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The town of Mari is situated on the Euphrates near the eastern Syrian border. This study compares the old Babylonian texts from Mari with the Hebrew scriptures, and the early history of Israel. It is organized into three chapters, dealing with Mari and the West, prophecy, and customs and society. In view of the West Semitic or Amorite character of both Mari and the Bible, this comparison could be called imperative. In 22 chapters of essays, this study considers: Mari and the West, dealing with Mari documents pertaining to Syria and Palestine, as well as the Mediterranean region; prophecy, examining Mari prophetical texts, particularly those recently published as compared to Biblical prophecy; and customs and society, also including topics such as female royal correspondence, the royal harem, the epithet "Great King", and king-lists involving the cult of the dead. ... Read more

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This volume deals with the religious practices of the family in the ancientBabylonian, Syrian, and Israelite civilizations. On the basis of a wealth ofdocuments from both the private and the literary realm, the book gives anexhaustive description and analysis of the rites of the ancestor cult and thedevotion to local gods. The author demonstrates the role of these two aspectsof family religion in the identity construction of its followers. The sectiondealing with Israel pays particular attention to the relationship betweenfamily religion and state religion. The emergence of the state religion underKing Saul marked the beginning of a competition between civil and privatereligion. Though the two had great influence upon each other, the tensionbetween them was never resolved. A study of their interaction proves to be akey for the understanding of the development of Israelite religion during themonarchic period.The book is of particular importance to biblical scholars, Assyriologists,and all those interested in the history of ancient Near Eastern religion. ... Read more

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This book concentrates on the theme of love in poetry of the Ancient Near East, drawing on textual evidence from different periods. The author shows a development in ancient attitudes towards love and illustrations of contemporary works of art are included to show a parallel evolution. ... Read more

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Confronted with an illness and other disconcerting signs shortly before his royal inauguration, the Hittite Great King Tuthaliya IV (ca. 1240-1210 B.C.) looks for past affairs of rebellion within the royal family. Members of the ruling dynasty up to three generations back have taken recourse to black magic in their search for power. Their curses are felt to be still effective and have contaminated the institution of Kingship. The King conducts an extensive series of oracle inquiries in order to find ways to reconcile the (for the most part deceased) family members and to render their curses ineffective. The texts of these inquiries shed light on daily life in the Hittite empire, and, in this case, daily life of the King of the Hittites. The reconstruction of these oracle inquiries forms the subject of the underlying volume. The author offers not only a full edition of the texts, but also introductory chapters on topics of wider importance such as text constitution, techniques for recording oracles and the persons involved and historical setting of the composite text. ... Read more

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This study of the history of the Philistines during the first quarter ofthe first millennium B.C.E. has a twofold aim: First, to examine in detail anumber of ancient texts, mainly biblical until the rise of the neo-assyrianempire, while evaluating each text in its own right as a potential historicalsource. Second, to offer a synthetic reconstruction of the course ofPhilistine history between 1000 - 730 B.C.E., employing the results of thetextual study in conjunction with those of recent archaeological excavationsin Philistia.This is the first monograph to be devoted to the Philistines during thiscritical period in the history of the Ancient Near East. ... Read more

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In 701 BC the Assyrian king Sennacherib launched his campaign against Judah. This event has been recorded in the Hebrew Bible and, as a consequence, has decisively influenced Jewish and Christian thought. This text brings together both Biblical and Assyrian, sources on the campaign. Part of these abundant Assyrian materials are modern offering a different insight on the event itself. A second majr result of this study lies in the carefully supported interpretations of some "Isaiah Chronicles", and of both the "Assyrian and Biblical Narratives" of Sennacherib's campaign. ... Read more

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In how far do the traditions in historical writing reflect history in the Hebrew Bible? This is the central issue in this volume, in which the author takes a firm stand against the sceptical approach to the unity and historicity of biblical tradition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Essential Reading
Prof.Petry has written an essential book, essential for the history of the Mamluke Sultanate, essential for the history of Egypt, and essential for the history of the Middle East.

THe book details the last two Sultans of Egypt's Mamluke Sultanate, in the late 15th-early 16th centuries, and the decline and fall of the kingdom to the Ottoman Empire.

The book is particularly useful for, aside from detailing the two rulers and how they attempted to reverse their kingdom's declining power, it also gives a very good portrait about the nature of Mamluke rule, and perhaps serves well to remind many of us fascinated by the Mamluke Sultanate that despite its immensely admirable military acheivements and artistic and economic accomplishments, that it was in the end a military tyranny, which often treated the civilian population quite cruely and harshely.

