The Oxford History of the Biblical World

Like last summer when I read through THE OXFORD HISTORY OF ISLAM, this time I read through THE OXFORD HISTORY OF THE BIBLICAL WORLD. While I wasn't familiar with most of the material in the former, I was at least nominally familiar with a lot of the material presented in this volume. And as a consequence, I was able to absorb (and finish) it a lot quicker. It consists of 12 scholarly essays on the different historical periods from prehistory up to a few hundred years after the Roman Empire split. The earlier chapters were a little less interesting to me, insofar as they had to rely a lot more heavily on the archaeological record (read: a lot of pottery), but the reconstruction of pre-Israelite history was still eye-opening. I wasn't really looking to confirm any biases regarding the Bible's historicity, but it was helpful to see where it diverged and (quite surprisingly, at points) where they coincide. Though this may not occur to the average Bible reader, the people who wrote/compiled the Bible weren't primarily interested in historical accuracy as seen through modern eyes and methods, instead writing with a more theological purpose. Even with that in mind, you still learn a lot about where Judaism and Christianity came from and how they adapted and set themselves apart from the multiplicity of religious traditions surrounding them. In between, there was a lot of war, moving populations, and exchanging of ideas. The Biblical literalist will probably find a lot of what they read here hard to swallow, but I have a feeling that most open-minded people would (and should) give it a shot. There certainly is a lot to digest here, but it's definitely worth your time.

The scholarship is excellent in my lay opinion. I did gain some important insights that I had not encountered before. The main drawback is that each chapter was written by a different author. the foreward or preface explains that there was no attempt to coordinate between authors, so there is some overlap between chapters. Also, there are some time periods or subjects that get somewhat spotty coverage, particularly the first century CE. There is not very good coverage of the process and when the Jewish cannon was closed. Also, the coverage of the split between Judaism and Christianity is not covered very well. I do recommend this book, but it probably should not be the only book someone has for this subject.

This book is excellent. It will change your life. The writers explore the fine line between history and literature. It is enlightening to explore the role of the literary persona as it applies to world scriptures. Greek, Roman, Persian, Jewish and Christian authors have all created fascinating characters who speak with "divine authority" which more readily might be translated as "poetic licence". This is especially interesting as it applies to political regimes who legitimize their power with the aid of prophets and seers. In a world where superstition still reigns, in both science and religion, this book might help bring back the rule of reason and common sense. A book both atheists and believers will enjoy.

This provides good background information of the Bibles starts. The articles avoid preaching and present back ground.

This is one of my favorite books. I constantly refer to this text when reading the Bible. It truly is a wonderful help in understanding the Old Testament.

A must-have for every biblical student's library. I have spent HOURS just perusing this volume that covers thousands of related subjects. My #3 fave reference book behind Strongs & Brown Driver Briggs

I am happy with this purchase

This book has lots of information, but I was hoping to be able to access it more readily since it is on an android device. My desire was not to read the entire book, but to access the part I need at the time I need it.

As suggested by the title of this review, I am not a historian. I have, however, read and enjoyed a large number of history books from around this period, such as  The Histories (Penguin Classics) , The History of the Peloponnesian War (Classics) , Babylon: Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization  etc. (all recommended, by the way).The first thing to say is that this is not a single 'book', but a series of overlapping treatises, or papers. As such, they differ in style and accessibility from section to section.Many of the earlier and later chapters are clear and rely on little foreknowledge, but some of the middle chapters make continuous references to the old testament, and seem to expect either an encyclopedic knowledge of the work, or to have it open beside you. This may be fine for a dedicated scholar, but for an 'informed layman' it is a bit of an ask. These sections start to read like a commentary, rather than a self-standing work.The balance between narrative and technical details also varies. Although an insight into the archaeological details can be very interesting, some authors provide more details than can easily be followed by a layman, and this can interrupt the flow of the narrative.The sections overlap and repeat each other. This can be quite helpful, as it reinforces the reader's memory. Unfortunately, though, it is not consistent, and it sometimes easy to lose the thread when changing sections.The book itself is surprisingly poorly printed, with the text slightly irregular - albeit legible enough. Some of the maps, however, are very hard to read as the text is extremely small, and the printing quality does not allow it to be read consistently.Without taking the time to review each chapter independently, I'd have to summarise the book as a whole as: - [Probably] a very good source for those with a good grounding in the field. - Of general interest to those with only general knowledge, but interspersed with a few very dry and 'technical' sections.On balance, I would say it is well worth reading - I certainly haven't come across any other book that covers this period (although I would be open to suggestions). The Histories (Penguin Classics)The History of the Peloponnesian War (Classics)Babylon: Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization

Great book. Print is a bit small.

Excellent book

Excellent compilation written by leading scholars but very readable.

excellent condition, very interesting articles