The Gray Monk

The Former Prophets
A look at the “Historical” Books of the Old Testament.

The period covered by this group of books is roughly from around 1250 BC to 400 BC, quite an impressive span. They chart the rise and fall of the Nation of Israel as it reaches its apogee under Solomon and then divides into “Israel” in the North and “Judah” in the South, before falling to the Assyrians and then the Babylonians. Finally we see the return from exile under Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the Temple of Solomon and restoration of Jerusalem. You may well wonder why I have put the “*” around the word historical. It is purely to indicate that, although most of the books in this group are at least based on historical fact or events, there are questions surrounding the books of Ruth and Esther. Both of these appear to be “instructive” rather than “historical” and draw upon the lives of real people (Ruth is David’s forebear), to make a moral point.

The title I have given this ramble through the Old Testament may also puzzle, yet it is the title often given to this group of books by the Jews themselves, as a means to distinguish these books from the Latter Prophets – Jeremiah, Isaiah and so on. It also reflects the belief that the books form a “prophetic” history, that is, a historical account in which the hand of God and the folly of the people who fail to follow His holy law, is revealed. It also refers to the division used by Jewish scholars who divide this group into two sections – the Prophets; Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and the Writings; 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and, loosely, Ruth and Esther. Of these last, Esther is unique in that it alone of all the books of both Old and New Testaments, it does not mention God at all. Indeed it includes a story of dire revenge, but it is this book which is read in its entirety by Jews to this day on the Feast of Purim. Ruth, by contrast, is a short story of a Moabite woman, a convert to the Jewish faith, who exercises great faith to support her widowed mother in law among her adopted people.

Sources for these books are quite diverse, drawing upon now lost court records, including the Acts of Solomon, the Book of Jashar (thought to be an ancient national song book!), and the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah (completely different to the books we have as 1 and 2 Chronicles). There is some evidence that the court records of David are also part of the reference material and there are suggestions of many other sources as well. This serves well to illustrate the amount of written material that had been produced during the period covered and its availability to the authors of the books we now possess. The primary difference between the original sources and the writings contained within our canon, is the interpretive aspect in which the prophetic confirmation is drawn against the events described.

There is some argument about the start date of the narrative, some scholars preferring 1240 BC but others arguing for an earlier date around 1400 BC based on 1 Kings 6:1. This latter date is based on dating backwards from the presumed date of the “fourth year” of Solomon’s reign a period of 480 years. This period of years is itself interesting because it is also the period of the conjunction cycle of Venus and Mercury, which when they are in conjunction show briefly as a very bright star just before the dawn. The “star” is reputedly bright enough to cast shadows and is even mentioned in the Bible in several places. The conjunction also coincides with several significant events including the dedication of the Temple by Solomon, the Exodus and Abraham’s departure from Ur. The cycle is amazingly predictable and the conjunction last occurred in 1913.

So what do the books themselves cover? The first is of course Joshua, variants of the name, which is still revered; include Yeshua, Joseph and Jesus. The book itself is sometimes jokingly referred to as “Exodus: Part 2”, which is partly true. It tells the story of Moses’ successor, a warrior leader of some skill, who led the invasion and conquest of the Promised Land. While the book covers the conquest and the battles, the writers include the renewal of the Covenant and builds on how this united the tribes. The first city to fall to the Israelites is of course the key city of Jericho, and it is swiftly followed by others, including that of Megiddo - a place known to readers of the Revelations in the New Testament as Armageddon.

Very few of the cities captured are destroyed, with the exception of Jericho which as the first fruit of the campaign, is seen as a thank offering to God. The other exception is Hazor in the North, but the reason for that is less clear. There is method in all of this, a desolated land of destroyed cities and towns would hardly support the invaders and their families, and therefore they are preserved as far as possible. The conquest is, however, far from complete by the time Joshua dies in his old age.

Judges draws its title from the title of the Elders who led the people from the death of Joshua until the appointment of Saul as King. Throughout the book the reader is reminded that the settlement or conquest is far from complete as various tribes suffer from insurrection or invasions by the former occupants. The historical element is relatively small throughout this book as it deals with moral issues and it closes with two rather unusual events. The first is the establishment of a sanctuary for the tribe of Dan to replace one destroyed by raiders (See Judges 17 – 18) and the second is the punishment of Benjamin for an outrage committed by the inhabitants of Gibeah (See Judges 19 – 21!). It almost seems to sum it all up in the very last verse of the book – “In those days Israel had no King, everyone did as they saw fit.”

