{"product_id":"9781350008960","title":"1 \u0026 2 Samuel: An Introduction and Study Guide: A Kingdom Comes","description":"Scholarly  study of Samuel continues to wrestle with how we interpret  this pivotal  text. Even such basic matters as the question of what kind  of literature  it is remain unresolved while older questions such as  the nature of its  text and sources are debated anew in the light of  material from Qumran  and of current approaches to Hebrew narrative.  Recognizing the  importance of questions such as these, David Firth  explores and introduces fresh ways  of reading Samuel as a unified and yet complex  text, which displays high  levels both of literary artistry and of  theological commitment.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlthough some stories in the books of Samuel  are well known, and in the case of David and Goliath even proverbial,  much of the content of these books is strange to modern readers. It is a  story about a woman wanting a child, for example, that relates the  beginnings of monarchy within Israel. Even the question of the monarchy  is problematic, for we are introduced to not one royal family but  two-those of Saul and David. David is ultimately shown to be the king  chosen by God, yet by the end of the book he is only just managing to  hold on to the kingdom as it is nearly torn from him by rivalries within  his family. These arresting stories are perplexing, for Samuel's  writers seldom tell us how to read and interpret them. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFirth presents these complex and fascinating stories as part of a bigger picture, enabling students to chart their way through the literary and historical issues of the Samuel narrative. Firth addresses issues of historicity, sources, date and authorship, as well as -- crucially -- appreciating the text as a literary whole.","brand":"Bloomsbury USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47122581586160,"sku":"9781350008960","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781350008960_p0.jpg?v=1763710931","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781350008960","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}