Book review: The Old Testament Prophets

We have owned The Old Testament Prophets by E.W. Heaton for time out of mind; it has M's name on the flyleaf, but Mfd's earlier, from '68. Eventually, as part of my read-the-bible jag, I decided to read it for background and context.

But I did that a couple of months back; and even at the time I felt that little was sticking; so even less has stuck now. So this is less of a review than a record of having read.

The main thing that I blurrily recall is the idea of the "Jewish nation" whatever that means was coming into being, and moving into Canaan. I think the book is old enough not to know that the Egyptian Captivity is made-up, so some of what it assumes as background is also likely fake. But nonetheless, there's a conflict as the Jewish religion is being shaped. And the prophets are... people, perhaps outsiders, who show up and complain at the people and the kings that they are a bunch of idolators, that God is preparing a reckoning for them if they don't repent, but that nonetheless The People are specially beloved of God.

And somehow this is mixed up with the religion of the Canaanites; I think maybe not said explicitly but implicitly it is separating the Jews, making distance from The Others.

Well, not much of a review, sorry. I think the book - and this is from my poor memory - is a little too religious (Heaton is after all a priest) and assumes that in-universe, and so not too inclined to synthesise as I've attempted to; so I don't especially recommend it.