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Where did the Israelites originate? What was the fate of the Canaanites?In this revealing introduction, Jonathan M. Golden tackles these and other hotly debated questions. Drawing on the extensive and often surprising archeological record, he looks at daily life in antiquity, providing rich portraits of the role of women, craft production, metallurgy, technology, political and social organization, trade, and religious practices. Golden traces the great religious traditions that emerged in this region back to their most ancient roots, drawing on the evidence of scriptures and other texts as well as the archeological record. Though the scriptures stress the primacy of Israel, the author considers the Canaanites and Philistines as well, examining the differences between highland and coastal cultures and the cross-fertilization between societies. He offers a clear, objective look at the evidence for the historical accuracy of the biblical narrative, based on the latest thinking among archeologists worldwide. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (31)

A book for the times
A brilliantly written tome full of inciteful historical analyses and startling anecdotes. Kind of loses its way in the end though, but I guess that's the point...

More than I learned in Hebrew school
Listening to Rich Cohen on a C-Span discussion of his book prompted me to borrow it from my public library and then purchase an Amazon copy to send to my nephew. We both enjoyed the author's take on the pychological and cultural influences the idea of a Jewish homeland has had on the Jewish people and religion throughout their history. And even for a Hebrew school graduate it was an enlightening review of the history of the land from ancient times through today's modern state of Israel. I especially enjoyed the biographical profiles on a number of significant personages. Although I'm sure anti-Zionists , especially, would have other perspectives to offer, "Israel is Real" is not an uncritical "rah-rah" celebration the state. I would recommend it particularly to non-Jewish readers.

miserable read
Do not bother purchasing this book, and if you decide to do so I am selling my copy... I have been a Rich Cohen fan for years now and have loved reading and re-reading books like"Tough Jews" and "Machers and Rockers". But "Israel is Real" has been the most boring inaccurate read to date! Rich essentially taken two or three sources to explain in a biased and skewed manner the entire 3,000 years of Jewish history. His research has clearly taken a downward turn in this book with misleading facts, blatant fabrications, and altogether an miserable read. I sincerely hope Rich does a better job next time as I still thoroughly enjoy his other works.

Flawed at best.
I just finished reading "Israel Is Real" and have come away from it with mixed feelings. On the one hand, Cohen does an admirable job of connecting the modern state of Israel to the long history of the people and land of Israel, showing that this history did not merely begin in 1948, thus giving the well-deserved lie to all the antisemitic canards about Israel coming into existence solely as a result of the Holocaust. On the other hand, he gets no small number of facts wrong, e.g.: "Jonathan," not Yohanan, Ben Zakkai (it's not merely a mistranslation, it's the wrong name); he has Israeli commanders reviewing satellite photos of the Sinai in the 1948 war, when the first satellite would not be launched till 1957; he had the 1973 war begin on October 3, not 6, on the "first day of Yom Kippur" (there's more than one day?) when most Jews were in shul "wrapped in tfillin" (Jews do not wear tfillin on Sabbaths and holidays); he claims that among the military equipment provided by the US were F-14 Tomcats, a plane that Israel never had (but the Iranians did), which at any rate did not enter service in the US until 1974; at the end of the book, he gives the designation of the Tomcat as F-16. He goes on to trash the entire religious-Zionist movement, implying that they are all kooks because of the "perfectly named" founder of the movement, while ignoring the fact that these are among the greatest lovers of Israel and most dedicated members of the IDF. And then he arrives at the conclusion that the best hope for Israel is the two-state solution and a government with "Enlightenment" ideals, without really presenting any greater reasoning than his own sentiments. Then again, his support for an enlightened two-state solution only makes sense given his embarrassingly weak knowledge of Judaism ... but it only reinforces my own sentiments that if you can't get your facts straight, your opinions don't matter. And more than that--if he is presenting his faulty knowledge as fact, then the unknowing reader will take it as fact, doing a disservice to Israel and the truth.

