A Critical Examination of the Later Omrides

Date of Graduation

Spring 1983

Degree

Master of Arts in History

Department

History

Committee Chair

James Moyer

Abstract

The study of the Omride period in Israel has been somewhat slighted in scholarly circles; and, despite the importance of the dynasty, the critical analysis of this period has almost solely been centered on Ahab. A recent article by John Strange should spark new and exciting study of the other Omride Kings as well as the veracity of the Deuteronomistic corpus as an ancient source of history. Strange indeed throws new light upon the historical reconstruction now being written concerning the middle of the ninth century B.C.E. in Israel and Judah. This article challenges contemporary scholarship of the Omride period with the identification of Joram, son of Ahab, as a phantom of the Deuteronomistic author. In this analysis Joram ben Ahab was invented to cover the reality of a Davidic king(Joram ben Jehoshaphat) serving on the throne of the theologically apostate realm of Israel. This provides reason enough for the Biblical writer to expand the one historical figure into two in the view of Strange.

Subject Categories

History

Copyright

© Joseph O Downey

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Dissertation/Thesis

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