Solomon stories. Oral traditions. 10th century Songs, Laws and Proverbs.
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Chapter 5. An Introduction to the Epics.
The documentary hypothesis. The works of the Elohist, the Yahwist, the Priestly authors and the Deuteronomists.
Their recognition and their relationships.
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Chapter 6. Northern History (9th and 8th centuries in Israel)
The archaeological record. The Empire of Omri. Anti-Assyria alliances. Jehu's coup. The rise and fall of Aram Damascus. Dynastic links with Judah. Wealth and Power in the 9th Century.
Turbulence and Tragedy in the 8th century. Destruction by Assyria. Northern songs, psalms, and proverbs. The Covenant Code. The prophets Hosea, Elijah,
Elisha and Amos. The oracles of Balaam. The fall of Israel.
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Chapter 7. The Elohist Epic (ca 750-720 BCE)
Date, authorship, style, detailed recognition, and extent.
The text: the covenant with Abraham; the sacrifice of Isaac. Jacob Episodes. Joseph Episodes. The call of Moses.
The revelation of name Yahweh. Moses and Pharaoh; Israelites leave Egypt prepared for battle.
Events at Meribah. Israelites at Horeb; covenant, blasphemy and bloodshed. Manna, quails and snakes. Miriam. Balaam. Death of Moses.
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Chapter 8. The Evolution of Judah (ca 929 - 687 BCE)
Geography and demographics. Dynastic continuity. Athaliah's coup. Amaziah. Dominance of Aram Damascus. Economic growth under Uzziah. Isaiah's
service to four Kings. Confrontation with the Israelite-Aramean Alliance. Social Justice. The prophet Micah. The consequences of the fall of Israel.
Hezekiah and his religious reforms. Southern songs. The Proverbs of Hezekiah. The development of the temple. Relations with Egypt. The confrontation
with Assyria. The siege of Jerusalem and its consequences.
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Chapter 9. The Yahwist Writings. (ca 720-700)
The extent, unity, style, authorship and date of the Yahwist Epic.
The text: the creation of the human and the woman; Cain and Abel; giants; tower of Babel; the legends of the patriarchs Abram, Isaac & Jacob; Joseph in Egypt.
Moses birth, flight, calling, return and departure; in the Wilderness, at Sinai, and subsequently;
The Ritual Decalogue. Spies; Joshua; Abimelech; Jephthah; Samson; the Levites concubine; Civil war. Samuel and Saul; David's youth, David as an outlaw
and as King; the succession struggle.
The Book of Ruth: relationship to the Yahwist Epic. Its authorship, style, date and contents.
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Chapter 10. From the Temple (late 8th/Early 7th Century BCE)
The priestly authors, their characteristic styles, vocabulary and interests.
Their relation to J and to Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Deuteronomy; their probable dates.
The content of the P text; introduction; journey to the holy mountain; instruction of Moses; Inauguration of the cult with Aaron as high priest;
instruction of Aaron; Journey from the holy mountain; epilogue.
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Chapter 11. The Vassal of Assyria (700-622 BCE)
Death of Hezekiah, The Book of Isaiah in his lifetime. The Reigns of Manasseh and Amon; The Holiness Code. Judah’s Economic Recovery.
Proverbs (collections 2 & 5).
Vassal Treaties; The Treaty with God, Context and contents; The Ten Commandments and the Shema.
Ashurbannipal and Esarhaddon; Resurgence of Egypt.
Birth of Josiah; The Law of the King.
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Chapter 12. The Deuteronomits (622- 609 BCE)
Early Zephaniah; Josiah as King; Jeremiah's calling; Josiah's reforms.
The discovery of the hidden book, content and reactions.
The Law Code (torah). Name Theology; The setting of the Law Code within Deuteronomy.
The first edition of Deuteronomy.
The Deuteronomic History, date, authorship, structure and contents of the first edition.
Late Zephaniah. The rise of Babylon; The fall of Nineveh. Nahum.
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Chapter 13. End Game. The Rise of Babylonia (609-579 BCE)
Jeremiah’s Temple sermon. Habakkuk. Nebuchadrezzar. Jeremiah's book of 604. The Battle of Migdol.
