The History Books
The books of the Bible which really focus in on the history of God's people from the time they colonise the promised land start from Joshua and go on to Nehemia.
The first of these books, the book of Joshua, follows the exploits of Joshua as he leads the people across the river Jordan and into the country we know now as Israel and Palestine. It contains the story of the fall of Jericho (probably it's best known story) and the destruction of its walls so that the army could enter and take it. It details the parcelling out of the land to the various tribes and various other stories of conquest ending with a closing speech from Joshual to the leaders, and a renewal of their covanant with God. The history continues in the book of the Judges, named after the system of government in the time of settlement in the land. There was no monarchy and it seems that those who had leadership roles simply gained these roles by being leaders or by giving leadership when it was required. The judges mentioned are usually people of military skill and courage, or prophetic gift, with the exception of Samson, who seems to come to the fore by virtue of his great strength. It's in this book we can read of the exploits of Samson, Gideon and Deborah, which give us some stirring tales. The period of the Judges eventually gave way to a settled monarchy and we can read the story of this transition in the opening chapters of 1 Samuel which takes its name from Samuel who was the last Judge of Israel and who is the kingmaker. Inserted between Judges and Samuel is the little book of Ruth which seeks in a powerful little story to give us an insight into King David's ancestry. It's a useful introduction to the book of Samuel. Samuel opens with the story of Samuel's conception and birth, his call to be a leader and eventually to the anointing of the first King of Israel, Saul in chapter 10. The rest of the book tells of the rise of David in Saul's service, including the story of David and Goliath, David's friendship with Jonathon, one of Saul's sons, Saul's fall from grace and eventual death. The second book charts David's accesion to the throne and deals with the events of his life.
Thereafter 1 & 2 Kings deal with the story of the monarchy and how the kingdom was divided after Solomon's reign, and the monarchs of both kingdoms are written about. 1&2 Chronicles repeats much of this information but with a slightly different spin and style.They end with the fall of the southern Kingdom of Judah in the 6th century BC. The books of Ezra and Nehemia tell of the exiles in Babylon and Cyrus' edict to allow Jerusalem's walls to be rebuilt and the temple to be restored.
The problems associated with these books range around dating and authorship. Within one narrative there can be different styles of writing and this points to the hand of an editor bringing together different accounts. There is also the problem of separating spin, either theological or political. from historical fact. So whilst for Christians and Jews the books have great value, it may not always lie in the realm of historical accuracy.
The first of these books, the book of Joshua, follows the exploits of Joshua as he leads the people across the river Jordan and into the country we know now as Israel and Palestine. It contains the story of the fall of Jericho (probably it's best known story) and the destruction of its walls so that the army could enter and take it. It details the parcelling out of the land to the various tribes and various other stories of conquest ending with a closing speech from Joshual to the leaders, and a renewal of their covanant with God. The history continues in the book of the Judges, named after the system of government in the time of settlement in the land. There was no monarchy and it seems that those who had leadership roles simply gained these roles by being leaders or by giving leadership when it was required. The judges mentioned are usually people of military skill and courage, or prophetic gift, with the exception of Samson, who seems to come to the fore by virtue of his great strength. It's in this book we can read of the exploits of Samson, Gideon and Deborah, which give us some stirring tales. The period of the Judges eventually gave way to a settled monarchy and we can read the story of this transition in the opening chapters of 1 Samuel which takes its name from Samuel who was the last Judge of Israel and who is the kingmaker. Inserted between Judges and Samuel is the little book of Ruth which seeks in a powerful little story to give us an insight into King David's ancestry. It's a useful introduction to the book of Samuel. Samuel opens with the story of Samuel's conception and birth, his call to be a leader and eventually to the anointing of the first King of Israel, Saul in chapter 10. The rest of the book tells of the rise of David in Saul's service, including the story of David and Goliath, David's friendship with Jonathon, one of Saul's sons, Saul's fall from grace and eventual death. The second book charts David's accesion to the throne and deals with the events of his life.
Thereafter 1 & 2 Kings deal with the story of the monarchy and how the kingdom was divided after Solomon's reign, and the monarchs of both kingdoms are written about. 1&2 Chronicles repeats much of this information but with a slightly different spin and style.They end with the fall of the southern Kingdom of Judah in the 6th century BC. The books of Ezra and Nehemia tell of the exiles in Babylon and Cyrus' edict to allow Jerusalem's walls to be rebuilt and the temple to be restored.
The problems associated with these books range around dating and authorship. Within one narrative there can be different styles of writing and this points to the hand of an editor bringing together different accounts. There is also the problem of separating spin, either theological or political. from historical fact. So whilst for Christians and Jews the books have great value, it may not always lie in the realm of historical accuracy.
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