Lexham Geographic Commentary on the Historical Books, Volume 2 - (Lgc) by Barry J Beitzel (Hardcover)

About the Book

Written by a team of experts on biblical geography and culture, the Lexham Geographic Commentary on the Historical Books, Volume 2, is a guide to the biblical world of 1 Samuel through Esther. Each article addresses a particular story, event, or subject in 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, or Esther, with full-color maps and photos providing deeper layers of context.

Book Synopsis

• Study the land in which the stories of 1 Samuel-Esther took place.
• Learn how geographic and cultural factors can provide theological insights
• Visualize the promised land through full-color maps and photos

David ruled a kingdom with discernible borders. Solomon married the daughter of a real, historical Pharoah. When we understand the geographic and cultural features of the Bible, we experience its stories with fresh eyes.

• See where David fled during his decade of being pursued by Saul
• Learn how Samuel's judging circuit aligns with archaeological evidence
• Identify Solomon's Egyptian father-in-law
• Understand the geographical and cultural import of genealogies in 1 Chronicles 1-9

Written by a team of experts on biblical geography and culture, the Lexham Geographic Commentary on the Historical Books, Volume 2, is a guide to the biblical world of 1 Samuel through Esther. Each article addresses a particular story, event, or subject in 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, or Esther, with full-color maps and photos providing deeper layers of context. Historical and cultural insights give readers a richer understanding of the biblical story.

From the Back Cover

A guided tour of Israel's monarchy, exile, and return

David ruled a kingdom with discernible borders. Solomon married the daughter of a real, historical Pharoah. When we understand the geographic and cultural features of the Bible, we experience its stories with fresh eyes.

Written by a team of experts on biblical geography and culture, the Lexham Geographic Commentary on the Historical Books, Volume 2, is a guide to the biblical world of 1 Samuel through Esther. Each article addresses a particular story, event, or subject in 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, or Esther, with full-color maps and photos providing deeper layers of context. Historical and cultural insights give readers a richer understanding of the biblical story.

Review Quotes

These volumes properly highlight the foundational, though often overlooked reality of the physical settings upon which the events recorded in the biblical text unfolded and which influenced the biblical authors' narratives and poetry. By providing layered approaches to discreet corpora of texts from Joshua through Esther, the contributors ground theological claims, provide guidance and parameters for text-critical interpretations, and offer much needed nuance that corrects more dogmatic and/or text-only studies that fail to appreciate the importance of geography for the biblical authors' truth claims. These volumes tackle the biggest issues in the historicity of ancient Israel's story by integrating detailed understanding of the region's geography, the available archaeological remains, and philologically informed discussions of the Hebrew language. The results are nuanced, refreshing, and, at times, novel interpretations of the biblical texts that are attuned to text-critical and theological matters.

--Kyle Keimer, honorary senior research fellow in the archaeology, history, and language of ancient Israel, Macquarie University, Australia

"The Lexham Geographic Commentary on the Historical Books continues the important approach to biblical interpretation found in the previous volumes of this project. The geographic setting in historical context is a crucial element in the interpretation of the biblical narratives, since the stories assume the implied readers' knowledge of locations, topography, etc., as these impact the events that the stories narrate. This commentary successfully addresses this concern. Throughout the volume, the understanding of the individual narrative episodes is greatly enriched through a solid analysis of the geographic and cultural data. Readers will benefit from its wonderful maps, photos, and illustrations. It is an important contribution to the understanding of this portion of Scripture."

--K. Lawson Younger, Jr., professor emeritus of Old Testament, semitic languages, and ancient near eastern history, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Illinois

About the Author

Barry J. Beitzel is professor emeritus of Old Testament and Semitic languages at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He holds a PhD in ancient Near Eastern studies from Dropsie University in Philadelphia. He obtained a postdoctorate in ancient Near Eastern geography from the Université de Liège, Belgium, and has engaged in postdoctoral archaeological work in eastern Syria through UCLA. He is the author of Where Was The Biblical Red Sea? Examining the Ancient Evidence and The New Moody Atlas of the Bible.