The author evaluates the notion of “holy history” as a theological concept for understanding the Hebrew scriptures and for comparing these scriptures to ancient near eastern beliefs. He traces the history of the debate in the last generation from scholars who vividly contrasted Israel's beliefs with those of the ancient world to those who emphasized Israel's continuity with predecessor cultures. The author proposes an approach wherein Israel is perceived as developing out of the values of the ancient world, but “reconstructing” these values into a new ideational matrix.
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