The Old Testament Documents: Are They Reliable and Relevant?

Can we trust the accounts found in the Old Testament? Are they historically reliable? Are these ancient documents at all relevant to people in the information era of the twenty-first century? These are important questions for all who believe that Christianity is a religion founded on events that took place in space-time history, indeed for all who care about truth and meaning in life. In this thought-provoking book Walter C Kaiser Jr. makes the case that the Old Testament documents are both historically reliable and personally and socially relevant. He begins in part one by looking at the origins of the Old Testament books and how well their texts were preserved. Then in part two he explores Old Testament history, giving special attention to details in the book of Genesis and the patriarchal narratives. Similarly, he gives close attention to the events and historical synchronisms for the kings of Judah and Israel. In part three he surveys the larger questions of the trustworthiness and authority of the various genre in the Old Testament-historical narrative, wisdom and prophecy. Finally, in part four Kaiser probes the relevance of the Old Testament for Christian faith today, once again addressing each genre present. In an epilogue he asks and answers the questions, What is the Old Testament all about? Readers will also find a helpful glossary of terms at the back.