Quote:I have about 2 1/2 chapters and so far so good. I have not found his basis for saying it was written in the Persian period as yet.
Stick with it. Fortunately it is not a long book.
When you are ready I have an archaeological paper by Israel Finkelstein in which he holds that the size of Persian "Jerusalem" was some 2-2.5 hectares ( somewhere between 5 and 8 acres ) and numbered about 400 people...including children. Keep this in mind when you reach Davies' discussion.