Memories of Ancient Israel: An Introduction to Biblical History--Ancient and Modern.

• Author: Farber, Zev
• Position: Book review

Memories of Ancient Israel: An Introduction to Biblical History--Ancient and Modern. By PHILIP R. DAVIES. Louisville: WESTMINSTER JOHN KNOX PRESS, 2008. Pp. vi + 182. $24.95 (paper).

Memnohistory, or the study of cultural memory, is becoming a central methodological strategy in historical studies in general. Applying this new sub-field to biblical studies, Philip Davies argues that not only is it the job of the biblical historian to "clarify what the relationship is between the various biblical narratives about the past and what we can know (in the historical sense) about the real past," i.e., traditional history, but it is also his/her job to "clarify those narratives as products of that real past" (p. 17). As one of the first books dedicated to this topic in biblical studies, Philip Davies' book is a timely addition.

The book begins with an introduction aimed at clarifying the job of biblical historians. Biblical history, Davies claims, is an academic discipline governed by rational and scientific methods, and should be distinguished from theological or confessional reading, which is governed by doctrinal and religious requirements, a point he made at length in Whose Bible is it Anyway? (Sheffield Academic Press, [1995], 17-55), and with which he ends this book as well.

The bulk of the book is divided into two sections, "Resources" and "Strategies." By resources, Davies means pieces of evidence that can be utilized in studying history and cultural memory, specifically the Bible, archaeological findings, and ancient epigraphic sources. By strategies, he means either analyzing written sources as cultural memories or attempting to construct history by scientifically studying all the evidence with an eye towards reconstructing the past as best as possible.

Davies' chapters on archaeology (4) and epigraphy (5) are mostly overviews of the current state of affairs. As such, each chapter is both lucid and well-balanced. For example, in his chapter on archaeology, Davies describes the debate between Finkelstein and Mazar about the evidence for the United Monarchy. Although he seems to lean in the direction of Finkelstein (see his comment about "secular Tel Aviv" versus "religious Jerusalem" on p. 76), he presents the evidence for both sides objectively and clearly, referencing relevant data and the problems inherent in the various methodologies.

Similarly, in his chapter on epigraphy Davies surveys the major epigraphic finds relevant to biblical...