Publisher's Synopsis
Since the beginning of critical scholarship biblical texts have been dated using linguistic evidence. Until now there has been no introduction to and comprehensive overview of the field. Volume 1 introduces the linguistic dating of biblical texts. The book examines the principles and methodology used to differentiate Archaic, Early and Late biblical Hebrew; the relationship between linguistic characteristics and linguistic chronology or historical origins; the effects of dialects and diglossia on textual criticism; and the significance of extra-biblical sources. Key text samples and their linguistic features are presented, with concrete illustrations and pointers for discussion.
