On the Reliability of the Old Testament

At a fair price, accurately described, and packaged extremely well in double bubble wrapping, I would buy again from the seller. Pastor David

After 500 pages of text and 100 pages of endnotes, Kitchen concludes that the Old Testament comes out remarkably well, so long as its writings and writers are treated fairly and evenhandedly, in line with independent data, open to all. The words fairly and evenhandedly are directed toward many scholars who have mishandled the text of O.T. The independent data that Kitchen refers to come from 5000 years of handwritten texts (p. 470), more than a dozen languages (Egyptian, Hittite, Ugaritic, Hebrew, etc.), a dozen or more nation states, archaeology, and histories contemporary with the O.T. It has taken Professor Kitchen more than 50 years to digest all of these independent data, about which he has often written. In this book on the O.T., Kitchen draws upon all of his learning and the notes on this project (p. xiii) to produce a mostly readable and even entertaining (except for those whom he soundly criticizes for their presuppositional scholarship) survey. Here are a few selections from Kitchen's survey. The O.T. books of Kings and Chronicles provide a magnificent chronology of the Hebrew Kings based upon the facts. The Prophecy of Isaiah is a unified 8th century B.C. document based upon the facts. The Prophecy of Daniel (containing both Hebrew and Aramaic languages) is a 6th -5th century document based upon the facts. Deuteronomy is a 14th century covenantal document based upon the facts. Joshua and Judges fit perfectly within the 13th-12th centuries based upon the facts; and the Patriarchal narratives likewise fit within the cultural milieu of 20th -17th centuries B.C. Kitchen has accomplished the remarkable task of assembling the O.T. facts that speak for themselves. The facts bear testimony to the trustworthiness of the O.T. This is what you expect from a book claiming to be the Word of God.

This is an excellent reference book that I would recommend to all those interested in the History and Archaeology of the Old Testament. Whilst there are plenty of books around that help us get a better feel for First Century Judaism and Greco-Roman Culture and thus better understand the background of the New Testament, there are not as many such tools for the Old Testament - which is not surprising since the periods it talks above cover well over 1,000 years (and far longer depending on how you see the Creation Account).Kitchen does a fine job of treating the Old Testament seriously and seeing how it stands up against modern understanding for the Ancient World. Whilst I have read the entire book (and well worth it), it is also a great reference tool to get background info - not just for preaching but for a better understanding of the world as it was then.I find especially interesting the argument that much in Genesis fits well into the time period that long pre-dates Moses / Exodus period (whatever date you put on that). I also find convincing that the cultural background we see through much of the Old Testament fits nicely into the time period that it purports to be reporting on - thus making it quite difficult to accept that it was "made up" in the Babylonian Captivity as some suggest.The Author crams quite a lot into this book! The only downside, I felt, was the final chapter - where he does get quite "angry" with those who disregard the reliability of the Old Testament - though I would recommend his examination of Wellhausen and the whole J E D P approach to the Pentateuch.Highly recommended :)

Authored by one of the most experienced and trained archaeologists Kenneth A. Kitchen you won’t be disappointed. Too many people see the Bible as a source of evil, myths, wars, etc... yet too shallowly discredit any positive gain in the Book that formed many nations, helped millions of lives personally, spread education, hope, even science throughout many lands. For hundreds of years, the Bible was also the best source for archaeology in the lands of its content. Today archaeology has uncovered nearly all of the Biblical kings of Israel, countless cities, towns and places, all where and when the Bible pinpoints. Even the ‘population explosion’ in the land of Joshua shortly after they completely settled in. Moses wasn’t the only one to request of Pharaoh for his group to go into the desert for a few days of religious festivals during that time. The detailed instructions for building the “tabernacle” was very ‘Egyptian-styled’ for the era. The first five books of the Bible had details, language, cities and specific words already long archaic by near a millennium from the time nay-sayers claim it was written (around 600 BCE or so). Terms that are even today just being discovered that were unknown for 3000 years. 500 pages of smaller print provides a lot of reading, along with a chapter that refutes many modern archaeologists that mean to discredit the Bible with their lesser informed interpretation of archaeology and another hundred pages of countless added references, what more can one ask for? Of course, living and applying the Bible correctly is the best endorsement for the Bible but for added reason for having sound logical faith (not blind faith) here’s an excellent read/study reference. Worth it!

Excellent!! écrit pour tour le monde qui veut comprendre recits et details de l'Ancien Testament anisi pour ceux dont la "critique" essay de nier la fiablilité de la "Parole "écrite.

Already good reviews up, though sadly one says “who find much”. Alas for words. In speaking of the tao, C S Lewis mentioned “victims of metaphor” (The Poison of Subjectivism). ‘Find’ presupposes actuality (objectively I cannot find what isn’t there, cannot see what doesn’t exist). IMO these scholars don’t ‘find’ (other than in their imaginations and wish-fulfilments) unreliability of the tanak as a record.Kitchen has done an excellent job by the real finds, carefully weighing the actual evidence, and throwing in words of caution about his own speculations being speculations, howbeit educated ones. He has adopted readings which will appear very anti-fundy - I've been there. Like ex-atheist Antony Flew (There Is a God), I would with Plato go where the evidence leads.While a very technical work, and not for each Christian library, certainly those in leadership (Christian and otherwise) would be served well, and better serve, by accessing this work. The mathematician does not believe that 2+2=4 because they are a mathematician, but they are a mathematician because they believe in mathematics. Kitchen did not, I think, believe in what he wrote because he wrote as a Christian, but wrote as a Christian because he believed in what he wrote. The facts, logically interpreted, dismiss so much speculative undermining of the tanak (aka Old Testament), and thus witness to the tao (objective ethics). Thus, while technically about archaeology as verifying the OT, it provides a firm platform for more important matters. If the OT is unreliable, then the biblical idea of revelation is unreliable. If the OT is reliable (as Kitchen witnessed), then we face the options that the biblical idea of revelation might be unreliable or reliable. Perhaps there really was a messiah sent by God, who on its basis put aside ethnic specialness and proclaimed a global rule of God? Are we all subjects of God? Unhappy thought. If such, we face the strong challenge of objectively against Nietzschean ethics loved by Hitler, and perhaps the challenge to treat fellow human beings as in God’s image, rather than bundles of meat at the hedonistic disposal of our, dare I say fallen rather than evolving (improving?), sexuality, and our itch to be top dog? That is, Reliability is a primer for objective ethics, even as Unreliability books are a primer for nihilism. If Unreliability is true, we might perhaps still follow the evidence, though a defence of logic and humanity becomes, well, unreliable. But the test should never be what we wish, but seeking the truth. This ground Kitchen’s book unearths.

