Joshua
My manuscript for
a commentary on Joshua for the Apollos commentary series (IVP) has now been formally accepted by the
publisher and is going to copy editing in a couple of weeks. The book is expected to be out around September.
Characteristic features of the commentary include the following: extensive comparisons with
ancient near Eastern parallels, archaeological survey of all places mentioned in the MT text of Joshua with specific
excurses on key/problematic sites that relate to the portrayed Israelite conquest, and comparisons with genocide
studies and their relation to reading the book as part of the Christian canon in today's post/neocolonial age.
I also draw in certain sociological and anthropological issues. In addition, comments are made on literary features
of the book, both as a whole, and chapter by chapter, and also particularly on literary links between Joshua
and the Pentateuch and Judges-2 Kings. I argue that the book of Joshua should best be understood as a conquest
document from the Late Bronze-Early Iron Age written in the style of ancient Near Eastern
historiography. The book
should also be understood as a document that helps define Israelite identity in Yahwistic terms, at the same time
promulgating Yahwism in Israel as the exclusive religious ideology. As regards composition, in addition to a very
plausible early dating in its essential features, the book has
in my view undergone further editing in the time of the monarchy, most notably in terms of the town lists
of Judah.
A link to a preliminary table of contents is provided here:
Joshua AOTC Pitkanen preliminary table of contents (PDF)
<Last
updated 1/2/2010>