Seminar in Biblical History

and Background
Dr. C. Mora

First class (22 October, 2015)

History and historiography

What is history
Chronological record of events or past
The explanation of or commentary of those events
The records are most of the time, analysis of the events are given
History are not only list of events, a commentary which analyze and
evaluate the situation from a certain point of view will be presented
along

Two type of History

Res gestae events that occurred. Objective history or reality
(geschichte, story)
Rerum gestarum what we know about the past events. Historical
science (Historie, history)

Utility of History
People who forget their past are bound to repeat it. Jorge
Santayana
People who forget their traditions lose consciousness of their
destiny; and those who rest on his glorious tombs are better prepare
for the future. Nicolas Avellaneda

7 Questions of history
What happened
When did it happen
Where
How
Who did it
Why it happened?
What were the consequences

: Acts
: time
: place
: mode
: subject
: causes
: consequences

ART and Science

Object : past events
Subject: human being
method: historical research is analytic-synthetic. It involve collection
of data, analysis, and synthesis or evaluation.

Historiography the truth behind the editing

How the history is written
Historio history
Graphy written

The science of allowing the sources to speak with some clarity about
history by immersing oneself within the physical topography and
culture ethos represented by the texts, and without misleading
subject agendas. - James H. Charlesworth, The Pesharim and Qumran
History: Chaos or Consensus? (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdsmans, 2002),
23.

Characteristics of OT history
Overwhelmingly narrative in expression

However, on some occasion Bible can use different genre to express the history (Ps.
78; Ex. 15; Judges 5)

More biographical ( it would follow certain kings and characters)

It is tendentious (it have a tendency to control the pace of the narrative)
It is theocentric
It is selective
It is professedly historiographic
It is consistently contextual (is would always provide some historical
background)
It is interpretative (from theocentric point of view)

Structure of the OT as a Historical Record

The focal point of OT History: The Plains of Moab in Deuteronomy
Obey and live, disobey and die

Exodus-Numbers: The constitution of a nation

Genesis: The history of Israels origins
Deuteronomy: the paradigm of Israels history
Joshua-2 Kings: An assessment of Israels historical and theological
experience (former prophets in Hebrew Bible)
Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah: History from a postexilic perspective (only
the good things done by the kings are recorded in the book of chronicles,
and kings of Judah are in focus, not the ten tribes)
The prophets: interactions with history
The writings: Interaction with Yahweh and with the historical community

Conclusion
History of theology or theology of history are not the concern of the
Bible
Old Testament is both history and theology
The historiography of the OT is theological, a theocentric approach.

nd
2

class

Devotional

Exodus 2
God is able

The issue of history in our days

Archaeology and History

What is Archaeology?
Two treek words
Archaios: ancient, from the beginning
Logos: a word/treatise (a written work dealing formally and systematically
with a subject)

Aim of Archaeology
To discover, rescue, observe and preserve buried fragments of
antiquity and to use them to help reconstruct ancient life.
The method of finding out about the past of the human race in its
material aspects, and the study of the products of this past (K.
Kenyon)

Separation between Historian and

Archaeologists
The written materials of the antiquity do not belong to thte field of
archaeology proper. They are more the province of historian than
archaeologist.

Archaeology and History

Archaeology is an auxiliary science of history. It is the handmaid of
history
Ancient writing was restricted to an elite class and frequently biased.
Archaeology by contrast describes and explains to us how all types of
people lived. It is not respecter of discriminator of class.

classification
Archaeology is often considered to be a social science
One of the four subdisciplines of Anthropology. Other areas:
1. cultural anthropology
Physical anthropology
Wildebrand classification
linguistics
Nomotetic
Archaeology

ideographic
history

Singular place
As a social science, Archaeology is not actually a natural science as
physics and chemistry
It is more subjective and selective in its analysis and interpretation
History is not a science, it is an art

Brief summary
During the englightment (AD XVII and XVIII) they refuse of the
historicism of the Bible cebame strong.
No more historicism for the birth, life, death and resurrection of
Jesus.
H.S Reimarus (1694-1768)
J. G. Lessing (1693-1770)
D. F. Strauss (1808-1874)

Reform
1600

Science
philosophy
Historical-Critical
Deism
Englightment
XVII 1700

1800

JEDP

1874
Sources

The New Handmaid?

Because the declination of History and of Critical Historical Method,
the sociology as new method of research.
Wildhem Wildenbrand:
Nomotetic Natural sciences (set laws)
Idiographic historical disciplines (organize,
An anti-literary and/or Anti-textual attitude. No man doing history
anymore. Discarded the text and look for the social movements.

 Archaeology describe the background of the people

History describe the events and activities of the people

Literary approaches: a mixed blessing?

Because the failure of the CHM and the recognition of the Bible as a
literary work (B. S. Childs, 1923-2007 Canonical criticism) it was
brought the new criticism (a-historical or anti-historical):
1. Rhetorical criticism
2. Structuralism
3. Deconstruction
But these people work with the Bible as another literature but did not
believe it in its historical and inspirational aspects.

Overview of the Bible and

ANE history and archaeology

Palestine
Egypt

Early
bronze

Middle
bronze

Late
bronze

Iron age I

Iron age II Persian

period

The Greek The

romans

3300

2000

1550

1200

1000

330

Abraham

Goden
Age

I-II Proto
1\0 P
dynasty/III IX-XI Dy.
-VIII
dynasty

Mesopota Sumerians Amorites

mia
(semitic,
(Hammur
origin not abbi)
clear)
3300

MK
XI-XIII
Period of
Joseph/
2\o XivXVII
Hurrians/
Mittany

536

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