What part does the land of Canaan play in the biblical conception of “Israel”? To what extent does the religion promoted by the Hebrew Bible require that Israel live its communal life in the national homeland? And how does life in the land compare in importance with other elements presented as belonging to Israel’s ultimate destiny, such as, for example, adherence to the law? To what extent must the people of Israel take hold of and settle in the “entire land of Canaan” for them to fulfill their destiny? Might the land be shared with other peoples, or must non-Israelites be expelled and subjugated, or at least kept at a safe and isolated distance? Frankel asks these questions and others of the Hebrew Bible as a whole and of the biblical texts individually. He shows that all of these questions were addressed by various biblical authors and that diverse and even opposing answers were given to them. These issues are not completely new. Many of them have been addressed in recent times by various scholars and theologians who have taken a renewed interest in the “territorial dimension” of the Hebrew Bible. However, works of a predominantly theological or sociological orientation often suffer from a tendency to read the biblical texts holistically and to gloss over textual snags and inconsistencies. For Frankel, the snags and inconsistencies in the texts are of central importance. They allow him carefully to reconstruct the process of the growth of the texts in question and to reveal both their original forms and their final transformations at the hands of the editors. Frankel’s analysis shows that behind the present form of several biblical texts lie earlier versions that often displayed remarkably open and inclusive conceptions of the relationship between the people of Israel and the land of Canaan. Diachronic analysis of the biblical text is thus an essential component in this book’s attempt to retrieve something of the heated theological dynamic that animated the work of the authors and editors whose efforts were consummated in the formation of the Hebrew Bible. Frankel presents here many new and previously unrecognized biblical conceptions and traditions that have significant theological implications for the contemporary religious and political situation in the State of Israel. Once the biblical conceptions have been accurately identified, analyzed, and categorized, he opens a discussion of the possible relevance of these conceptions to the contemporary situation in which he lives.

Has God abandoned Israel? Has the Church “replaced” Israel? What does the Bible say? As we watch the world events, it is clear that Israel is following her prophetic scenario, and a new chapter is about to be written—and there may be a big surprise on our near horizon!

"Written by one of the outstanding biblical scholars in the world, this book is very important, not only as technical biblical criticism but also for its treatment of one of the most pressing and controversial issues of our own time."--David N. Freedman, co-editor of "The Archaeology of the Bible"

The belief that America has been providentially chosen for a special destiny has deep roots in the country's past. As both a stimulus of creative American energy and a source of American self-righteousness, this notion has long served as a motivating national mythology. God's New Israel is a collection of thirty-one readings that trace the theme of American destiny under God through major developments in U.S. history. First published in 1971 and now thoroughly updated to reflect contemporary events, it features the words of such prominent and diverse Americans as Jonathan Edwards, Thomas Jefferson, Brigham Young, Chief Seattle, Abraham Lincoln, Frances Willard, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Ralph Reed, and Rosemary Radford Ruether. Neither a history of American religious denominations nor a history of American theology, this book is instead an illuminating look at how religion has helped shape Americans' understanding of themselves as a people.

War Over Destinies is an inspiring book of deliverance teachingsan expos on dimensions of satanic afflictions of destinies of individuals and families and the overcoming power of faith in Christ. It is based on the Bible, divine revelations, and true stories of personal and ancestral involvement in idolatry, resultant satanic afflictions, and extraordinary deliverance. A compilation of the lessons God so graciously taught me in my own journey, these are lessons from my personal experience of the rage and ravage of Satan and his agents in the life of a believer with idolatrous foundation. Also found are lessons on Gods assurance of victory and His abiding grace for overcoming the devices of the devil. I share the lessons in the hope that they will both encourage and equip groups and individuals in their journeys to destiny in Christ.

This book deals with the stories of Israelite complaint or murmuring in the wilderness found in the books of Exodus and Numbers that were composed and edited by the priesthood of ancient Israel. It discusses the significance of the theme of rebellion and complaint for the ancient priests and analyses the part they played in the development of the theme in the Pentateuch. After a general introduction on the theme of murmuring and on the Priestly School, the book goes on to analyze four major priestly texts: the manna story (Exodus 16); the story of the Scouts (Numbers 13-14); the story of the rebellions surrounding the figure of Korah (Numbers 16-17) and the story of the Waters of Merivah (Numbers 20). The significance of the book is two-fold. First, it develops a methodology that allows one to discriminate between early priestly narrative materials and later priestly editorial supplementation. Second, the work demonstrates the antiquity of the priestly narrative lore in the Pentateuch and the significant role which the priests played in creating and developing major narrative traditions in ancient Israel.

In this groundbreaking work that sets apart fact and legend, authors Finkelstein and Silberman use significant archeological discoveries to provide historical information about biblical Israel and its neighbors. In this iconoclastic and provocative work, leading scholars Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman draw on recent archaeological research to present a dramatically revised portrait of ancient Israel and its neighbors. They argue that crucial evidence (or a telling lack of evidence) at digs in Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon suggests that many of the most famous stories in the Bible—the wanderings of the patriarchs, the Exodus from Egypt, Joshua’s conquest of Canaan, and David and Solomon’s vast empire—reflect the world of the later authors rather than actual historical facts. Challenging the fundamentalist readings of the scriptures and marshaling the latest archaeological evidence to support its new vision of ancient Israel, The Bible Unearthed offers a fascinating and controversial perspective on when and why the Bible was written and why it possesses such great spiritual and emotional power today.