History’s Fragments and the Hebrew Bible

Abstract This article tells the story of history’s fragments related to the study of the Hebrew Bible. The author’s twofold aim is to (1) elucidate the history of the fragments in biblical scholarship related to the ongoing struggle to understand, instrumentalize, and make meaning from the Hebrew Bible and the Southern Levant; and (2) to explore responsible practices for historians of the Hebrew Bible today. Charting a disciplinary trajectory that leads from the inception of critical historical practices to the current state of the field, the author proposes a path forward that includes building connection, honoring fragmentation, and harnessing irresolution as a historical practice.