Great Gift
This book was a birthday gift and the receiver was thrilled when it arrived in the mail. It was also cheaper through Amazon than in the store. ... Read more

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This is a story of momentous events and mighty nations, of the birth of great religions and of foreign conquests, of longing and renewal. In its entirety the story told here spans all of recorded history. It is a story of momentous events and mighty nations, of the birth of great religions and of foreign conquests, of longing and renewal. The scholars who have produced this work have woven an engrossing, continuous narrative out of the historical materials, presenting a rich array of peoples and cultures, from the ancient Hebrews and their neighbours down to the time of Jesus and the Roman wars and then on through the Arab and Crusader conquests, the Mameluk domination, the long period of Turkish rule, British mandate, and the rebirth of Israel. An integral part of the story is the magnificent selection of photographs illustrating the land, its sites, its ruins, and its treasures. This expanded millennium edition of A History of Israel and the Holy Land takes the story into the twenty-first century with a new and comprehensive survey of the State of Israel from its establishment to the present day.The new material includes a review of political, economic, and social developments in Israel and summaries of the country's wars and the peace process. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An amazing magic trick
This book is pretty much an official Zionist version of the history of the area as one will find. It has a forward by one of the high ranking members of the zionist brigrade - Shimon Peres.

Several things surprised me about the book :

1) How much of the history of this land seems to be taken from the Old Testament! Where is the verification of any of these supposed facts? What about critical analysis of the Old Testament? Perhaps the authors had axes to grind. This leads onto point 2)

2) How little verifiable data there is on the land from these times. Despite this one still can realise point 3)

3) The mulitcultural nature of the Holy Land throughout time.

The book also seems to imply that in the Roman era the Jews were only thrown out of Jerusalem and not the entire Holy Land. Before reading the book, I had had the impression that the Jews had been the only people, almost without exclusion, living in the Holy Land from antiquity to year O. How wrong I was!

Of note for Muslims are the evidences given that early in the Islamic era Muslims would make an annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem, which is interesting given the discussion over Bekka (Mecca is not mentioned as the place of pilgrimage in the Quran, Bekka is)

The book does an amazing magic trick at the end where it makes the Arabs disappear and replaces them with 'Israelis'. This leads to the happy ending where everyone lives happily ever after. ... Read more

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In the United Nations, on university campuses, and among a growing number of our most prestigious Western newspapers, the historical record has been rewritten so thoroughly that Israel is seen as the worst of the oppressive Western occupiers of the Third World. So successful has this propaganda campaign been that Palestinian spinmeisters and their apologists have effectively declared the Israelis, a people living in the shadow of the Holocaust, to be "Nazis." How could this happen? How did unacceptable anti-Semitism morph into justifiable anti-Zionism, and odious Jew-hatred turn into a politically correct Israel-hatred?

In History Upside Down, David Meir-Levi exposes the ideological DNA of Palestinian nationalism and its ludicrous "alternative" histories, revealing how Nazi fascism gave the Arab world's amorphous hatred of the Jews an intellectual structure and how Soviet communism masked its genocidal intentions with the mantle of national liberation. Meir-Levi then explodes the cornerstone myths that the Palestinian movement created--myths that rationalize and celebrate decades of unremitting terror and genocidal ambitions, turning the history of the Middle East upside down and inside out, making the victim the aggressor and the aggressor the victim.

History Upside Down is the first wave in a counterattack against this Arab war on history. It rejects the idea that the basic situation in the Middle East has changed since the United Nations first established the Jewish state and the Palestinian state that would have stood alongside it. Sadly, argues Meir-Levi, the issue in the Middle East is today what it has been since the Muslim invasion in the seventh century: the Arabs' hatred of the Jews. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

There is no such thing as a "Palestinian"
The basic fact is that "Palestine" was never a country, state or nation throughout the entirety of this Earth's history; ego any "nationality" - for any people - is a-historical.In this case it is purely a politically guided agenda to wipe out Israel.It is such a shame that the rater above: David Pryce-Jones had contorted the base "Arab-Israel Conflict" into the "Israel-"Palestinian" Conflict" insinuating the exact opposite of the subject of this book that Israel is the aggressor however anyone that seeks the facts over politically correct perversion and too reads the Islamic scriptures themselves will get a taste of the realities from a Islamic context.Joan Peter's "From Time Immemorial" is perhaps the best composed work on this highly bastardized subject.Happy Reading... MZ

