British Academy: The UK's National Academy for the Humanities and Social Sciences
Understanding the History of Ancient Israel
18–20 April 2005
The British Academy
10 Carlton House Terrace
London SW1Y 5AH
Convenors:
Professor Hugh Williamson, FBA, Christ Church, Oxford,
Professor Graham Davies, FBA, University of Cambridge and
Professor Lester Grabbe, University of Hull
There is currently a significant debate raging about the history of ancient Israel, not just with regard to the earliest periods referred to in the Old Testament, which have long been regarded with some suspicion by historians, but for much of the later monarchical period as well. This comes at a time when many new sources of information from archaeology and written materials from a number of Israel¹s neighbours are continuing to become available.
As a contribution to this debate, the British Academy symposium will hear discussion among a number of internationally prominent scholars about the issues of method which arise. How can different types of fragmentary evidence from different sources be put together for the purposes of historical reconstruction? What can be learned from colleagues in related disciplines, who face some of the same problems? How should the Biblical evidence fit with other sources given that its nature is so different from them? The ninth century BCE will be studied in particular as a text case for the study of these and related questions.
For further information contact:
Meetings Department
The British Academy, 10 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1
Telephone: 020 7969 5264
Email: events@britac.ac.uk
Papers from this conference were published in 2007 as:
Understanding the History of Ancient Israel, edited by H G M Williamson
(Proceedings of the British Academy, 143)