The Chronicles of David and Solomon - by Yigal Levin (Hardcover)

About the Book

An in-depth critical commentary on 1 Chronicles 10 - 2 Chronicles 9 which takes into account all aspects of linguistic and archaeological detail.

Book Synopsis

The book of Chronicles, the last book of the Hebrew Bible and a central historical book of the Christian Old Testament, has in recent decades gone from being "the Cinderella of biblical studies" to being one of the most researched books of the Bible. The anonymous author, often simply called "the Chronicler" by modern scholars, looks back at the old Israelite monarchy, before the Babylonian exile, from his vantage point in the post-exilic early Second Temple Period, and attempts to "update" the older historiographies of Samuel and Kings in order to elucidate their meaning to the people of his own time.

In The Chronicles of the David and Solomon, Yigal Levin does the same for the modern reader. He offers a brand-new translation and commentary on 1 Chronicles 10 - 2 Chronicles 9, examining the period of David's and Solomon's reign as presented in the text in exhaustive detail.
The Chronicles of David and Solomon is preceded in publication by The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah on 2 Chronicles 10 - 36, and will be followed by The Chronicles of All Israel on the genealogies of 1 Chronicles 1-9 and including comprehensive essays on the book of Chronicles, its time, purposes, methods and meanings.

Review Quotes

This detailed commentary on 1 Chronicles 10-2 Chronicles 9, the second of the author's planned three-volume commentary on the book of Chronicles, will be very helpful to anyone interested in the book itself, and to anyone eager to know more and think more about the stories and portrayals of David and Solomon in 1-2 Chronicles and the Hebrew Bible as a whole. The author should be congratulated.
Ehud Ben Zvi, University of Alberta, USA

This volume is more than a commentary-it is a super-commentary that evaluates and reflects upon the modern exegesis. It addresses the textual, literary, ideological, and historical dimensions of the Book of Chronicles, and it does so with clarity and scholarly sensitivity. Professor Levin's unique expertise in the historical geography of the Land of Israel, coupled with his profound understanding of biblical lists and genealogies, positions him as perhaps the foremost scholar equipped to interpret the Chronicler's particular interest in these genre- areas that have long puzzled earlier commentators. This book is a masterful contribution by a mature scholar who commands the full range of disciplines necessary for a modern biblical commentary. It offers a compelling interpretation of a work that reflects the historical thinking and theological vision of an anonymous historian of the early Second Temple period.
Aaron Demsky, Bar-Ilan University, Israel

About the Author

Yigal Levin teaches biblical-period history at Bar-Ilan University, Israel.