The history of israel is a much debated topic in old testament studies on one side are minimalists who find little of historical value in the hebrew bible on the other side are those who assume the biblical text is a precise historical record many. Ancient israels history an introduction to issues and sources arnold bill t hess richard s 9780801039300 amazoncom books 8 used from 3790 see all buying options. Ancient israels history is frequently debated by old testament scholars on one side minimalists find little of historical value in the hebrew bible on the other side those holding a traditional view assume the biblical text is a precise historical record but many serious bible students find themselves somewhere in the middle and would benefit from a careful exploration of issues in . Ancient israels history an introduction to issues and sources bill t arnold richard s hess the history of israel is a much debated topic in old testament studies on one side are minimalists who find little of historical value in the hebrew bible on the other side are those who assume the biblical text is a precise historical record