Carl Peter Wilhelm Gramberg
Encyclopedia
Carl Peter Wilhelm Gramberg (1797-1830) was a German
theologian
and biblical scholar
.
and Julius Wegscheider
. His major work, in addition to commentaries on Chronicles
and Genesis, was the Kristische Geschichte der Religionsideen des alten Testaments, of which he published two of a projected four volumes before his death in Oldenburg
at the age of thirty-three.
, reflecting the time of the monarchy from King David to Hezekiah
; (2) Samuel and Ruth
, originating in the early monarchy but written down just before the Babylonian Exile; (3) the prophetic books of Isaiah
1-35, Hosea
, Joel
, Amos
, Micah
, Nahum
, and Zephaniah
, from the 8th-7th centuries BCE; (4) the cultic regulations of Leviticus and Numbers
, as well as Jeremiah
, Lamentations
, Ezekiel
, Habakkuk
, and Obadiah
, from the time of the Babylonian Exile; (5) Kings
, Deuteronomy, Joshua
, Isaiah 40-66, Proverbs
, Job
, and Jonah
, from the end of the Exile; (6) the period of the return from the Exile, represented by, among others, the books of Ezra
and Nehemiah
; and (7) the Persian and Hellenistic periods, in which were written Chronicles, Esther
, and Daniel
. Gramberg then evaluates the history of Old Testament religion, specifically the priesthood (vol. 1) and the theocratic rulers (vol. 2), in light of this schema. The priests are seen as having consolidated their power as time went on, with the theocracy surviving only in messianic hopes for a glorified Messiah king.
Much of Gramberg's historical division is owed to the work of W. M. L. de Wette
, on whose Beiträge zur Einleitung in das Alte Testament Gramberg frequently draws. He did not share with de Wette, however, an adherence to the philosophy of Jakob Friedrich Fries
. The lasting influence of Gramberg's work, which he was unable to complete in his short lifetime, is most visible in Johann Friedrich Ludwig George's book on Israelite festivals, which extended the historical reconstruction of de Wette and Gramberg to its natural conclusion.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
theologian
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
and biblical scholar
Biblical studies
Biblical studies is the academic study of the Judeo-Christian Bible and related texts. For Christianity, the Bible traditionally comprises the New Testament and Old Testament, which together are sometimes called the "Scriptures." Judaism recognizes as scripture only the Hebrew Bible, also known as...
.
Biography
Gramberg attended university at Halle, where he studied Hebrew Bible and Theology under Wilhelm GeseniusWilhelm Gesenius
Heinrich Friedrich Wilhelm Gesenius was a German orientalist and Biblical critic.-Biography:He was born at Nordhausen...
and Julius Wegscheider
Julius Wegscheider
Julius August Ludwig Wegscheider , was a German Protestant theologian.He was born at Küblingen...
. His major work, in addition to commentaries on Chronicles
Books of Chronicles
The Books of Chronicles are part of the Hebrew Bible. In the Masoretic Text, it appears as the first or last book of the Ketuvim . Chronicles largely parallels the Davidic narratives in the Books of Samuel and the Books of Kings...
and Genesis, was the Kristische Geschichte der Religionsideen des alten Testaments, of which he published two of a projected four volumes before his death in Oldenburg
Oldenburg
Oldenburg is an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the western part of the state between the cities of Bremen and Groningen, Netherlands, at the Hunte river. It has a population of 160,279 which makes it the fourth biggest city in Lower Saxony after Hanover, Braunschweig...
at the age of thirty-three.
Writings
In the Kritische Geschichte, Gramberg divides the history of Old Testament religion into seven periods: (1) Genesis, Exodus, and JudgesBook of Judges
The Book of Judges is the seventh book of the Hebrew bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its title describes its contents: it contains the history of Biblical judges, divinely inspired prophets whose direct knowledge of Yahweh allows them to act as decision-makers for the Israelites, as...
, reflecting the time of the monarchy from King David to Hezekiah
Hezekiah
Hezekiah was the son of Ahaz and the 14th king of Judah. Edwin Thiele has concluded that his reign was between c. 715 and 686 BC. He is also one of the most prominent kings of Judah mentioned in the Hebrew Bible....
; (2) Samuel and Ruth
Book of Ruth
The Book of Ruth is one of the books of the Hebrew Bible, Tanakh, or Old Testament. In the Jewish canon the Book of Ruth is included in the third division, or the Writings . In the Christian canon the Book of Ruth is placed between Judges and 1 Samuel...
, originating in the early monarchy but written down just before the Babylonian Exile; (3) the prophetic books of Isaiah
Book of Isaiah
The Book of Isaiah is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding the books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve...
1-35, Hosea
Book of Hosea
The Book of Hosea is one of the books of the Hebrew Bible. It stands first in order among what are known as the twelve Minor Prophets.-Background and Content:...
, Joel
Book of Joel
The Book of Joel is part of the Hebrew Bible. Joel is part of a group of twelve prophetic books known as the Minor Prophets or simply as The Twelve; the distinction 'minor' indicates the short length of the text in relation to the larger prophetic texts known as the "Major Prophets".-Content:After...
, Amos
Book of Amos
The Book of Amos is a prophetic book of the Hebrew Bible, one of the Twelve Minor Prophets. Amos, an older contemporary of Hosea and Isaiah, was active c. 750 BCE during the reign of Jeroboam II, making the Book of Amos the first biblical prophetic book written. Amos lived in the kingdom of Judah...
, Micah
Book of Micah
The Book of Micah is one of fifteen prophetic books in the Hebrew bible/Old Testament, and the sixth of the twelve minor prophets. It records the sayings of Mikayahu, meaning "Who is like Yahweh?", an 8th century prophet from the village of Moresheth in Judah...
