The Dawn of Israel

Lester Grabbe has once again provided us with a well-researched and judiciously argued volume, this time laying out for us an excellent summary of the cultural backgrounds for the rise of 'Israel'. Masterfully weaving together historical, biblical and archaeological sources, Prof. Grabbe presents an overview of the cultural and historical background of 2nd millennium BCE Canaan and its environs, the region in which biblical Israel and Judah formed during the early Iron Age. Advanced students of archaeology, Bible and ancient Near Eastern Studies will find this an excellent resource to understand the genesis of Israel and Judah. Highly recommended! * Professor Aren Maeir, Bar-Ilan University, Israel *
Lester Grabbe worked through the History of Ancient Israel like an archaeologist, from the top strata down. Three volumes on the Persian and Hellenistic periods were followed by a by a magisterial study of the Iron Age monarchies, and now, finally, on Israel’s beginnings in the Late Bronze Age. Both YHWH and Israel are first attested in this period. This fact is undeniable and calls for proper consideration, which it amply receives in the sober and comprehensive manner which we learnt to appreciate in Grabbe’s previous books. * Ernst Axel Knauf, University of Bern, Switzerland *
[Grabbe] enriches us with a seasoned, post-enlightenment history. * The Society for Old Testament Study Book List *
Overall, readers will find Lester L. Grabbe’s The Dawn of Israel to be an extremely useful contribution to the study of the history of ancient Israel and the wider Levantine and Near Eastern region … it is clear that this is a book created by a scholar who has spent decades working on the problem of reconstructing the history of ancient Israel and the wider region and has always vigorously insisted on the importance of questioning assumptions and looking beyond established consensuses. Grabbe has done the field a service in distilling his immense knowledge and expertise into this rich, readable contribution, and the result is extraordinary. -- Andrew Tobolowsky * Orientalia *