Much so called scholarship is too clever by half in trying to unveil the "true" origins of the history narratives as we have received them. Kitchen does away with this silliness and shows the historical plausibility of the historical texts, based on the evidence from archaeology and looking at what the texts actually say. Along the way, he argues against oral transmission of prophecies, on the grounds that the prophecies would have become out of date rather quickly. He also shows the influence that surrounding cultures did have or likely had on the Israelite nation.In order to effectively carry out his intent, he does not proceed in chronological order but starts with the later eras of the OT which are better attested - divided monarchy and the exile - and proceeds to build his survey from there.He is unkind to those with whom he does not agree, unfortunately, which may dampen enthusiasm for those who already have reason to resist his thesis. Nonetheless this is a fascinating and informative read.

Der Liverpooler Ägyptologe und Archäologe Kenneth Kitchen ist für das pharaonische Ägypten der Perioden von 1180-650 v.C. weltweit die unbestrittene Nr.1 und gilt als "the very architect of Egyptian chronology" (The Times 13.10.2002). Er ist darüber hinaus ein international führender Experte zur Archäologie und Geschichte Palästinas und des Nahen Ostens in der Bronzezeit (3000-1200 v.C.) und Eisenzeit I-III (1200-450 v.C.). Der Brennpunkt von Kitchens fast erdrückender Kompetenz liegt mithin auf den geographischen Räumen und geschichtlichen Epochen, welche Gegenstand der Bücher der Tora, Propheten und Schriften der hebräischen Bibel (Tanakh, Altes Testament [AT]) sind.Deswegen ist die Kernthese des vorliegenden Buches (500 S. plus 162 Seiten Anmerkungsapparat und Indices) von mehr als gewöhnlicher Brisanz. Sie lautet: Die alttestamentliche, sog. historisch-kritische Exegese der letzten 150-200 Jahre (Julius Wellhausen et al.) ist - methodologisch und inhaltlich - wissenschaftlich nahezu wertlos und in ideologischen Vorurteilen erstarrte Schreibtischspekulation, welche auf Schritt und Tritt dem inzwischen sehr umfassend vorliegenden Daten- und Faktenmaterial widerspricht.Dasselbe gilt für die aktuelle sog. minimalistische alttestamentliche Exegese seit den 70er Jahren des 20. Jh., welche die klassische Urkundentheorie (Jahwist, Elohist, Priesterschrift) der historischen Kritik aufgegeben hat und die Tora sowie die vorexilische Geschichte Israels überhaupt als fiktive Rückprojektion der Theologie und Ideologie der nachexilischen Gemeinde (4. Jh. v.C.) in eine mythische Vergangenheit deutet (Niels Peter Lemche, vgl. auch Israel Finkelstein et al.). Kitchen zeigt m.E. zwingend, dass dieser Minimalismus bei entsprechender Kenntnis der archäologischen, literaturwissenschaftlichen, religionswissenschaftlichen und historischen Faktenlage nicht intellektuell redlich vertreten werden kann.Als Theologe mag man kritisch vermerken, dass Kitchens Buch spirituellen Atem und theologischen Tiefgang vermissen lässt, aber diesen findet man auch bei seinen Gegnern nicht häufig und zudem beansprucht er auch nicht Theologe zu sein.Als interdisziplinärer, detailgesättigter Kommentar zur biblischen Geschichte des AT auf höchstem Niveau wissenschaftlicher Exzellenz und aus der aktuellen Spitzenforschung heraus ist das Buch ohne Konkurrenz. Das heißt nicht, dass man jede Position und Interpretation Kitchens teilen muss: Auch bei ihm gibt es schwächere und hinterfragbare Deutungen. Im Kern und in der großen Linie ist das Buch nach meiner Überzeugung jedoch 'wasserdicht' und wird zu einem früher oder später unvermeidlichen Paradigmenwechsel beitragen. Nicht zuletzt arbeiten auch hochrangige Schüler Kitchens in dem hier beschriebenen Sinn weiter (vgl. z.B.  Israel in Egypt: The Evidence for the Authenticity of the Exodus Tradition ). Das theologische Establishment wird sich zunächst vehement gegen die hier vorgelegte erdrückende Faktenlage und Argumentation wehren, welche gemütlich gewordene, zeitgeistnahe Positionen in Frage stellt. Aber dies ist typisch für entsprechende Szenarios und sollte als Bestätigung der Prognose verstanden werden. Israel in Egypt: The Evidence for the Authenticity of the Exodus Tradition

If you are serious about the Old Testament documents, this is for you. It is a scholarly brick with a wealth of documented information.