The book offers a comprehensive overview of the history and cultures of key ancient Near Eastern civilizations, including Babylonia, Assyria, Urartu, Hittites, Amorites, and Egyptians. By providing essential context, it enhances the understanding of these peoples and their empires, serving as a valuable companion to Grabbe's previous work on Ancient Israel. This exploration delves into the interconnectedness of these societies and their influence on one another throughout history.
In this companion volume to his bestselling Ancient What Do We Know and How Do We Know It? Lester L. Grabbe provides the background history of the main ancient Near Eastern peoples and Babylonia, Assyria, Urartu, Hittites, Amorites, Egyptians.Grabbe's focus is on Palestine/Canaan and covers the early second millennium, including the Middle Bronze Age and the Second Intermediate Period and Hyksos rule of Egypt. Grabbe also addresses the question of a 'patriarchal period'. The main focus of the book is on the second half of the second Late Bronze and early Iron Age, the Egyptian New Kingdom, the Amarna letters, the Sea Peoples, the question of 'the exodus', the early settlements in the hill country of Palestine, and the first mention of Israel in the Merenptah inscription. Archaeology and the contribution of the social sciences both feature heavily, as does inscriptional and iconographic material. As such this volume provides a fascinating portrayal of ancient Israel and this definitive work by one of the world's leading biblical historians will be of interest to all students and scholars of biblical history.
The book provides a comprehensive exploration of the historical context that shaped Judaism and the emergence of Christianity. It covers key periods such as the Persian era, Hellenization, the Maccabean revolt, and the Roman conquest, detailing significant figures like Herod the Great. The narrative also addresses themes of religious pluralism and the evolution of Jewish governance, culminating with the Bar Kokhba revolt and a reflection on the Jewish 'theocracy'. Grabbe's work is noted for its accessibility and reliability, making it a valuable resource for understanding this transformative era.
The developments in Judaism during the Second Temple period remain important to contemporary Jewish religion. This volume provides a much needed encyclopedic study of the period. Includes bibliographies, cross-references and summaries.
"Provides a concise and up-to-date introduction to the books of Kings, covering all the historical and interpretive issues. Grabbe pays particular attention to how the history of ancient Israel can be reconstructed through the text and introduces students to the key ways of reading the books of Kings as religious and political history." -- Back cover.
Many books have been written on the Bible and evolution by scientists, but this volume is written by a biblical specialist. In Faith and Fossils Lester Grabbe, a prominent Hebrew Bible scholar, examines the Bible in its ancient context and explores its meaning in light of emerging scientific evidence. Journeying from the Bible Belt to the premier centers of higher education, Grabbe grapples with who we are and where we came from. Both the Bible and the fossil record raise significant questions about what it means to be human. Written in uncomplicated language and featuring spectacular full-color photographs, Faith and Fossils brings science and faith into creative conversation.
This book presents a unique approach to Ezra-Nehemiah in the combination of two approaches - the literary and the historical. It challenges commonly held assumptions not from radical theory, but from careful attention to the text itself.In this provocative study, Lester Grabbe presents a unique approach to Ezra-Nehemiah with the combination of a literary and historical approach. Lester Grabbe challenges commonly held assumptions about Joshua and Zerubbabel, the initial resettlement of land after the exile, the figure of Ezra and the activities of Nehemiah. Controversially, the challenge comes, not from radical theory but from paying careful attention to the text of the Bible itself.
