AOTC 06: Joshua

The book of Joshua presents a number of interpretative problems. On the basis
of literary studies and archaeology, some have claimed that the book is a
product of a much later age than the one it portrays and does not reflect
actual events. Another important issue is how it should be read as Christian
Scripture, given that it describes at least a partial annihilation of
indigenous people groups. Related to this today is the ongoing struggle over
essentially the same piece of land that is described in Joshua. To address these and other issues, Pekka Pitkänen reads Joshua in its Ancient
Near Eastern context. He makes extensive comparisons with relevant contemporary
literature and includes an archaeological survey of all places mentioned in the
Masoretic text. He argues that Joshua helps conclude the pentateuchal tradition
and is best understood as a conquest document originating from the Late
Bronze-Early Iron Age that helps define Israelite identity in Yahwistic terms
and promulgates Yahwism in Israel as the exclusive religious ideology. In
application, Pitkanen engages with genocide studies and reflects on theodicy
and the use and abuse of power. (= 0830825061 / 9780830825066)
Series: Apollos Old Testament Commentary, volume 6.
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