Mr. (Dr. Prof.) Leon Wood: "Survey of Israel's History" (Outline, Biblio, Notes)

          Wood, Leon. A Survey of Israel’s History.  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1970. 444 pages. http://www.amazon.com/Survey-Israels-History-Leon-Wood/dp/031034770X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381456799&sr=8-1&keywords=leon+wood+history+of+israel

 

444-pages. 19 maps.  Initially, disarmingly simple, but the author has done the substratum of academic work. Initial reading, as a stripling, in the early 1970s and heavily marked-up.  After a retour, will sell. Author educated at Calvin Seminary, Grand Rapids, MI.  Ph.D. from Michigan State University. Post-graduate work (1) in Israel and also (2) at the Oriental Institute, University of Chicago.

Foreward

List of Maps (19)

Abbreviations (Books and Journals)

1.      Introduction 

A. Source Material

B. Importance of Israel

C. Israel’s Strategic Location

D. Geography of Palestine

E. History Divisions 

2.      Patriarchal Background 

A.    Historical Accuracy

B.    Significance of Abraham’s Call

C.    Date of Abraham

D.   Abraham’s Country

E.    Departure 

3.      Abraham 

A.    The New Land

B.    Shechem, Bethel, Egypt, Bethel

C.    Rescue of Lot (Gen 14)

D.   Destruction of Sodom (Gen. 18.1-19.38)

E.    Covenant

F.     Waiting for the Promised Child (Gen. 16.1-18.15)

G.   Abimelech and Philistines (Gen. 20-21)

H.   Near Sacrifice of Isaac (Gen. 22)

I.       Death and Burial of Sarah (Gen. 23)

J.       A Bride for Isaac (Gen. 24.1-25.11)

K.   Abraham, a Man of Faith 

4.      Isaac, Jacob and Joseph 

A.    Isaac (Gen. 25.9-26.35)

B.    Jacob (Gen. 28.1-36.43)

C.    Joseph (Gen. 37-50) 

5.      Sojourn and Exodus Chronology 

A.    Duration of Egyptian Sojourn

B.    Date of Exodus 

6.      Life in Egypt 

A.    Four Periods of Egyptian Rule

B.    Egyptian Life

C.    Jacob’s Descendants in Egypt

D.   Oppression Institute (Ex. 1.8-22)

E.    Moses (Ex. 2.1-10)

F.     Moses’ Choice (Ex. 2.11-25; Acts 7.23-29; Heb. 11.24-27)

G.   Moses Returns to Egypt (Ex. 3.1-4.31)

H.   The Contest with Pharoah (Ex. 5.1-12.36)

I.       Departure from Egypt 

7.      Israel in the Wilderness 

A.    Israel’s Route to Travel

B.    To Mt. Sinai (Ex. 15.22-18.27)

C.    Giving the Law (Ex. 19.3-24.18; 32.1-34.35)

D.   The Law

E.    The Tabernacle (Ex. 25-31; 35-40)

F.     The Number of People

G.   Sinai to Kadesh-barnea

H.   Thirty-seven Years and Six Months of Fruitless Wandering (Num. 15-19; 33.19-36)

I.       Kadesh-barnea to the Jordan (Num.20-21; 33.37-48; Dt.2.1-3.14)

J.       At the Jordan (Num. 22-27; 31-32; Dt. 31, 34)

K.   Deuteronomy

8.      The Conquest 

A.    The Land of Canaan

B.    Entrance to the Land (Josh.2.1-5.12)

C.    Conquest of Central Palestine (Josh.5.13-9.27)

D.   Conquest of the South and the North (Josh. 10-12)

E.    The Land Divided (Josh. 13-22)

F.     Institutions 

9.      The Judges 

A.    Background Matters

B.    Failure to Occupy the Land Fully (Judg. 1.1-3.7)

C.    Period of Mesopotamian Oppression (Judg. 3.8-11; 17-21)

D.   Period of Moabite Oppression (Judg. 3.12-31)

E.    Period of Canaanite Oppression (Judg. 4-5)

F.     Period of Midianite Oppression (Judg. 6.1-10.5; Ruth 1-4)

G.   Period of Ammonite Oppression (Judg. 10.6-12.15)

H.   Period of Philistine Oppression (Judg. 13-16)

I.       Samuel 

10. King Saul

A.    Anointing of Saul

B.    Rule of Saul

C.    Rejection of Saul (1 Sam. 13-15)

D.   Saul and David (1 Sam. 16-20)

E.    Saul’s Last Years (1 Sam. 22.6-19;  28.1-25; 31.1-13)

F.     David as a Fugitive (1 Sam. 21-27; 29-30; 2 Sam. 1) 

11.  David 

