This study argues that the book of Hosea ought to be
understood and read as a text that was composed in Persian-period Yehud rather
than in eight-century Israel. The author challenges the traditional scholarship
and emphasizes that there is the evidence to suggest that the book should be
viewed as a Judahite text - a book that was composed in the late sixth or early
fifth century B.C.E.
Bos provides an overview of the state of prophetic research,
as well as a discussion of genre and the generation of prophetic books, linguistic
dating and provenance; and a survey of Hosea research. Bos discusses various
aspects of the book of Hosea that aim to prove his argument the book was
composed in Persian-period Yehud - the anti-monarchical ideology of the book,
the dual theme of 'Exile' and 'Return' which is consistent with the discourse
found in other Judahite books dating to the sixth century; and the historiographical
traditions.