A truly essential book on an important predio in Egyptian and Middle Eastern history.
... Read more

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This work is a presentation on a people of Transjordan known to readers of the Bible as a neighbour, and often an enemy, of first millennium B.C. Israel. Topics include a review of archaeological research in Ammon, the emergence of the Ammonites, and Ammonite territory and sites. ... Read more

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This classic textbook, widely used for over two decades, constructs a history of ancient Israel and Judah through a thorough investigation of epigraphical, archaeological, and biblical sources. Approaching biblical history as history, Miller and Hayes examine the political and economic factors that give context to the Israelite monarchy’s actions and the biblical writers’ accounts. Now updated with the latest research and critical discoveries, including the Tell Dan Inscription, and considering the lively debate surrounding the reliability of biblical accounts, Miller and Hayes’s judicious and evenhanded portrayal gives detailed attention to the nature, strengths, and limitations of various forms of evidence for understanding Israel’s origins and early history. The new edition also includes thirty-four new maps, helpful notes, and numerous charts and photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Not about content but about format
For those curious about the difference between this book and the one twice the price also listed as a 2006 paperback, there appears to be no difference between the two besides one was published by a US publishing house, and this one is printed by SCM, a UK publisher, in the US. Book length, physical size, and content as far as I can tell are the exact same for the 2006 2nd Edition. Correction to the Product Description: Paperback page length is 562 pages and publisher is scm press.

Horrid Logic
Wow, this book is a nearly worthless except for that at least the authors acknowledge that the Bible probably contains historical events. It's amazing how seemingly wise men put out garbage like this. An example of the utter stupidity for example is that one of the authors claims that Samuel didn't really do all the things that were claimed of him because he was described as doing different things. Why does he think that? But he thinks Samuel couldn't have been both a prophet and "king-maker" he says. Uh... CUZ? Kinda stands to reason that if a person is a prophet then yeah, they are more likely to have the standing to king someone, not if there are just some ordinary guy. Instead he claims that Samuel was probably a cult leader. LOL.

No wait they are right, God doesn't have the ability to make someone a prophet plus allow them to have any other significant roles like kinging someone one time because it's just too hard for the creator and sustainer of the universe to get someone to be someone great and do something amazing. Not.

This is preschooler dribble hoping for lobster and wine elbow rubbing with other God-haters. Jesus is worth more than paper money, a few hundred lobsters, and a cellar full of wine.

Very Good Standard Book
It's true that the OT is often the only source for the early history of Israel and Judah, but Miller and Hayes tactfully duck the question of the historicity of the many legendary early events, and begin where they can start to tie the OT account to external and archaeological sources. I found this book to be a good introduction to the topic and a useful reference to have on the shelf.

has little to add to the old testament
This is a great book, very readable and scholarly. There exists one problem though: this book has practically nothing to add to what is written, just as clearly and just as easily accessible, in the old testament.

I read this book seeking to find a modern perspective on the old testament narrative, which would include all the findings of modern archeology and other sciences. What I found is that modern scholarship has precious little to add to what is already set down in the bible because the OT remains, with very few and mostly modest exceptions, our only source for this period. This is not the fault of the authors, of course, who are very noteworthy scholars. A few bits of history are scattered throughout the book which are not obvious from a reading of the bible, but the vast majority is just summary and interpretation (not usually very revealing) of the OT.

It goes without saying that if you are interested in the history of this period and have not read the bible, open the good book to Genesis 1 and start reading.

A Nice Introduction to Ancient Israel
J. Maxwell Miller and John H. Hayes' A History of Ancient Israel and Judah provides a solid introduction to the methods and problems of studying the development of the kingdoms that came to be known as Israel and Judah.Thebook deals with events from the time of Israel's origins (the Late Bronzeand Early Iron Ages) to the work of Ezra and Nehemiah (the fifth and fourthcenturies BCE).On the whole, A History is more cautious with the biblicaltexts than other histories of ancient Israel, such as John Bright's AHistory of Israel. Miller and Hayes spend less time offering guesses aboutthe more speculative aspects of Israel's history, such as the patriarchsand exodus, and concentrate their efforts on the later period (tenth tofifth centuries BCE) for which conclusions are more certain. From itsbeginning, this study is very much set within the geographical, political,economic, and religious context of the ancient Near East and Egypt as awhole.Perhaps the most attractive feature of this work is the inclusionof both photographs and fairly complete translations of extra-biblicaldocuments pertinent to various stages of Israel's history.A History isdivided into chronological segments, and the authors proceed by summarizingthe biblical texts germane to the time period, critically examining theseaccounts along with extra-biblical and archaeological evidence, and thendrawing conclusions.If the book has a major weakness, it is the absenceof either footnotes or endnotes, but the authors provide a sizable topicalbibliography at the conclusion of the book, and overall, A History ofAncient Israel and Judah is sound, readable scholarship. ... Read more

