ABSTRACT
This volume presents a collection of studies by international experts on various aspects of ancient Israel’s society, economy, religion, language, culture, and history, synthesizing archaeological remains and integrating them with discussions of ancient Near Eastern and biblical texts.
Driven by theoretically and methodologically informed discussions of the archaeology of the Iron Age Levant, the 47 chapters in The Ancient Israelite World provide foundational, accessible, and detailed studies in their respective topics. The volume considers the history of interpretation of ancient Israel, studies on various aspects of ancient Israel’s society and history, and avenues for present and future approaches to the ancient Israelite world. Accompanied by over 150 maps and figures, it allows the reader to gain an understanding of key issues that archaeologists, historians and biblical scholars have faced and are currently facing as they attempt to better understand ancient Israelite society.
The Ancient Israelite World is an essential reference work for students and scholars of ancient Israel and its history, culture, and society, whether they are historians, archaeologists or biblical scholars.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
chapter 1|11 pages
An Introduction to the Ancient Israelite World
part I|85 pages
Backgrounds and Methodological Considerations
chapter 2|19 pages
The Historical Geography of Ancient Israel
chapter 3|20 pages
Competing Chronologies, Competing Histories
chapter 4|13 pages
The Historian and the Assemblage
chapter 5|16 pages
Between the Biblical Story and History
part II|108 pages
Material Culture
chapter 11|14 pages
From Urban Centers into Mounds of Ruins
chapter 12|18 pages
Regional Continuity and Change in Ancient Israel
part III|125 pages
Society and Economy
chapter 16|12 pages
The Judahite Economy in First Temple Times
part IV|86 pages
Language
chapter 23|15 pages
More than the Sum of Their Parts
chapter 24|21 pages
Socio-political Gleanings from Northwest Semitic Paleography
chapter 26|15 pages
The Composition of the Hebrew Bible
part V|101 pages
Religion
part VI|208 pages
Israel Among the Nations
chapter 33|14 pages
Amorites and Canaanites
chapter 41|17 pages
Egypt and the Levant in the Third Intermediate Period (Iron IB–IIIA)
chapter 42|18 pages
Reconstructing the Kushite Royal House
part VII|48 pages
The Legacy and Future of Ancient Israel