Over the next few posts, I’m going to share my thoughts on the current crisis in America today that has been sparked by the murder of George Floyd, as well as other issues that, in one form or another, are connected to it. I want to focus on three things: (1) What is not the…
At the end of the 2nd edition of Provan, Long, and Longman’s book, A Biblical History of Israel (BHI), they have added an appendix entitled, “In Praise of Critical Thought: A Response to Our Critics,” in which (as the title suggests) they respond to the critics of their first edition. In particular, they respond to…
Chapter 11 of Provan, Long, and Longman’s book, A Biblical History of Israel, takes us from the Fall of Jerusalem in 587 BC all the way through to the Post-Exilic Period. Let’s look at the particulars of what Provan discusses in this chapter. The DeportationDespite what most might assume, Provan tells us that when Nebuchadnezzar…
Chapter 10 of Provan, Long, and Longman’s book, A Biblical History of Israel, focuses on the kingdoms of Israel and Judah as recorded in I-II Kings, from the time of the death of Solomon (circa 930 BC) to the time of the exile (circa 587 BC). Now, it should be said up front, since the…
Chapter 9 of Provan, Long, and Longman’s book, A Biblical History of Israel, focuses on the reign of Solomon, covering I Kings 1-11, as well as the corresponding chapters in II Chronicles 1-9. Before he specifically discusses Solomon, though, Provan gives a brief discussion regarding the difference between Kings and Chronicles, as well as a…
Chapter 8 of Provan, Long, and Longman’s book, A Biblical History of Israel, focuses on the early united monarchy under Saul, the first king of Israel, and then David. The bulk of chapter 8 is essentially a lesson on how to read I/II Samuel, as well as the corresponding parts of I Chronicles. Although, as…
Chapter 7 of Provan, Long, and Longman’s book, A Biblical History of Israel, focuses on Joshua’s Conquest and the settlement of the land in the Book of Judges. A few years ago, I did a book analysis of John Walton’s book The Lost World of the Conquest, so I will first and foremost provide links…
In the second half of Chapter 6 of Provan, Long, and Longman’s book, A Biblical History of Israel, Provan addresses the issue of the Exodus. Before I get into what Provan addresses in this chapter, though, I want to lay out what I feel is the two most fundamental problems when it comes to finding…
Chapter 6 of Provan, Long, and Longman’s book, A Biblical History of Israel is entitled “Before the Land” and it covers both the time of the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph) and the events of the Exodus. Now, truth be told, when it comes to strict archeological evidence, there really isn’t a whole lot….
In this post, I am going to cover chapters 4-5 of Provan, Long, and Longman’s book, A Biblical History of Israel. Chapter 4 is entitled “Narrative and History—Stories About the Past” and Chapter 5, which concludes the opening section of the book, is entitled, “A Biblical History of Israel.” Literary Reading and Historical StudyAt the…