Product Description
Field of Glory provides the historical tabletop wargamer with a new, accessible rules set. With no new high-quality games system aimed specifically at the Ancient and Medieval wargamer for over 10 years, this product will fill the gap in this market. Swifter Than Eagles provides an accessible, detailed gaming companion, covering the forces of conflicts in the Biblical Middle East. It includes a well-designed, visually stunning and comprehensive army listing, with detailed historical overviews of each army, supporting maps and Osprey artwork. ... Read more

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Beloved Reader, Pictorial History of IRAN, Ancient Persia is about one of the oldest nations and civilizations in the world. I hope the information provided in this book will give you better insight into Persian culture and history, which has survived through the centuries and has withstood the test of time.As a focal point of the crossroad between East and West, the Persian Empire had a tremendous relevance in the development of human culture. Persians dedicated their lives to the cultivation of ideas, cultural exchange, and human development.Like Iran's night sky, the ancient history of Iran is full of shining stars. Large cities in Elam, Hamadan, Pasargardae, and Persepolis were established. The union of Medes and Persians laid the foundation for the Achaemenian Empire, which organized, administered, and governed with justice and order the great Persian nation from the Jaxates river (Sir Darya) to Nile, Asia Minor to Persian Gulf, and east as far as the Hindu river. This great nation enjoyed prosperity, vast communication systems, practice of humanitarian equality, and a well-balanced system of government.Cyrus the Great issued the first declaration of Human Rights, after capturing the Babylonian Empire and freeing the Jews held in captivity there and allowing them to return to Jerusalem.The Persian Empire reached one of its pinnacles during the Mesopotamia era. With the profound influence of Zoroastrian convictions, with "pure thought," "good deeds" and "noble words," the Persian Empire flourished throughout Asia Minork Lydia, all the way to Greece. Up to this point in history, there were no significant scientific and cultural achievements in Greece.Many inscriptions found in Persepolis prove that the Persian Empire was the key in cultivation and spread of civilization, as we know it today. The Persian civilization and the first declaration of human rights by Cyrus the Great has had a lasting impression on all the nations. This humanitarian concern has eventually become a universal principle.I hope human rights and the promotion of human development will prevail in the 21st century. ... Read more

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Ever thought of becoming a water hauler?

How about a necromancer?

Life was tough in Old Testament times. People had to cross deserts on foot, grow food on parched land and deal with earthquakes, drought and disease.

Had you lived then, you might not have wanted to be a water hauler. That would have meant walking for miles with a heavy jar full of water on your head. Perfumers had a more pleasant job, concocting sweet-smelling fragrances their customers used to mask the smell of unwashed bodies -- and to keep flies away.

Other jobs included necromancer (for those who liked to communicate with the dead), date picker (not for those afraid of heights) and gold jewelry maker (people thought they were magicians!).

A fact-filled introduction, detailed timeline and thorough index make this book perfect for research projects, while the humorous illustrations and snappy text provide an entertaining read. Kids will look at history in a whole new way thanks to this unique approach.

Customer Reviews (1)

Outstanding & Invaluable Series
Whether researching, homeschooling, or teaching for church/synagogue this book is a valuable tool.A wealth of information is presented in a clever, entertaining, yet straightforward way.This type of background material can make learning about a particular era more meaningful and memorable.Leave this book out and let the kids gravitate toward it.No matter if they just flip through it or read the entire thing in one sitting -- they will enjoy learning and wonder why school textbooks are so dull, when clearly, there is a better way!I just newly discovered this series, but bought them all except Pharaohs and Foot Soldiers: One Hundred Ancient Egyptian Jobs You Might Have Desired or Dreaded (Jobs in History) (we've covered that period recently).We have and love: Archers, Alchemists, and 98 Other Medieval Jobs You Might Have Loved or Loathed (Jobs in History), Ballplayers and Bonesetters: One Hundred Ancient Aztec and Maya Jobs You Might Have Adored or Abhorred, andCowboys and Coffin-Makers: One Hundred 19th-century Jobs You Might Have Feared or Fancied (Jobs in History) ... Read more

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Though lacking in significant oil deposits, North Yemen is located in the centre of the world's most oil-rich region and is thus one of the most strategically important countries in the world. In this up-to-date survey Dr. Wenner's analysis ranges widely across many dimensions of present-day North Yemen; from its geographical characteristics, agricultural heritage, and complex ethnographic make-up to its politico-economic position in the contemporary world and the significant role of North Yemeni emigrants in various countries of the Middle East. Also provided is a brief history of Yemen, with particular emphasis on developments since the revolution of 1962 and the 1970 compromise, which settled the long civil war. ... Read more

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