The Archaeology Of Israel

In this illustrated book, some of Israel's foremost archaeologists present a survey of early life in the land of the Bible, from the Neolithic era (eighth millenium BC) to the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the First Temple in 586 BC. Each chapter covers a particular era and includes a bibliography.

This well-documented survey summarizes important findings of archaeological research in the Holy Land. Translated from the original Modern Hebrew edition, this comprehensive work by renowned archaeologist Yohanan Aharoni examines Israelite life from its prehistoric beginnings through the fall of the First Temple in the early sixth century B.C.F. Extremely useful as an introductory textbook, this survey with its clear maps and diagrams offers the results of generations of archaeological work and presents well-founded challenges to many currently held positions. Invaluable for both students and scholars, THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE LAND OF ISRAEL sheds a new light on recent controversies, findings, and research. YOHANAN AHARONI served as Chairman of the Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures and founded the Institute of Archaeology at Tel Aviv University. He was well known for his extensive archaeological excavations, his atlases, and his textbook The Land of the Bible.

This challenging volume offers a timely and extensive overview of the current state of archaeology in Israel. Contributed by leading scholars, the essays focus on current problems and cutting-edge issues, ranging from reviews of ongoing excavations to new analytical approaches. Of interest not only to archaeologists, but to social historians as well, the topics include archaeology and social history, archaeology and ethnicity, as well as the overarching issue of how texts and archaeological knowledge are to be combined in the reconstruction of ancient Israel.

The land of Israel is rich in history and material culture and has long been the location of extensive archaeological excavation. 'Just Past?' examines the origins of Israeli archaeology in the 1950s and 1960s. Drawing on previously unpublished documentary material, the study offers a history of intriguing finds, failures and dreams. 'Just Past?' covers a range of topics, from the 1948 war to the Israel Department of Antiquities and Museums, issues of foreign aid, and the political circumstances behind the decision to start excavations at Masada. Highlighting the centrality of politics to archaeology in Israel/Palestine, 'Just Past?' presents an assessment of the origins of Israeli archaeology which will be invaluable to students and scholars of history and archaeology.

In this groundbreaking work that sets apart fact and legend, authors Finkelstein and Silberman use significant archeological discoveries to provide historical information about biblical Israel and its neighbors. In this iconoclastic and provocative work, leading scholars Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman draw on recent archaeological research to present a dramatically revised portrait of ancient Israel and its neighbors. They argue that crucial evidence (or a telling lack of evidence) at digs in Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon suggests that many of the most famous stories in the Bible—the wanderings of the patriarchs, the Exodus from Egypt, Joshua’s conquest of Canaan, and David and Solomon’s vast empire—reflect the world of the later authors rather than actual historical facts. Challenging the fundamentalist readings of the scriptures and marshaling the latest archaeological evidence to support its new vision of ancient Israel, The Bible Unearthed offers a fascinating and controversial perspective on when and why the Bible was written and why it possesses such great spiritual and emotional power today.

Annotation This book discusses the role of religion in Canaanite and Israelite society, from the Middle Bronze Age through the Israelite Divided Monarchy (2000-587 BC). It contains an extensive archaeological study of all known Middle Bronze through Iron Age temples, sanctuaries, and open-air shrines, organized by period and geographic region. Social science and textually based analyses of sacrifice in antiquity reveal the many ways in which religion was related to social structure, and the author emphasizes the ways in which social, economic and political relationships determined - and were shaped by - forms of religious organization.

"Israel Finkelstein is perhaps the best-known Israeli archaeologist in the world [...] His work has greatly changed the face of archaeological and historical research of the biblical period. His unique ability to see the comprehensive big picture and formulate a broad framework has inspired countless scholars to reexamine long-established paradigms. His trail-blazing work covering every period from the beginning of the Early Bronze Age through the Hasmonean period, while sometimes controversial, has led to a creative new approach that connects archaeology with history, the social sciences, and the natural and life sciences [...] This volume, dedicated to Professor Finkelstein's accomplishments and contributions, features 36 articles written by his colleagues, friends, and students in honor of his decades of scholarship and leadership in the field of biblical archaeology"--back cover.

"In this book William Dever addresses the question that must guide every good historian of ancient Israel: What was life really like in those days? Writing as an expert archaeologist who is also a secular humanist, Dever relies on archaeological data, over and above the Hebrew Bible, for primary source material. He focuses on the lives of ordinary people in the eighth century B.C.E. - not kings, priests, or prophets - people who left behind rich troves of archaeological information but who are practically invisible in "typical" histories of ancient Israel."--Résumé de l'éditeur.