I'd suggest 'In
Search of 'Ancient Israel'', Philip R
Davies, Sheffield Academic Press, 1995, 'History and Ideology in Ancient
Israel, Giovanni Garbini, SCM, 1988, and 'Ancient Israel', Nils
Peter Lemche, JSOT, 1988. Lemche has also produced 'Early Israel', which is more in-depth, but I don't have it. These are all 'minimalists', who take the view that the Old Testament was essentially written after the exile, and isn't particularly historical. I'm more willing than they to accept the Josianic Reform as historical, and the source of a significant amout of OT material. The reason is simply that the reform and the Deuteronomic
History seem to fit the needs of a
king who was trying to unite Judah and
Israel rather too neatly to be dismissed easily. But I think the minimalists make some excellent points. I've
had some contact with Lemche, and have the highest respect for him.