DESCRIPTION

We often think of Israelite society in biblical terms. The truth is that there was never an exact match between Israelite social realities and biblical ideals. While it is true that those ideals were commanded of Israel and at times they did their best to live them, ultimately Israel still functioned in organic ways just as all societies do.

In Law, Power, and Justice in Ancient Israel Douglas Knight shows how the legal codes in Israel both matched and departed from the biblical ones. He examines the evidence for extra-biblical codes in local communities while also showing just hoe the biblical laws actually functioned in Israel.

Comprehensive in scope, and highly detailed this book promises to shed new light on some of Israel's most complex social questions and political perspectives. This is a ground-breaking study that should occupy a significant amount of time in the minds of Old Testament scholars.