This new search is represented by a series of publications (Lemche 1985; Ahlström 1986; Coote and Whitelam 1987; Finkelstein 1988) which have been understood as a major challenge to the dominant constructions considered in chapter 3, contributing to a significant shift in perceptions as to the nature or existence of early Israel in the Late Bronze–Iron Age transition. These are the revisionist, or ‘deconstructionist’, histories which Rainey believes can safely be ignored by all those seriously interested in the history of Israel. In effect, these works, independently of one another, focused upon the failure of the three earlier models associated with Albright–Bright, Alt–Noth, and Mendenhall–Gottwald to deal with the growing body of archaeological data from the region and the shifts in literary approaches to the Hebrew Bible. The work of Finkelstein is distinctive and important for the direction of future discussions, being the publication and analysis of new and vital survey data by a professional archaeologist.
What do You think about The Invention Of Ancient Israel?