The story of Ruth, Naomi and Boaz is, on the surface, a very lightweight tale of self sacrifice and self preservation, but it has a much deeper significance. In fact it was written much later than its position in the canon implies. It is contemporaneous with the book of Nehemiah and was written to counter the view in favour at the time of the restoration of Jerusalem, that the Jewish people had to purify themselves by expelling all those who where not “pure” Jew (See Ezra 9 – 10!). By reminding the people that their greatest Kings had been part Moabite, the writer neatly challenges that doctrine and shows it to be false (See Ruth 4: 13 – 22).

1 and 2 Samuel mark the transition from the tribal “Judges” to the period of greatness under the Kings. Where at the opening of 1 Samuel the Judge Prophet Samuel is the undisputed leader, he gradually fades into the background as first Saul and then David rise to prominence as leaders. It is probable that the division between these two books is artificial since the narrative is almost uninterrupted the death of Saul ends the first book and is in the opening, as a past event, of the second. Some scholars argue that the length of a scroll is the probable reason for this division into two books, rather than any significant “boundary” event. While 1 Samuel deals with the work and role of Samuel, the selection of Saul and the war against David, the second book deals primarily with the Kingship of David. Again the historical events are recorded with an “interpretive” commentary on the morality (or lack!) of people and events and the “prophetic” underpinning of good and bad events. The writers of these books are again interested in ensuring that the reader sees the hand of God at work in the events described, hence, David is “unfit” to build the temple, but is instructed to build an altar on the future site of the temple. Traditionally David’s reign is taken as 1011 BC (the death of Saul) to 971 BC, which makes him a fairly long reigning monarch in any tradition.

With the coming of Solomon to the crown of Israel, the golden age begins. The writers of 1 and 2 Kings are concerned with the kingship and the nature of matters related to the governing of the Kingdom, but they are also putting forward the word of God. A third interest here is the Temple itself and the worship of the nation, particularly in relation to the Temple. Through 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings we are also shown how the Ark of the Covenant moves according to the fortunes of the people themselves. With the establishment of Jerusalem as capital, that journeying ends and the Temple is finally built to house it for all time. It is also in these pages that we encounter Elijah and several other prophets who rail against the Kings who followed Solomon for their impiety, pride and one feels, their stupidity.

1 and 2 Chronicles was originally one book which formed the second part of the nations history. The author is frequently referred to as “the Chronicler” and the content overlaps parts of Samuel and Kings. It is for that reason that it was not originally included in full in the Hebrew version of the Septuagint, which is also why in that version, Ezra – Nehemiah precede 1 and 2 Chronicles. At some later date, in order to make their unity more obvious, the opening verses of Ezra were inserted at the end of 2 Chronicles. The Chronicler is less interested in the role of the Kings than he is in the part played by the Priests and Levites and he emphasizes their importance regularly. Of particular note is the leprosy suffered by Uzziah for unauthorized offering of incense in the temple and the role of the priests in dethroning Athaliah. There is also the thread of prophecy running strongly through the narrative.

Jewish tradition holds that Ezra was the Chronicler which is not impossible. The book attributed to this writer shows that he was a man of deep piety, probably on the temple staff during the 4th and early 5th Centuries BC. It is also in Ezra that we find the debate about mixed marriages and the “loss of Jewishness” that the writer feels arises from this practice.

Finally, Nehemiah. It is this man that led the people back from exile in Babylon, although it seems likely that at least some of the people had remained throughout in Judah/Israel. It is Nehemiah’s vision that sees the rebuilding of the city walls and the Temple completed and the priesthood restored. It is a story of determination and of faith, a story of opposition overcome and a nation renewed by the restoration of its roots and its covenant with God.

To get the most of the reading of these books you will need to read some good background histories on the Empires that swept back and forth across this area during the period. It will help to read the relevant chapters of Montgomery’s “A History of Warfare” as well as the history of the Babylonian and Assyrian empires that finally subjugated the divided Kingdoms. As with the Pentateuch, these books offer a wealth of information and enjoyment to anyone willing to give them more than a passing read through. Enjoy their content and the lessons for our own society.

The Peace of the Lord be with you always.