The Bible among the Myths

By Dr. John N. Oswalt

Sixty years ago, biblical scholars typically maintained that Israel’s religion was unique, that it stood in marked contrast to the faiths of its ancient Near Eastern neighbors. Nowadays, it is widely argued that Israelite religion mirrors that of other West Semitic societies. What accounts for this radical change, and what are its implications for our understanding of the Old Testament?

Dr. John N. Oswalt says the root of this new attitude lies in Western society’s hostility to the idea of revelation—which presupposes a reality that transcends the world of the senses, for it assumes the existence of a realm one cannot control.

While not advocating a “the Bible says it, and I believe it, and that settles it” point of view, Oswalt asserts convincingly that the Bible’s historical claims cannot be disassociated from its theological claims. He shows that whereas other ancient literatures all see reality in essentially the same terms, the Bible differs radically on all the main points.