Kingship and Memory in Ancient Judah
Ian D. Wilson
Reviews and Awards
Winner of The R.B.Y. Scott Award, 2018
"...his insights and use of memory studies deserve fuller discussion within the academy." -- Victor H. Matthews, Missouri State University, Biblical Interpretation
"[T]he book is exceedingly well written and admirably clear, and thus it is a pleasure to read. A wealth of discursive footnotes clarify Wilson's meanings and positions for unclear and controversial terms and issues, making it very easy to follow the flow of the argumentation. The book will be an important and sophisticated addition to the growing literature on memory in the Second Temple Period, as well as the ways ideas around kingship and David developed in the period."--Jason Silverman, Review of Biblical Literature
"Kingship and Memory in Ancient Judah is useful in reframing historiographic methods in biblical studies. Wilson aptly moves beyond the use of memory studies to merely determine the historicity of events of Israel's past Moreover, Wilson's book provides an insightful link to reception history, especially showing how texts continue to function as sites of memory for later writers. Finally, for those interested in political theology, Wilson's book usefully demonstrates the multivocality of biblical literature concerning the institution of kingship."-- Chance P. McMahon, Ancient Jew Review
"In this book Ian Wilson engages a fascinating issue in social memory-how and why Persian period scribal literati constructed a discourse about Judean kingship when kingship was no longer a part of their social reality. With an exceptionally sophisticated command of the theoretical issues, Wilson engages the primary texts with deftness and perceptiveness. Not all will agree with his approach, but every reader will come away with new and provocative insights." --Carol A. Newsom, C. H. Candler Professor of Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, Emory University
"In this remarkable book, Ian Wilson uses memory studies and other approaches to illuminate one of the most central issues for Hebrew Bible scholars and historians of ancient Israel: the coexistence of multiple, even contradictory discourses on the past and the future of kingship. Wilson is perfectly in command of his topic, and successfully combines theoretical insights with a close reading of the biblical texts. The result is a book that is both cogently argued and highly original. This is a must-read for anyone interested in memory studies and their application to the Hebrew Bible."--Christophe Nihan, Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible, Université de Lausanne