Chronicles was written during the late post-exilic period when only the Temple in Jerusalem was a living institution and the monarchy was a memory from the distant past. This is one of the reasons why some commentators consider Chronicles as devoid of any hope for the restoration of a monarchy under a Davidic ruler. In the introduction, some arguments of representative scholars who advocate this lack of hope are presented as well as polemics against this view. The king-temple relationship is seen as the leitmotiv of Chronicles and the given elaboration on the theme consequently begins with an exegesis of the book as a single corpus which is constructed with the dynastic promise as its very core. This theme is developed in the second chapter which shows that the Chronicler expresses a specific attitude to the kingship ideology, presenting David as a second Moses, the epitome of a repentant sinner, and depicting Solomon as an idealised ruler in a golden age. This presentation is interestingly interconnected with the theology of Deuteromy, the Deuteromistic history, the post-exilic theology of the Psalm tradition and some of the messianic texts. The following three chapters thus aim to examine Chronicles from the perspective of its relations with the post-exilic theological traditions. The conclusion is the summary of the study outlined above as well as a setting of its effects into the framework of a wider theological and ideological background which is, presumably, contemporary to the Chronicler. This is essential for understanding the motives for the composition of Chronicles , and for determining its original scope. The conclusion presents an explanation of both issues.
