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Three millennia of cross-Mediterranean bonds are revealed by the 18 expert summaries in this book—from the dawn of the Bronze Age to the budding of Hellenization. An international team of acclaimed specialists in their fields—archaeologists, historians, geomorphologists, and metallurgists—shed light on a plethora of aspects associated with travelling this age-old sea and its periphery: environmental factors; the formation of harbors; gateways; commodities; the crucial role of metals; cultural impact; and the way to interpret the agents such as Canaanites, "Sea Peoples," Phoenicians, and pirates. The book will engage any student of the Old World in the 3000 years before the Common Era.
As the first comprehensive study of fortification systems and defensive strategies in the Levant during the Middle Bronze Age (ca. 1900 to 1500 B.C.E.), Walled up to Heaven is an indispensable contribution to the study of this period and of early warfare in the ancient Near East. Although archaeologists and ancient historians alike have discussed a variety of theories regarding the origin and cultural significance of the construction of earthen ramparts during the Middle Bronze Age, only this work addresses these questions in detail. In a tour de force, Burke traces the diachronic evolution and geographic distribution of the architectural features and settlement strategies connected with the...
Children can try their hand at re-creating ancient Israelite culture—along with the cultures of their neighbors, the Philistines and Phoenicians—in a way that will provide perspective on current events. The book covers a key period from the Israelites' settlement in Canaan in 1200 B.C.E. to their return from exile in Babylonia in 538 B.C.E. This part of the Middle East—no larger than modern-day Michigan—was the birthplace of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. More than 35 projects include stomping grapes into juice, building a model Phoenician trading ship, making a Philistine headdress, and writing on a broken clay pot. Israelites', Phoenicians', and Philistines' writing and languages, the way they built their homes, the food they ate, the clothes they wore, and the work they did, and of course, their many interesting stories, are all explored.
An Asian American Ancient Historian and Biblical Scholar is not simply a memoir of Edwin M. Yamauchi. It is an expansive multi-generational story of a Japanese-American family (Issei, Nisei, Sansei) that began with immigrants from Okinawa, who used a narrow window of time (1900-1915) to emigrate to Hawaii to work on the sugar plantations there. After the suicide of his father when he was three, Edwin was raised by his mother, who knew little English, by working as a maid for twelve years. Deprived of other distractions, Edwin turned to the reading of books. From a nominal Buddhist and then a nominal Episcopalian background, Edwin was converted to Christ at the age of fifteen and determined to become a missionary. Lacking in funds, he worked his way through college. With an aptitude for languages, he earned his PhD under Cyrus Gordon. After a short stint at Rutgers University in New Jersey, he enjoyed a long career (1969-2005) at Miami University in Ohio. His memoir includes descriptions of the schools, societies, scholars, and travels of his life, as well as his witness to Christ and his role in the establishment of a campus church.
A “masterful and eminently readable” journey through the fascinating insights and revelations of Biblical archeology (Publishers Weekly, starred review). Many of our religious beliefs are based on faith alone, but archaeology gives us the opportunity to find evidence about what really happened in the distant past—evidence that can have a dramatic impact on what and how we believe. In Digging Through the Bible, archaeologist and rabbi Richard Freund takes readers through digs he has led in the Holy Land, searching for evidence about key biblical characters and events. Digging Through the Bible presents overviews of the evidence surrounding figures such as Moses, Kings David and Solomon, and Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as new information that can help us more fully understand the life and times in which these people would have lived. Freund also presents new evidence about finding the grave of the Teacher of Righteousness mentioned in the Dead Sea Scrolls, and gives a compelling argument about how the Exodus of the Israelites may have taken place in three separate waves over time, rather than in a single event as presented in the Bible.
The search for the biblical Philistines, one of ancient Israel’s most storied enemies, has long intrigued both scholars and the public. Archaeological and textual evidence examined in its broader eastern Mediterranean context reveals that the Philistines, well-known from biblical and extrabiblical texts, together with other related groups of “Sea Peoples,” played a transformative role in the development of new ethnic groups and polities that emerged from the ruins of the Late Bronze Age empires. The essays in this book, representing recent research in the fields of archaeology, Bible, and history, reassess the origins, identity, material culture, and impact of the Philistines and other...
Ancient Israel did not emerge within a vacuum but rather came to exist alongside various peoples, including Canaanites, Egyptians, and Philistines. Indeed, Israel’s very proximity to these groups has made it difficult—until now—to distinguish the archaeological traces of early Israel and other contemporary groups. Through an analysis of the results from recent excavations in light of relevant historical and later biblical texts, this book proposes that it is possible to identify these peoples and trace culturally or ethnically defined boundaries in the archaeological record. Features of late second-millennium B.C.E. culture are critically examined in their historical and biblical contexts in order to define the complex social boundaries of the early Iron Age and reconstruct the diverse material world of these four peoples. Of particular value to scholars, archaeologists, and historians, this volume will also be a standard reference and resource for students and other readers interested in the emergence of early Israel.
Formerly known by its subtitle "Internationale Zeitschriftenschau fur Bibelwissenschaft und Grenzgebiete," the "International Review of Biblical Studies" has served the scholarly community ever since its inception in the early 1950's. Each annual volume includes approximately 2,000 abstracts and summaries of articles and books that deal with the Bible and related literature, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, Pseudepigrapha, Non-canonical gospels, and ancient Near Eastern writings. The abstracts - which may be in English, German, or French - are arranged thematically under headings such as e.g. "Genesis," "Matthew," "Greek language," "text and textual criticism," "exegetical methods and approaches," "biblical theology," "social and religious institutions," "biblical personalities," "history of Israel and early Judaism," and so on. The articles and books that are abstracted and reviewed are collected annually by an international team of collaborators from over 300 of the most important periodicals and book series in the fields covered.
A bold reassessment of what caused the Late Bronze Age collapse In 1177 B.C., marauding groups known only as the "Sea Peoples" invaded Egypt. The pharaoh's army and navy managed to defeat them, but the victory so weakened Egypt that it soon slid into decline, as did most of the surrounding civilizations. After centuries of brilliance, the civilized world of the Bronze Age came to an abrupt and cataclysmic end. Kingdoms fell like dominoes over the course of just a few decades. No more Minoans or Mycenaeans. No more Trojans, Hittites, or Babylonians. The thriving economy and cultures of the late second millennium B.C., which had stretched from Greece to Egypt and Mesopotamia, suddenly ceased t...
Ami Mazar has gained a reputation as one of the most prolific and reliable archaeologists doing work in Israel during the last 40 years. Not only has he participated in and directed excavations at many sites, his professional standards are of the first order, and what's more, his publication record is enviable: he has never begun a new major project before the final publication of the previous excavation was well underway. Here, more than 55 colleagues gather to honor him with a wide range of essays, organized in 7 sections: I. Early Bronze Age Studies II. Middle and Late Bronze Age Studies III. Philistine/Sea Peoples Studies IV. Iron Age Studies V. Historical, Biblical, and Epigraphic Studi...