lugotorix

I've been reading up on the debate over the historicity of the Old Testament ever since reading The Bible Unearthed by Finkelstein and Silberman. I've read some articles from both the so-called minimalists and their opponents. I find it hard to believe there is such rancor and invective about the subject.
Is there a general consensus in the scholarly community about which of these is closer to the truth? After reading the views from one 'school' and then the other, it's hard to believe they are even studying the same planet, let alone the same time period and geographical area.

lugotorix

godfry n. glad

No.

It seems there is even _less_ consensus as time passes.

godfry

Butters

This bothers me also lugotorix. The same thing happened to me. I read TBU, thought it made a compelling case, then I read some Christian writings on the subject. I don't know enough about archeology to tell who is right. I don't want to accept Finklelstiens theory just because I like it. I also tried to find an impartial, authority, but it seems there is no such thing.

Jayhawker Soule

At the same time, it seems important that we know the scope of the dispute. Neither "minimalist" nor "maximalist" is claiming archeological evidence for a Biblical Exodus or much that follows. It seems that the debate is bewteen fabrication and accretion of a Hebrew folklore, mythology, and civil code.

Parenthetically, Finklestein/Silberman are more centrist than minimalist.

Vorkosigan

www.bibleinterp.com has a whole bunch of articles on this topic from both sides.

lugotorix

Yes, same here. I have to keep in mind the fact that I'm an ex-Christian (ex-Pentecostal, no less), so that anything that debunks a literal interpretation of the Bible would automatically appeal to me.

Still, I find myself leaning toward a later composition date due to the archaeological evidence presented in TBU. If you go by the accepted traditional dating (e.g. circa 1000 BCE for David's reign), there are gaps in the archaeological record where there should be remains, and remains where there should be gaps.

There are also some episodes in the Bible itself which make me think it was a late composition -- the "discovery" of the book of the law (supposed to be Deuteronomy) during the reign of Josiah (2 Kings 22:8), and the Levites under Ezra reading the scriptures to the Jews and requiring a translator (Nehemiah 8:8)

BTW, Vorkosigan, thanks for the link. I'll have to check out the articles there when I have a chance.

lugotorix