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  • From: "Jonathan D. Safren" <yonsaf AT beitberl.beitberl.ac.il>
  • To: Ancient Near East Discussion Group <ane AT oi.uchicago.edu>, Biblical Hebrew <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>, Miqra <miqra AT shemesh.scholar.emory.edu>
  • Subject: ANE Inscriptions and the Book of Kings
  • Date: Tue, 27 Apr 1999 14:49:27 +0300


In the latest issue of JSOT (No. 82. March 1999), Nadav Na'aman argues
that the reason for contradictions between the book of Kings and ANE
inscriptions has to do with the nature of the sources the compiler of
Kings had at hand, rather any theological presuppositions.
Thus, for the history of the Kingdom of Judah, the author, a Judean, had
reliable sources, and there is much correspondence between the ANE
inscriptions and Kings.
But for the Northern Kingdom of Israel, the author relied heavily on
prophetic narratives, and this is the main reason for the discrepancies,
such as, for example, the Aramaic Inscription from Tel Dan as compared
to the Revolt of Jehu Narrative.
Likewise, the use of byt dwd, "House of David", in the Tel Dan
Inscription, as opposed to Judah in kings, is evidence for the late
composition of Kings, which he puts in the seventh century or later (he
doesn't go so far as to say that it was composed in the Maccabean
Period).
Any comments?

--
Jonathan D. Safren
Dept. of Biblical Studies
Beit Berl College
Beit Berl Post Office 44905
Israel






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