Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1 and 2 Kings are known as part of the historical books of the canon. However, in Jewish tradition, except for Ruth, they are labeled as prophetic literature.

Covering the rise and decline of Israel, Joshua-Kings moves from land, given as promised, to exile, executed by Yahweh because of the infidelity of the people and the unwillingness of the kings to obey the Torah and listen to the prophets. Joshua-Judges discusses land possession without the rule of kings, and Samuel-Kings emphasizes possessing the land under the leadership of monarchies.

Marvin E. Tate is a professor at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky.

All The Bible is an 8-volume survey series that nurtures a better understanding of the message and background of the biblical writings. The general editor of the series is R. Alan Culpepper, Dean of the McAfee School of Theology, Mercer University, Atlanta, Georgia.

Other Books in this Series
Journey to the Land of Promise: Genesis - Deuteronomy	From Promise to Exile: The Former Prophets	The Testimony of Poets and Sages: The Psalms and Wisdom Literature
The Church's Portraits of Jesus	The Church's Mission to the Gentiles: Acts and Epistles of Paul	The Church as a Pilgrim People: Hebrews - Revelation