Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible
"Comparisons between the culture of biblical Israel and the  other cultures of the ancient Near East have long been a fundamental part  of biblical scholarship, but more often than not, they have been presented  in piecemeal, isolated fashion. In his new book, John Walton offers a much  broader reach, giving us arguably the most extensive review of these  cultural comparisons now available together with a serious meditation on  what the enterprise of cultural comparison is all about in biblical study.  One may not always agree with his views, but invariably one will come away  challenged to rethink the purpose and value of such comparisons for  understanding the Hebrew Bible and its world."--Peter B. Machinist, Harvard  University"As no other author has done, Walton penetrates beyond the  simple comparisons often made to bring back intelligence about the contexts  and constitution of the ancient world, stressing the ideas Israel and its  contemporaries held in common--such as 'deity is on the inside, not the  outside' of life--and discussing accounts of creation, views of history and  of the future. Yet Walton repeatedly demonstrates how Israel's faith was  distinct, its God revealing his will by writing his law on his people's  hearts, a metaphor from divination implying that they reveal his law to  others. That's one of many cases where interpretation gains from  'comparative exploration.' This book deserves the attention of all serious  Bible teachers and students."--Alan R. Millard, University of  Liverpool"This book is a must read for serious students of the Old  Testament. John Walton has employed his extensive background and experience  to write this excellent survey of the interface between the ancient Near  East and Israel. I especially appreciate his sidebars on 'Comparative  Exploration,' which enable readers to 'zero in' on the comparative topic of  their choice relatively easily. The book is thoroughly readable yet very  scholarly. Thus, beginning students, seminarians, and the interested public  will find gold mines of conceptual information in this excellent  work."--Mark W. Chavalas, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse"John Walton  has produced an important and useful guide to entering into some of the  major worldviews and value systems found in ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, and  Israel. As a unique contribution to the study of that era, his work both  introduces readers to this thought world and bridges the gaps between  ancient Near Eastern texts and the perspectives of the Bible. Walton's  engaging style makes this an ideal introductory text for these important  areas of Bible backgrounds."--Richard S. Hess, Denver Seminary