The first Exile, Ezekiel’s calling, the great siege, The Book of Comfort.
The second Exile, Lamentations, Obadiah.
An addition to Micah. Adjusting Deuteronomy; Adjustments and Additions to the Deuteronomic History.
An alternative explanation of the Babylonian invasion.
The Third Exile, Governor Gedaliah.
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Chapter 14. Scattered (580-540)
The scattered people; Babylonian and Egyptian versions of Jeremiah; Babylonian culture.
Ezekiel, content, dates and authorship of the book.
Merging the primary E, J & P texts. Medes, Chaldeans and Persians.
Nabonidus the Aramean and Belshazar his son.
Early career of Cyrus the Great; Battle of Pasargardae.
Second Isaiah; the Redemption Poem, Songs of Zion, The Servant Songs.
The fall of Babylon; Cyrus'Decree. The poetry of Job.
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Chapter 15. The Return. Persian Rule (540-340 BCE)
Cyrus, the edict of return. Zoroastrianism. Psalms of return. 3rd Isaiah, early poems.
Cambyses, Conquest of Egypt; Darius I (522-486); Haggai; 1st Zachariah; Second Temple.
3rd Isaiah, later poems.
The Song of Songs. THE Battle of Marathon; Xerxes. Malachi. Redaction of the primary texts.
Artaxerxes (465-450), Egyptian Revolt; Memoirs of Ezra and Nehemiah; Darius II; The Chronicler.
Liberation of Egypt (405-360). Joel. Jonah. Esther (hebrew edition).
Twilight of the Persians (360-340).
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Chapter 16. The Greeks (340-178 BCE)
Phillip of Macedonia; Alexander the Great. The Samaritan Temple. The Greek Empires.
Ezra (2nd Edition). 2nd Zachariah. Mediterranean Powers in the 3rd Century BCE.
Fallen Angels. The Septuagint. Enoch, the Watchers. Daniel, the stories. Judea under the Alexandrian Greeks.
Qoholet (Ecclesiastes); Proverbs (final collation). Judea under Antioch. 1 Esdras. Baruch. Letter of Jeremiah.
Tobit. Decline of Antioch (190-178). Daniel, Bel and the Snake. Wisdom of Ben Sira (Ecclesiasticus).Esther (Greek Edition).
Susanna; End of 2nd Punic War.
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Chapter 17. Last Things (178-37 BCE):
Corrupt priests and Greek god-kings; The Abomination of Desolation; Daniel, the prayer.
The Maccabean insurgency. Daniel, the visions. Enoch, the dream visions. The insurgency continues (160-150).
The book of Jubilees. Qumran. The winning of independence.
2 Maccabees; 1 Maccabees. The Judean Woman (aka Judith). The book of Baruch. The Letter of Jeremiah. 3 Maccabees, a satire.
The Wicked Priest. Judea under Rome. Psalms of Solomon.
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Chapter 18. Inheritances (After 37 BCE):
Judea under Herod. Wisdom of Solomon. Temples, taxes and wars. Enoch; The similitudes.
Herod's successors. 4 Maccabees, on the supremacy of reason; The prayer of Manasseh.
The Jewish uprisings. The destruction of Herod's Temple.
The split of 'The Way' from Judaism. Formation of the Hebrew Canon.
4 Ezra, a transition document. The Christian canons of the Old Testament and Apocrypha, their evolution and their appreciation.
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Post-Script:
Reflections on the writing of this book:
The nature of the canons; as material for debate, as material for inspiration and as faith documents.
The evolution of a religion as revealed in the Biblical texts. Encrustations and elaborations.
The influence of history on the text; and of the text on history.
Conclusions.
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Bibliography
Abreviation and Works Cited
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Appendix 1
The Sources of the Books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers - Verse by verse.
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Appendix 2
The Structure of Deuteronomy
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Appendix 3
The Structure of the Books from Joshua to 2 Kings
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Appendix 4
Key Dates
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Appendix 5
The Sequence of the Biblical Books
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Verse Index
Verse Index
Index of quoted verses by Book, Chapter and Verse
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