Download or read book Holy War in Ancient Israel written by Gerhard von Rad and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2000-04-17 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the beginning, holy war has been viewed as a 'sacred institution' and a 'cultic act of religious community' by the people of Israel. Appearing here in English for the first time, Gerhard von Rad has provided a definitive study of the theory of holy war and its development throughout biblical history. Von Rad gives a definitive and articulate exposition of a typically disturbing theme within the Old Testament, arguing that holy war is not only Yahweh acting alone, but inspired Israelites, who because they envisioned God fighting on their behalf, felt obligated and inspired to fight even more fervently.