A.    David at Hebron (2 Sam. 1.1-5.5)

B.    David Establishes the Kingdom of Israel (2 Sam. 5.6-8.18; 10.1-19)

C.    David’s Government

D.   Significant Deeds

E.    Last Years of David (2 Sam.13-20; 1 Kings 1.1-2.11; 1 Chron.22; 29-29)

F.     Israel’s Greatest King 

12.  Solomon 

A.    Established as King (1 Kings 2.12-46; 3.4-28; 2 Chron. 1.1-17)

B.    Solomon’s Kingdom

C.    Foreign Relations

D.   Building Activity (1 Kings 5.1-9.9; 2 Chron. 2-7)

E.    Literary Age

F.     Spiritual Decline and Punishment (1 Kings 11; 2 Chron.9.29-31)

G.   Solomon the King 

13.  The Northern Kingdom 

A.    The Revolt (1 Kings 12.1-4; 2 Chron. 10)

B.    The Early Years (931-885; 1 Kings 12.25-16.20)

C.    Dynasty of Omri (885-841; 1 Kings 16.23-22.53; 2 Kings 1-8)

D.   Dynasty of Jehu (841-753; 2 Kings 9.11-10.36; 13; 14.16-29)

E.    Decline of Israel (752-722; 2 Kings 15.13-17.41)

F.     An Assyrian Province

G.   Summary

14. The Kingdom of Judah

A.    A Period of Conflict with Israel (931-870; 1 Kings 14.21-15.24; 2 Chron. 10-16)

B.    A Period of Alliance with Israel (873-835; 1 Kings 22.41-50; 2 Kings 8.16-29; 11.1-16; 2 Chron. 17.1-23.15)

C.    Four God-approved Kings (835-731; 2 Kings 12-15; 2 Chron. 23.16-27.9)

D.   Years of Assyrian Dominance (743-640; 2 Kings 16-21; 2 Chron. 28-33)

E.    Babylon Becomes Defiant (640-586; 2 Kings 22-25; 2 Chron. 34-36) 

15.  Exile and Return 

A.    Developments in Judah (2 Kings 25.22-26; Jer. 40-44)

B.    The Babylonian Period (605-539)

C.    Captive Judah

D.   The Persian Period

E.    The First Return to Judah (Ezra 1-6)

F.     The Second Return (Ezra 7-10)

G.   The Third Return (Neh. 1-13)

H.   The Story of Esther (Esther 1-10)

I.       The Elephantine Colony

J.       The Close of the Old Testament

Basic Further Reading

A Chronological Chart

Index

Before beginning, Mr. Wood makes an interesting note worth pursuing, to wit, that liberal introductions often start with the History of Israel and Exodus, giving short shrift to Genesis and the patriarchs.   (And then, oddly, Mr. Wood proceeds while tossing Gen. 1-11, odd.) He cites M. Noth. 

Noth, Martin. The History of Israel.  New York: Harper and Collins College Division, 1960.

http://www.amazon.com/The-History-Israel-Martin-Noth/dp/0060663103/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1381533450&sr=8-3&keywords=noth+history+of+israel

Mr. Wood also cites: Anderson, Bernard. Understanding the Old Testament. Upper Saddle, NJ: Prentiss-Hall, 1987.

http://www.amazon.com/By-Bernhard-Anderson-Understanding-Testament/dp/B008UB7VYE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1381533775&sr=8-2&keywords=anderson+understanding+the+old+testament

Chapter One:  Introduction

Mr. Wood gives a quick and adequate summary of the Old Testament narrative, a narrative well-known to disciplined Bible readers.

Israel was a “smaller country” than neighbors in the pre-Christian era of the Old Testament.  Yet, her faith, religion and literature has exceeded her size. As one commentator noted, it’s a “two-fold miracle” that we have the (1) Old Testament texts (given instances of attempted pogroms, e.g. Esther’s time or the “Mad-man’s” times, Antioches Epiphanes IV, of the Seleucids) and (2) the utterly remarkable accuracy (3-4% disputed issues—with answers too) in textual transmission.  But, it’s literature survived into Western Civilization and remains with us.  In time, we hope to review Mr. Daniel’s infamous and famous work on the English Bible, that London scholar tracing the influences of the English Bible in literature and culture.  But, for now, may it be noted that the same cannot be said for Assyrian, Babylonian and Egyptian texts. 

