Aaron Chalmers is Senior Lecturer in Biblical Studies, Tabor Adelaide - a multi-denominational, evangelical college located in Adelaide, South Australia.

This book aims to give students an introduction to the religious and social world of ancient Israel. It consists of two parts. The first explores the major religious offices mentioned in the Old Testament, including prophets, priests, sages and kings. As well as considering what these key people said and did, the author traces the process someone might have gone through to become recognised as a prophet, priest or sage, and where you would have had to go in ancient Israel if you wanted to locate someone who held one of these offices. In the second part the focus is on the religious beliefs and practices of the "common" people as this was the group that made up the vast majority of ancient Israel's population.

Aaron Chalmers

Cover page

About the author

Title page

Imprint

List of illustrations

Key to panels

Preface

List of abbreviations

Introduction

1. Sources for reconstructing the social and religious world of ancient Israel

2. Priests in ancient Israel

3. Prophets in ancient Israel

4. The wise in ancient Israel

Excursus: the role of kings in the religious life of ancient Israel

5. The common people in ancient Israel

Conclusion

Copyright acknowledgements

Select bibliography

Search items for biblical references

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Chalmers, Aaron

__'What did people such as priests and prophets do in Israel? How were they chosen and trained? How did ordinary people's relationship with God work out? This volume is a fine user-friendly guide to what we can learn about such questions from the Bible, from archaeology and from current scholarly theory.'__

John Goldingay, Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary

Exploring the Religion of Ancient Israel consists of two parts.

The first explores the major religious offices mentioned in the Old Testament, including prophets, priests, sages and kings. As well as considering what these key people said and did, the author traces the process someone might have gone through to become recognised as a prophet, priest or sage, and where you would have had to go in ancient Israel if you wanted to locate someone who held one of these offices.

In the second part the focus is on the religious beliefs and practices of the "common" people as this was the group that made up the vast majority of ancient Israel's population.

This book aims to give students an introduction to the religious and social world of ancient Israel. It consists of two parts. The first explores the major religious offices mentioned in the Old Testament. In the second part the focus is on the religious beliefs and practices of the "common" people.

"Chalmers has provided students with a solid first step for navigating the complexities of the religion of ancient Israel. His sensitive distinctions between state religion (involving the experts) and family religion (as practiced by the common people) evidence his awareness of the current conversations and will be particularly helpful for those desiring to read the Old Testament in more informed ways."--John Walton, author of The Lost World of Genesis One

The Good Book Stall

It may be a casualty of the busy age we live in or a reflection of the slow eradication of inherited faith, but Christians probably know less about the scriptures than would have been true a generation or two ago. This is particularly true of the Old Testament, which can be relegated to a secondary place in the hearts of Christians whose love of Jesus overshadows everything.  
  
Yet we need to study! And we need to study the Hebrew scriptures as they reveal to us so much about the nature of God and of faith. Aaron Chalmers has produced for us precisely the kind of study guide we need. Focusing on four specific communities within the tradition: prophets, priests, sages and the common people, Chalmers writes in a style that makes - what might be otherwise a heavy academic work – readily accessible.  
  
Each chapter addresses basic questions – How did you become a prophet? What did priests do? – and the answers may sometimes challlenge our assumptions. The book is simply yet generously illustrated with plentiful opportunities for the student to 'go deeper'. Multiple indexes will satisfy the most curious reader.  
  
True, this book will not appeal to a mass market in the way religious fiction might. However for the hard-pressed preacher or earnest student, there is endless material here to stimulate reflection or provide nuggets of detail for a sermon or essay. An excellent gift too for those exploring ministry.

Exploring the Religion of Ancient Israel

Prophet, Priest, Sage and People

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Exploring the Religion of Ancient Israel

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