Samuel and the Shaping of Tradition
            
                Biblical Refigurations
Publisher: Oxford University Press; OUP Oxford
Published: 2013
Language: eng
Number of pages: 176
ISBN-13: 9780199659333
Description: Samuel stands out in many important biblical texts as the figure who facilitated ancient Israel's transition from a tribal league to a monarchic state. On the surface of the text, this transition appears clear and linear, as does Samuel's role in bringing Israel together as a nation and selecting its first kings. Beneath this surface, however, is a far more complicated network of memories, sources and agendas, each presenting a very different picture of Samuel and his social, religious and ideological function. In some sources, Samuel serves as a symbol of Israel's developing priesthood and it.