Author Description

Some of the articles penned by the Rostock theologian Hermann Michael Niemann concerning the history of Ancient Israel collected in this volume have been a source of sensation and vibrant critique since 1993. On the one hand, these articles deal with the Bible's theological statements; on the other, they relate to the historical evidence pertaining to the background of biblical texts. In the process, they uncover clear differences. The essays are based on Niemann's habilitation treatise, in which he argued on the basis of the archaeological and biblical sources that contrary to the biblical-theological narrative, Israel and Judah did not develop into complex and powerful states during the reigns of David and Solomon in the 10th century BCE - a position that was still provocative in 1993. Instead, Israel and Judah developed into complex states gradually, in the first half of the 9th century in the case of Israel and in the first half of the 8th century in the case of Judah. Today, this thesis is generally accepted. Ongoing archaeological research underscores it while simultaneously contributing necessary nuance. On the strength of his own excavations in Israel and his historical analyses, Niemann has continued to work on a new understanding of Ancient Israel and its neighbours, in particular the Philistines. A selection of his relevant studies is made available in this volume, supplemented by essays concerning the relationship between archaeology and biblical studies, the history of research of the archaeology of Ancient Palestine, and numerous articles treating other biblical-theological topics.