Ancient Near East Through the Old Testament
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Comparative studies abound in our field. Discussions of the “Bible and,” focusing on a particular theme or text from the ancient Near Eastern or Mediterranean world, are commonplace. What is unusual is a one-volume, comprehensive treatment of how the
Hebrew Bible participates in and differs from the cultures of the ancient Near East.
Drawing from a wide array of scholarship on the textual remains of the ancient Near East
(archaeology rarely factors into his discussions), John Walton’s new volume offers just such a rare synthesis. His analysis demonstrates many conceptual similarities between the
Hebrew Bible and its ancient Near Eastern neighbors and locates the Bible’s uniqueness in covenantal theology and its portrayal of Yahweh’s divine nature. Ultimately, Walton believes, Yahweh, unlike all other ancient Near Eastern deities, desired a relationship with his people and revealed to them—in the Hebrew Bible—not just his will but also his character. Walton is very well informed in both primary and secondary literature, writes clearly, and offers several interesting comparative suggestions throughout the book. As a work of synthetic presentation, the book is primarily geared toward students and the interested public. But given its narrow theological orientation and problematic methodology, this
This review was published by RBL 2007 by the Society of Biblical Literature. For more information on obtaining a subscription to RBL, please visit http://www.bookreviews.org/subscribe.asp.
book, unfortunately, cannot be recommended for the university classroom or for library purchase. Walton divides his work into five thematically oriented parts: comparative studies
(chapters 1–2), literature of the ancient Near East (chapter 3), religion (chapters 4–6), cosmos (chapters 7–8), and people (chapters 9–14).
Part 1 contains the methodologically foundational chapters “History
Comparative studies abound in our field. Discussions of the “Bible and,” focusing on a particular theme or text from the ancient Near Eastern or Mediterranean world, are commonplace. What is unusual is a one-volume, comprehensive treatment of how the
Hebrew Bible participates in and differs from the cultures of the ancient Near East.
Drawing from a wide array of scholarship on the textual remains of the ancient Near East
(archaeology rarely factors into his discussions), John Walton’s new volume offers just such a rare synthesis. His analysis demonstrates many conceptual similarities between the
Hebrew Bible and its ancient Near Eastern neighbors and locates the Bible’s uniqueness in covenantal theology and its portrayal of Yahweh’s divine nature. Ultimately, Walton believes, Yahweh, unlike all other ancient Near Eastern deities, desired a relationship with his people and revealed to them—in the Hebrew Bible—not just his will but also his character. Walton is very well informed in both primary and secondary literature, writes clearly, and offers several interesting comparative suggestions throughout the book. As a work of synthetic presentation, the book is primarily geared toward students and the interested public. But given its narrow theological orientation and problematic methodology, this
This review was published by RBL 2007 by the Society of Biblical Literature. For more information on obtaining a subscription to RBL, please visit http://www.bookreviews.org/subscribe.asp.
book, unfortunately, cannot be recommended for the university classroom or for library purchase. Walton divides his work into five thematically oriented parts: comparative studies
(chapters 1–2), literature of the ancient Near East (chapter 3), religion (chapters 4–6), cosmos (chapters 7–8), and people (chapters 9–14).
Part 1 contains the methodologically foundational chapters “History