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Rating: 
Summary: Thanks!
Review: As a relative newcomer to the field of historical criticism, I appreciate Provan/Long/Longman's work. It is truly a sign of good scholarship to be able to take the complex and make it understandable. I don't mean easy, but understandable. Provan's command of his topic is clear and thorough, especially in regard to epistemology and testimony. Those who by faith and reason trust the Biblical texts as reliable testimonies of ancient Israel will find encouragement in this book.
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Summary: History of Israel which takes the Bible seriously
Review: The actual text of the book is just over 300 pp, with the rest devoted to notes and indexes. Provan wrote 6 chaps, Long 3, and Longman 2. I originally purchased this book because I was somewhat familiar with the work of Long and Longman. I was unsure of Provan's writing. This is no longer the case. Provan has amazed me with his depth and thoroughness. His name is now on my list of favorites. The first 100 pp, mostly by Provan, address methodology. In it, he makes a compelling case for taking tradition seriously. He points out the inconsistency of modern historians who wish to give greater credibility to extra-biblical texts and archaeology, while excercising maximal skepticism towards the biblical accounts. His arguments are clear and well-reasoned. The next 200 pp are a history of Old Testament Israel. The authors leave open the question of the date of the exodus. A discussion on the archaeology of the conquest occupies 20 pp. There are no maps, charts, or images; and only 6 tables. The type size is about 9 point, allowing the authors to pack a lot of material between the covers of the book. The pages have decent margins for the reader who likes to make notes. There are 83 pp of notes, along with a Scripture index, Scholars Cited index, and an Index of Select Topics. If for no other reason, purchase this book for its discussion on methodology.
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Summary: Turns critical methodology on its head.
Review: The first 100 pages discusses the methodology of modern historiography and demonstrates how biblical critics continue to use out of date methodologies in their attempt to destroy the concept that ancient Israel actually existed. Especially telling is his discussion on testimony. They maintain that the biblical testimony about Israel's history is as valid a source as any other. Even modern archeaology is not neutral but needs to be interpreted; therefore it becomes another testimony in the mix. The next two hundred pages discuss the history of Israel with this positive-testimony model. They do not paint as comprehensive a history as some might like (along the lines of Bright). Instead they focus on the problem areas rasied by the text. This is a terrific book and it is taking a very important place in my library.
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Summary: a long time coming
Review: The modern arguments for how a methodology should be when approaching the Bible are challenged, and challenged well! The book borders on overemphasizing its counterarguments. There really is no reason to do this, for the arguments are very good and hardly need any repetition. This history is one that is selective, on purpose. You do not get a great sense of how Israel interacted in a society with each other, as different classes and occupations. But this book very much fills a void in Biblical Historical Studies, and makes people aware of all the issues that go into scholars' work on the Bible. Similar to Dever, who has a comment of the back cover of the book, this book gives both the Biblical author and editors, and modern day Bible historian, credibility to be both confessional and critical. It doesn't shy away from the harder supposed discrepancies many find in the Bible, and instead of stooping to a lazier approach of simple harmonization, engages the text and other extra-biblical sources, to show that the Biblical narratives in no way contradict other sources, and that by reading the text carefully, one can make sense of what is going on. This kind of book has been a long time in coming. It is most excellent!
Rating:
Summary: a long time coming
Review: The modern arguments for how a methodology should be when approaching the Bible are challenged, and challenged well! The book borders on overemphasizing its counterarguments. There really is no reason to do this, for the arguments are very good and hardly need any repetition. This history is one that is selective, on purpose. You do not get a great sense of how Israel interacted in a society with each other, as different classes and occupations. But this book very much fills a void in Biblical Historical Studies, and makes people aware of all the issues that go into scholars' work on the Bible. Similar to Dever, who has a comment of the back cover of the book, this book gives both the Biblical author and editors, and modern day Bible historian, credibility to be both confessional and critical. It doesn't shy away from the harder supposed discrepancies many find in the Bible, and instead of stooping to a lazier approach of simple harmonization, engages the text and other extra-biblical sources, to show that the Biblical narratives in no way contradict other sources, and that by reading the text carefully, one can make sense of what is going on. This kind of book has been a long time in coming. It is most excellent!
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