Deuteronomistic History:  

"Peterson engages one of the most enduring controversies in current critical scholarship on the Hebrew Bible, the identities and provenances of the authors of the various “editions” of the Deuteronomistic History. Critically reviewing the presuppositions of scholars reaching back to Martin Noth, and using careful analysis of motif and characterization at each redactional level in each book of the Deuteronomistic History, Peterson asks where we might locate a figure with both motive and opportunity to draw up a proto-narrative including elements of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and the first part of 1 Kings." - Fortress Press

"Martin Noth's study of the Chronicler's History may not be so widely known as his celebrated Deuteronomistic History. 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." - Sheffield Academic Press

"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" - T&T Clark

"This volume reexamines and reconstructs the relationship between the Deuteronomic History and the book of Chronicles, building on recent developments such as the Persian-period dating of the Deuteronomic History, the contribution of oral traditional studies to understanding the production of biblical texts, and the reassessment of the relationship of Standard Biblical Hebrew and Late Biblical Hebrew. These new perspectives challenge widely held understandings of the relationship between the two scribal works and strongly suggest that they were competing historiographies during the Persian period that nevertheless descended from a common source. This new reconstruction leads to new readings of the literature." - SBL Press

"The earlier consensus concerning the Pentateuch and the Deuteronomistic History has been significantly challenged in recent scholarship. Because of its canonical placement, the book of Deuteronomy plays an important role in these discussions. The earlier consensus was that the D source in the Pentateuch was primarily (if not only) found in Deuteronomy and that Deuteronomy was the founding source for the Deuteronomistic History. Recently, however, some scholars are once again talking about the D source in books before and after Deuteronomy, while others are questioning the centrality of the D source for the formation of the so-called Deuteronomistic History. This volume brings together various voices in these recent debates concerning the role of Deuteronomy in the larger literary works incorporating material before and after the book of Deuteronomy." - Mohr Siebeck

"This encyclopedic work is characterized by in-depth articles focused on key topics, many of them written by noted experts. The history of Israel forms the skeletal structure of the Old Testament. Understanding this history and the biblical books that trace it is essential to comprehending the Bible. The Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical Books is the only reference book focused exclusively on these biblical books and the history of Israel. The dictionary presents articles on numerous historical topics as well as major articles focused on the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah. Other articles focus on the Deuteronomistic History as well as the Chronicler's History, the narrative art of Israel's historians, innerbiblical exegesis, text and textual criticism, and the emergence of these books as canonical." - IVP Academic

"From the tumbling walls of Jericho to a Jewish girl who became the queen of Persia, the historical books of the Bible are intriguing and unquestionably fascinating. In this comprehensive introduction, veteran Old Testament professor Victor Hamilton demonstrates the significance of the messages contained in these biblical books by carefully examining content, structure, and theology. He details the events and implications of each book chapter by chapter, providing useful commentary on overarching themes and the connections and parallels between Old Testament texts." - Baker Academic

"History has an inescapable centrality in the Hebrew Bible, and biblical narratives are for many readers the best recognized and most memorable parts of the Bible. Yet the history of ancient Israel and the nature of Hebrew historiography remain hotly contested topics in contemporary scholarship. The Historical Writings introduces students to the character of the Deuteronomistic History (Joshua through Kings) and other historical writings (Ezra, Nehemiah, and 1 and 2 Chronicles); to the different roles history-writing plays throughout the Hebrew Bible; to the key historical questions and methods shaping contemporary scholarly debate in light of archaeological research; and to the literary and theological contours of the biblical narratives themselves." - Fortress Press

"In 1943, the famous Old Testament scholar, Martin Noth, published his monograph, berlieferungsgeschichtliche Studien, in which he established the hypothesis of a Deuteronomistic History and gave his treatment of the Chronicler's History. It quickly became one of the classics in the field and is probably Noth's most enduring legacy. This book brings together essays from an international symposium of scholars celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of Noth's important volume and reviewing his other contributions to Old Testament study."

"The primary concern of this book is to understand the origins and nature of history writing in ancient Israel. The investigation is undertaken against the background of history writing in the Near Eastern and classical worlds." - Yale University Press

"This collection of essays examines the relationship of prophecy to the Deuteronomistic History (Deuteronomy 2 Kings), including the historical reality of prophecy that stands behind the text and the portrayal of prophecy within the literature itself. The contributors use a number of perspectives to explore the varieties of intermediation and the cultic setting of prophecy in the ancient Near East; the portrayal of prophecy in pentateuchal traditions, pre-Deuteronomistic sources, and other Near Eastern literature; the diverse perspectives reflected within the Deuteronomistic History; and the possible Persian period setting for the final form of the Deuteronomistic History. Together the collection represents the current state of an important, ongoing discussion." - SBL Press

"This is a book about the ancient biblical historical books for readers in the text-message age! Engagingly written, it goes beyond matters of introduction to show how an appreciation of the factors of historical context, storytelling, point of view, and overarching concept plays a crucial role for readers in their understanding of the text. Always sympathetically aware of its audiences, and with panels calling for reader involvement, this book will be an invaluable aid to all who have a serious interest in understanding these rich story-histories of the Old Testament." - J. Gordon McConville

"The present collection attempts to provide readers with an understanding of the important developments, methodologies, and points of view in the ongoing debate [concerning Deuteronomic History]. Both current essays and some older, classic essays that have shaped the larger debate are included. Ten are newly translated into English. Each essay is prefaced by a detailed foreword by one of the editors that summarizes and places the essay in its appropriate context, making the volume ideal for use in seminars or courses, as well as for individuals wishing to become familiar with the state of discussion on the Deuteronomistic History." - Eisenbrauns

"The glory of this book resides in the detail unearthed in the discussion. What is devilish is that so much detail is marshalled into supporting if not a big lie then at least an exhausted tradition. Kalimi holds that with few exceptions the books of Chronicles represent the creative reshaping by ‘the Chronicler’ of the books of Samuel and Kings as we find these in the Masoretic text. Chapter by chapter, he discusses how his Chronicler reshaped the material he inherited by bringing unconnected material into literary or chronological proximity..." - Graeme Auld