The Books of Samuel

The Books of Samuel are an important source for the history of ancient
Israel and a treasure not only of Biblical literature, but of world
literature. They deal with the first kings of Israel and the history of
the 10th century BCE in Palestine, and they narrate of this time in an
outstandingly artful way. In addition they set standards in the Biblical
Jewish and Christian system of values, concerning the relationship between
men and God, nation and people, power and law, war and peace, man and
woman. The Books of Samuel have left their impact upon the arts over the
centuries so that their reception history is exceptionally rich. Both
early interpreters and modern scholars have discussed nearly every aspect
of them. This volume contains contributions of leading scholars in the
field as well as those of a new generation of exegetes. Questions are
raised concerning the value of the Books of Samuel as historical source,
the nature of their historical narrative, their literary composition,
their literary-historical growth, their textual development (in the
Masoretic text, in the Greek Septuagint, and in the writings of Qumran)
and their reception history (in novels, music and arts). The volume
embraces a wide range of approaches and methods and sheds light on a great
number of texts and themes. Thus it represents the current state of
inquiry and also raises new questions and views.