Are there other historical Bible books found elsewhere?

 

Since the biblical writers make reference to other historical works such as the Book of Jashar (Josh 10:13), the Annals of the Kings of Israel (1 Kgs 14:19), and the History of the Prophet Nathan (2 Chr 9:29), it may be assumed that there once existed a library of historical books from which to draw. 

However, none of these cited works are available to us now. This can be frustrating to us, but at least it indicates that the editors chose to draw on a set of rich traditions available in their own time.

The apocryphal or deuterocanonical books also contain historical books that add to the story of Israel’s interaction with other nations. Thus, First and Second Maccabees provide some remarkable information on the Hellenistic period (c. 300–60 BCE) that answers many questions about the intertestamental era between the close of the Hebrew canon with Ezra (c. 400 BCE) and the beginning of the Christian era. 

In particular, there is a picture drawn of the culture wars in which traditional Jewish sects tried to maintain their identity in the face of a growing Hellenistic influence in Syria-Palestine. The triumph of the Maccabean rebels over their Greek Seleucid rulers and the creation of a short-lived Jewish state under the Hasmoneans (160–60 BCE) is one major highlight of these stories. 

These events are also chronicled in the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus (in his works Jewish Antiquities and The Jewish War), who attempted to create a history of the Jewish people down to the first century CE and the conquest of Jerusalem by the Romans. Again, however, neither the deuterocanonical books nor the work of Josephus are historical writing as we understand the term. 

Events are interpreted to advance theological, cultural, and political goals, and therefore these books are not considered to be particularly reliable sources for the history of the time.

Author: Matthews, V. H.