, Nahum
Book of Nahum
The book of Nahum is the seventh book of the 12 minor prophets of the Hebrew Bible. It is attributed to the prophet Nahum, and was probably written in Jerusalem in the 8th century BC.-Background:...
, and Zephaniah
Book of Zephaniah
The superscription of the Book of Zephaniah attributes its authorship to “Zephaniah son of Cushi son of Gedaliah son of Amariah son of Hezekiah, in the days of King Josiah son of Amon of Judah” . All that is known of Zephaniah comes from the text. The superscription of the book is lengthier than...
, from the 8th-7th centuries BCE; (4) the cultic regulations of Leviticus and Numbers
Book of Numbers
The Book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible, and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch....
, as well as Jeremiah
Book of Jeremiah
The Book of Jeremiah is the second of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, following the book of Isaiah and preceding Ezekiel and the Book of the Twelve....
, Lamentations
Book of Lamentations
The Book of Lamentations ) is a poetic book of the Hebrew Bible composed by the Jewish prophet Jeremiah. It mourns the destruction of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple in the 6th Century BCE....
, Ezekiel
Book of Ezekiel
The Book of Ezekiel is the third of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, following the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah and preceding the Book of the Twelve....
, Habakkuk
Book of Habakkuk
The Book of Habakkuk is the eighth book of the 12 minor prophets of the Hebrew Bible. It is attributed to the prophet Habakkuk, and was probably composed in the late 7th century BC. A copy of chapters 1 and 2 is included in the Habakkuk Commentary, found among the Dead Sea Scrolls.Chapters 1-2...
, and Obadiah
Book of Obadiah
The canonical Book of Obadiah is an oracle concerning the divine judgment of Edom and the restoration of Israel. The text consists of a single chapter, divided into 21 verses, making it the shortest book in the Hebrew Bible....
, from the time of the Babylonian Exile; (5) Kings
Books of Kings
The Book of Kings presents a narrative history of ancient Israel and Judah from the death of David to the release of his successor Jehoiachin from imprisonment in Babylon, a period of some 400 years...
, Deuteronomy, Joshua
Book of Joshua
The Book of Joshua is the sixth book in the Hebrew Bible and of the Old Testament. Its 24 chapters tell of the entry of the Israelites into Canaan, their conquest and division of the land under the leadership of Joshua, and of serving God in the land....
, Isaiah 40-66, Proverbs
Book of Proverbs
The Book of Proverbs , commonly referred to simply as Proverbs, is a book of the Hebrew Bible.The original Hebrew title of the book of Proverbs is "Míshlê Shlomoh" . When translated into Greek and Latin, the title took on different forms. In the Greek Septuagint the title became "paroimai paroimiae"...
, Job
Book of Job
The Book of Job , commonly referred to simply as Job, is one of the books of the Hebrew Bible. It relates the story of Job, his trials at the hands of Satan, his discussions with friends on the origins and nature of his suffering, his challenge to God, and finally a response from God. The book is a...
, and Jonah
Book of Jonah
The Book of Jonah is a book in the Hebrew Bible. It tells the story of a Hebrew prophet named Jonah ben Amittai who is sent by God to prophesy the destruction of Nineveh but tries to escape the divine mission...
, from the end of the Exile; (6) the period of the return from the Exile, represented by, among others, the books of Ezra
Book of Ezra
The Book of Ezra is a book of the Hebrew Bible. Originally combined with the Book of Nehemiah in a single book of Ezra-Nehemiah, the two became separated in the early centuries of the Christian era...
and Nehemiah
Book of Nehemiah
The Book of Nehemiah is a book of the Hebrew Bible. Told largely in the form of a first-person memoir, it concerns the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem by Nehemiah, a Jew who is a high official at the Persian court, and the dedication of the city and its people to God's laws...
; and (7) the Persian and Hellenistic periods, in which were written Chronicles, Esther
Book of Esther
The Book of Esther is a book in the Ketuvim , the third section of the Jewish Tanakh and is part of the Christian Old Testament. The Book of Esther or the Megillah is the basis for the Jewish celebration of Purim...
, and Daniel
Book of Daniel
The Book of Daniel is a book in the Hebrew Bible. The book tells of how Daniel, and his Judean companions, were inducted into Babylon during Jewish exile, and how their positions elevated in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. The court tales span events that occur during the reigns of Nebuchadnezzar,...
. Gramberg then evaluates the history of Old Testament religion, specifically the priesthood (vol. 1) and the theocratic rulers (vol. 2), in light of this schema. The priests are seen as having consolidated their power as time went on, with the theocracy surviving only in messianic hopes for a glorified Messiah king.
Much of Gramberg's historical division is owed to the work of W. M. L. de Wette
Wilhelm Martin Leberecht de Wette
Wilhelm Martin Leberecht de Wette , was a German theologian and biblical scholar.-Life and Education:He was born at Ulla, near Weimar, where his father was pastor. He was sent to the gymnasium at Weimar, then at the height of its literary fame...
, on whose Beiträge zur Einleitung in das Alte Testament Gramberg frequently draws. He did not share with de Wette, however, an adherence to the philosophy of Jakob Friedrich Fries
Jakob Friedrich Fries
Jakob Friedrich Fries was a German philosopher from Barby .-Life and career:...
. The lasting influence of Gramberg's work, which he was unable to complete in his short lifetime, is most visible in Johann Friedrich Ludwig George's book on Israelite festivals, which extended the historical reconstruction of de Wette and Gramberg to its natural conclusion.