CONTENTS PART 1: THE ORIGINS OF ANCIENT ISRAEL Early Israel as an Anti-Imperial Community The Origins of Israel as a Textual Models for Envisioning Early Israel Triumphalist versus Anti-Triumphalist Versions of Early Israel: A Response to Articles by Lemche and Dever Historical Description versus Historical Representation and Symbol The Interplay of Religion and Ethnicity in Ancient Israel Proto-Globalization and Proto-Secularization in Ancient Israel Revisiting the Tribes of Yahweh after Twenty-five Years PART 2: THE POLITICS OF ANCIENT ISRAEL Religion and Politics: Early Israel and Judaism The Puzzling Politics of Ancient Israel The Role of Biblical Politics in Contextual Theologies PART 3: REVIEW AND REFLECTIONS Forward to Jeremy Young, The Violence of God and the War on Terror Reflections on R. S. Sugirtharajah's Asian Biblical Hermeneutics and Postcolonialism. Contesting the Interpretations and The Bible and the Third Way: Precolonial, Colonial and Postcolonial Encounters Review of Stephen L. Cook, The Social Roots of Biblical Yahwism Review of Marty E. Stevens, Temples, Tithes, and Taxes: The Temple and the Economic Life of Ancient Israel Review of Philip R. Davies, The Origins of Biblical Israel Panel Presentation on Joshua A. Berman, Created Equal: How the Bible Broke with Ancient Political Thought ""A forerunner of the social scientific study of the Hebrew Bible, this second volume of Norman Gottwald's collected works represents his ongoing commitment in bringing together his formidable scholarly insights into the biblical text and its ancient Israelite context with his deeply passionate concerns about the alarming social, political, economic, and religious issues that we continue to face in today's polarized global world."" --Gale A. Yee, Nancy W. King Professor of Biblical Studies, Episcopal Divinity School ""It is impossible to overstate the importance of Norman Gottwald for Old Testament study and for theological reflection more generally. By insisting on social scientific perspectives, Gottwald has decisively altered the contours of study in our discipline. In this volume, Gottwald's singular scholarship is given a valuable summation, plus the tracing of contemporary implications of his work. A bonus is his masterful review of other significant volumes in the field. This summation of Gottwald's contribution will serve as a reminder of his important work, and a generative opening for continuing work, both historical and contemporary."" --Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary ""Norman Gottwald is justly famous for his 'big books,' for they have literally rewritten the agenda of his chosen field. Readers who know him only through these larger works, however, have a treat in store in this volume and its two companions. Only in this collection of his many shorter essays--some previously published, some published here for the first time--can one glimpse the true catholicity and depth of Gottwald's learning, interests, and commitments."" --Marvin L. Chaney, Nathaniel Gray Professor Emeritus of Hebrew Exegesis and Old Testament, San Francisco Theological Seminary and the Graduate Theological Union Norman K. Gottwald, Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at New York Theological Seminary, is the author of numerous groundbreaking works, including The Tribes of Yahweh, The Hebrew Bible--A Socio-literary Introduction, and Politics in Ancient Israel.