Theology Today - Vol 17, No. 2 - July 1960 - BOOK REVIEW

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A History Of Israel
By John Bright
500 pp. Philadelphia, The Westminster Press, 1959. $7.50.

The author of this book is the well-known Professor of Hebrew and the Interpretation of the Old Testament at Union Theological Seminary, Richmond. In this volume Dr. Bright has given us an authoritative history of the Old Testament and met a long-felt need for such a work in English. With his knowledge of Semitic languages, archaeology, ancient history, and Biblical theology he is well qualified to undertake a task of this nature and he has succeeded admirably in accomplishing his purpose.

Ancient Israel never lived in a vacuum, and revelation took place in history. Accordingly, in order to understand the Old Testament, one has to study more than the national history of the Chosen People. It is also necessary to know the cultural and political situation in the ancient Near East even from prehistoric times as well as the international scene in which Israel fulfilled its destiny. The author in clear fashion presents such a panorama and properly sets ancient Israel into its environment. With this in view he begins with a Prologue in which he discusses the Ancient Orient before ca. 2000 B.C. In this section he reviews the foundations of civilization in Bible lands, and in connection with the third millennium B.C. he treats Mesopotamia in the earliest historical period, Egypt and Western Asia, and the Ancient Orient on the eve of the patriarchal age.

The history after ca. 2000 is divided into six parts, which bear significant titles. The age of the patriarchs is called "Antecedents and Beginnings." In this connection Bright gives a survey of the Ancient Orient ca. 2000-1550 B.C. He avoids hypothetical reconstructions, and while he recognizes that much is obscure, he believes that the patriarchal traditions have an historical basis. While he does not identify the Hebrew ancestors with the Khapiru (Habiru), he thinks it legitimate to consider them as belonging to that ancient stratum of society. Concerning patriarchal religion, the author accepts as authentic the Genesis presentation of a personal relation between the individual and his God, and he does not regard the patriarchal covenant as anachronistic. He recognizes that the evolutionary approach associated with the name of Wellhausen has few defenders today, but at the same time he rightly points out that even scholars who speak of oral traditions still feel bound to work with blocks of material or strata of thought corresponding to the well-known symbols J, E, D, and P.

In the second part, or "The Formative Period," he discusses the Exodus, the Conquest, and the Judges. In this connection he concludes that Sethos I is the Pharaoh who began the oppression of Israel, while Ramesses II is the one under whom the Exodus took place. Accordingly

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this notable event happened in the thirteenth century and is placed ca. 1280 (?) B.C. The writer is correct in finding no evidence that Yahweh was worshiped before the time of Moses, but he is certain that through Moses Yahwism was given a new content. The covenant at Sinai is accepted as a reality, and from the very beginning Israel's faith forbade the worship of any god but Yahweh. While the faith of early Israel was not monotheism in any philosophical sense, Bright maintains that it is best to retain the term even for that period.

It is profitless in the view of the author to inquire which of the twelve tribes were in Egypt and participated in the Exodus. It is assumed, however, that by the end of the thirteenth century the Conquest of Palestine had been completed and the amphictyony had been formed. Eventually the Philistine crisis forced a fundamental change in the political structure of Israel.

Parts III and IV, which treat of the monarchy, are well-named the Period of National Self-determination and Crisis and Downfall. Bright sets into clear light the covenant with David, which formed the basis of the national theology of the Davidic dynasty. In Excursus I (pp. 282-287) is found an important discussion of the campaigns of Sennacherib. Part V, which is devoted to the Exilic and Postexilic periods, is called "Tragedy and Beyond." Even though the fall and destruction of Jerusalem were a disaster, through the teaching of the prophets Israel's faith continued to develop until a definite monotheism was reached in the message of Deutero-Isaiah. In the plan of God, however, Israel was not destined to become an empire like that of the Egyptians, Assyrians, and Chaldeans, but its mission lay in suffering and in proclaiming to the rest of the world the will of God.

Throughout the work Bright uses sane and reserved judgment. He concludes that the Chronicler telescoped the work of two men, Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel. As regards the careers of Ezra and Nehemiah, he recognizes the difficulty of the relative chronology of these two men, but he prefers 428 as the date of Ezra's arrival, thus placing him after Nehemiah. He does not, however, eliminate as impossible the year 458, the traditional date apparently favored by the canonical evidence. In Excursus II (pp. 375-386) is presented a clear exposition of three points of view of the date of Ezra.

Part VI, which contains Chapters 11 and 12, is devoted to the "Formative Period of Judaism," in which the author takes us through the Maccabaean period, and then in the final chapter is found a discussion of Judaism at the end of the Old Testament period. The Chronological Charts, which are very helpful for visualizing the course of ancient history, contain a synchronism of dates from before 2000 to 150 B.C. The

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index of Scripture references is copious, and that of subjects is quite extensive.

The Epilogue, which bears the title: "Toward the Fullness of Time," ends with a religious emphasis. The author observes that Israel's history leads either to the Talmud or to the Gospel. To the Christian, however, Old Testament history becomes Heilsgeschichte (salvation history) and reaches its fulfillment in Christ. This book is indispensable to pastors and students of the Bible and theology and is also wholeheartedly recommended to laymen and teachers of ancient history.

Henry S. Gehman
Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton, New Jersey