We bring three notable, ancient and forgotten texts (compared to the Old Testament):

·        Ipu-wer or Nefer-rohu of Egypt 

2000 B.C., prior to the Twelfth Dynasty.  This chap stands before the king, denounces him, points out social deficiencies, and recommends improvements.  

Breasted, John Henry. The Dawn of Conscience. Scribners, 1933. http://www.amazon.com/Dawn-Conscience-James-Henry-Breasted/dp/B009D8AYI8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1381534885&sr=8-2&keywords=Breasted+the+dawn+of+conscience

Mr. Van Seters has dated this to the Thirteenth Dynasty. 

Van Seters, John. The Hyksos.  Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2010. http://www.amazon.com/The-Hyksos-A-New-Investigation/dp/160899533X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381535233&sr=8-1&keywords=Van+Seters+the+hyksos 

·        “Prophet” of Mari in Mesopotomia to his king.  He predicts the fall of the king and names his successor.  Breasted above, op. cit. 

Also, 103-110, from Rowley, H.H. Studies in Old Testament Prophecy.  T & T. Clark, Ltd., 1950. http://www.amazon.com/Studies-Old-Testament-Prophecy-Rowley/dp/0567022226/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1381535436&sr=8-3&keywords=rowley+studies+in+the+old+testament+prophecy

      ·        “Oracles of Arabella” in Assyria 

Guillaume, Alfred. Prophecy and Divination Among the Hebrews and Other Semites.  Hodder & Stoughton, 1938. http://www.amazon.com/Prophecy-Divination-Among-Hebrews-Semites/dp/B000H3B5FY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381535728&sr=8-1&keywords=Guillaume+prophecy+and+divination+among+the+hebrews+and+other+semites

 Pg. 42-43: “Like the Hebrew prophets, the priestesses employed the first person in speaking in behalf of Ishtar.  The frequent injunction to `fear not,’ the promise of help, and of the overthrow of the king’s enemies, the assertion of the goddesss’s greatness, are all suggestive of Hebrew prophecy.”

But, again, Jehovah, the covenant-keeping and promise-keeping God of Israel:  God’s name, His stories and His records survive while the others did not (except for the antiquarians and historians). 

Miscellaneous notes on Israel’s strategic location and geography:

·        Mediterranean to west, Arabian desert to east, 60 miles wide, caravan routes on north-south axis, but also connecting Egypt (with its wealth, fertile Nile area, desires for commerce), and areas near the upper headwaters of the Tigris-Euphrates Rivers

·        Northern areas or the upper headwaters of the Tigris-Euphrates, from Armenian highlands, flowing south-eastwardly into the Persian Gulf

·        Assur and Ninevah, capitals of Assyria, on the Tigris River

·        Euphrates River—Babylonians, Assyrians, Armenians and Mitannis traded along the Rivers and all wanted trade with Egypt: Israel in the crossroads

·        Jordan Rift in Israel, or, the Jordan Valley—10 miles wide, with the Jordan River starting north of the Sea of Galilee near the base of Mt. Hermon (300 ft. above sea level), flowing into the Sea of Galilee, and southerwards—meanderingly—to the Dead Sea (1200 ft. below sea level, the lowest in the earth). The Jordan Valley is highly fertile.

·        Jordan River—4 tributaries flow into it near Lake Hulah, north of the Sea of Galilee

·        Sea of Galilee—13 miles long, 7 miles wide, 630 feet below sea level, fresh-water, full of fish.  70 miles to the south is the Dead Sea.

·        Dead Sea—25% concentration of sodium chloride, potash, magnesius, calcium chlorides and bromides.  47 miles long, 6-9 miles wide, 1200 feet below sea level.

·        South of Dead Sea—110 miles from Dead Sea to Gulf of Aqabah, often called Arabah.  Solomon established copper mines in this area.

·        Transjordan—east of Jordan.  Yarmuk River (southern edge) of Bashan flows into the Jordan River.

·        Bashan—north of Yarmuk River, highly fertile, highly prized, and oft-contested between Israel and Aram-Damascus

·        Gilead—extended from Bashan to Moabite regions in south

·        Three ranges of “Central mountains” (west of Jordan Valley) and the backbone of Israel

·        Northern ranges of Galilee (upper and lower) bounded by Esdraelon Valley (quite fertile).  The middle ranges: Mt. Ephraim including Mt. Gebal and Mt. Geribim.  South of these are the Judean Moutains and Hills.

·        Coastal plains on Mediterranean.  Shifting sands, but just inland it is fertile

·        Climate—subtropical and produces citrus fruits, bananas, oranges, fruits, lemons, grapefruits, and olives (olive oils)