ENGLISH

The Historicity of the Patriarchal Narratives: The Quest for the Historical Abraham

By Thomas L. Thompson

Book information

Publisher
Walter de Gruyter
Year
1974
ISBN
3110040964, 9783110040968
ISSN
0934-2575
Language
english
Format
PDF
Filesize
23 MB (24062193 bytes)
Series
Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 133
Pages
X+394\405
Topic
Religion
DPI
300
Orientation
portrait
Paginated
yes
Scanned
yes
Time added
2016-07-28 18:55:05
Old Testament;Bible Study;Bible Study & Reference;Used & Rental Textbooks;Specialty Boutique

Description

Archaeology seems to have become an active partner in the attempt to prove the historical truth of the Bible. Biblical archaeologists have gone to the field in search of Noah's ark or the walls of Jericho, as if the finding of these artifacts would make the events of scripture somehow more true or real. Thomas Thompson is one of the most vocal contemporary critics of biblical archaeology. His simple but powerful thesis is that archaeology cannot be used in the service of the Bible. Focusing on the patriarchal narratives-the stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob-he demonstrates that archaeological research simply cannot historically substantiate these stories. Going further, Thompson says that archaeological materials should never be dated or evaluated on the basis of written texts. Looking to the patriarchal narratives in Genesis, he concludes that these stories are neither historical nor were they intended to be historical. Instead, these narratives are written as expressions of Israel's relationship to God. Thomas L. Thompson is Professor of Old Testament, University of Copenhagen. His books include The Mythic Past and The Early History of the Israelite People.

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