As biblical studies becomes increasingly fragmented, this collection of essays brings together a number of leading scholars in order to show how historical reconstruction, philology, metacriticism, and reception history can be part of a collective vision for the future of the field.
This collection of essays focuses more specifically on critical questions surrounding the construction of ancient Israel(s), 'minimalism', the ongoing significance of lexicography, the development of early Judaism, orientalism, and the use of the Bible in contemporary political discourses. Contributors include John van Seters, Niels Peter Lemche, Ingrid Hjelm, and Philip R. Davies.

James G. Crossley is Professor of Bible, Society and Politics at St Mary's University, Twickenham, UK.
Jim West is Lecturer in Biblical Studies and Reformation History at Ming Hua Theological College, Hong Kong.

Preface
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
Introduction: Keith Whitelam in Context - James Crossley, St Mary's University, Twickenham, UK and Jim West, Quartz Hill School of Theology, USA
1. Maximalist and/or Minimalist Approaches in Recent Representations of Ancient Israelite and Judaean History - Ingrid Hjelm, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
2. The Emergence of Israel Again - Robert B. Coote, San Francisco Theological Seminary, USA
3. A Plea for an Historical Anthropology of Ancient Palestine - Emanuel Pfoh, National University of La Plata, Argentina
4. Mapping Palestine - Philip R. Davies, University of Sheffield, UK
5. A Sectarian Group Called Israel: Historiography and Cultural Memory - Niels Peter Lemche, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
6. The History of Israel - Without the Bible: A Thought Experiment - Jim West, Quartz Hill School of Theology, USA
7. The Present Crisis in Biblical Scholarship - John Van Seters, University of North Carolina, USA
8. The Perpetuation of Racial Assumptions in Biblical Studies - Deane Galbraith, University of Otago, New Zealand
9. Made in Sheffield - David J.A. Clines, The University of Sheffield, UK
10. God and the State: The Bible and David Cameron's Authority - James Crossley, St Mary's University, UK
Bibliography
Index