Book excerpt: CONTENTS PART 1: THE ORIGINS OF ANCIENT ISRAEL Early Israel as an Anti-Imperial Community The Origins of Israel as a Textual Models for Envisioning Early Israel Triumphalist versus Anti-Triumphalist Versions of Early Israel: A Response to Articles by Lemche and Dever Historical Description versus Historical Representation and Symbol The Interplay of Religion and Ethnicity in Ancient Israel Proto-Globalization and Proto-Secularization in Ancient Israel Revisiting the Tribes of Yahweh after Twenty-five Years PART 2: THE POLITICS OF ANCIENT ISRAEL Religion and Politics: Early Israel and Judaism The Puzzling Politics of Ancient Israel The Role of Biblical Politics in Contextual Theologies PART 3: REVIEW AND REFLECTIONS Forward to Jeremy Young, The Violence of God and the War on Terror Reflections on R. S. Sugirtharajah's Asian Biblical Hermeneutics and Postcolonialism. Contesting the Interpretations and The Bible and the Third Way: Precolonial, Colonial and Postcolonial Encounters Review of Stephen L. Cook, The Social Roots of Biblical Yahwism Review of Marty E. Stevens, Temples, Tithes, and Taxes: The Temple and the Economic Life of Ancient Israel Review of Philip R. Davies, The Origins of Biblical Israel Panel Presentation on Joshua A. Berman, Created Equal: How the Bible Broke with Ancient Political Thought