Excellent analysis of the Arab-Israeli conflict
With the rise of anti-Semitic insanity in the UN, in the media, and in the university campuses [the central piece of this anti-Semitic insanity is the slanderous blood libel-type accusations against Israel], this book is a useful and refreshingly accurate guide on the Arab-Israeli conflict. This book debunks many common anti-Israel myths such as the claim that the Jews stole Arab land to build Israel, the claim that Israel is a brutal occupier and the claim that the Palestinian terrorist struggle is a war of national liberation against the "evil" Jews. This book has two parts: the influence that Nazi Fascism, Islamo-Fascism, and Communism had on the Palestinian terrorist struggle and the rebuttal of the anti-Israel myths with actual facts that actually puts the proper context behind Israeli anti-terrorism actions, which are incorrectly perceived by many people as signs of Israel's imaginary "oppression". For example, in this book, you'll learn how living standards for Palestinians improved when they were under Israeli "occupation" and you'll learn the background on the settlements, which includes the vital facts that debunk the notion that Israeli settlements are illegal. In this book, you'll see how Islamo-Fascists were influenced by and collaborated with the Nazis.
This book gives you a glimpse of Islamic anti-Semitism, which I believe existed even in Islam's early days when Muhammad carried out anti-Semitic atrocities against the Jews of Medina [in those days Medina was called Yathrib]. To get off topic a little bit, in my mind, Muhammad's actions against the Jews in Medina was the real ethnic cleansing, not Israel's actions toward the Palestinians. For, as you can see in this book, the Palestinians were [and are] worse off under their Arab and Muslim "brothers" than they were [and are] under Israeli "occupation".
In this book, you'll see the real genocidal face of the Palestinian terror struggle and the kind of stuff that little democratic Israel has to deal with daily.
This book debunks the anti-Israel narrative that comes from anti-Semites and left-wing politically correct Islam apologists, the latter of whom even embrace anti-Semitic concepts. After the Nazi Holocaust, the world understood the ugliness of anti-Semitism. Political correctness rightly viewed Holocaust denial with contempt. But with political correctness' crazy embrace of Islam, anti-Semitism is becoming seen as more acceptable if it's dressed as legitimate criticism of Israel. And the ridiculous anti-Semitic claim that Israel is exploiting the Holocaust to oppress Palestinians is even welcomed by political correctness.
This book is an antidote to the kind of insanity and idiocy we deal with from anti-Semites, Islamo-Fascists and left-wing politically correct Islam apologists. This is a real refreshing history guide of the Arab-Israeli conflict. David Meir Levi deserves thumbs up for debunking common anti-Israel myths.

INFORMATION AS A WEAPON
This is a review of HISTORY UPSIDE DOWN: THE ROOTS OF PALESTINIAN FASCISM AND THE MYTH OF ISRAELI AGGRESSION by Professor David Mier-Levi who now teaches Middle Eastern History at San Jose State University. Professor Mier-Levi's slim volume is just a little over 100 pages long, not counting over 20 pages of notes and a useful index.

Professor Mier-Levi writes well and organizes a lot of complicated material into a coherent, readable narrative.He focuses on how information can be framed to shape the dialogue and influence the outcome. Using the example of Vietnam,Professor Mier-Levi illustrates how the Communists realized early on the critical importance of framing their invasion of the South so that it would not be perceived as an "invasion."

This was to be a "war of national liberation" not just another military conquest.And, it worked.The imagery of nationalism struck a chord in the West, even the US which was committed to resisting a classic, over-the-border invasion by armored divisions equipped with the latest T-54 tanks.

The Communists managed to cast themselves in the role of pajama-clad Davids to South Vietnamese/US Goliaths. The US won the military conflict but the Communists won the war by carefully framing its discussion to their advantage.
Political support eroded within the US and American troops withdrew without having experienced a military defeat. Indeed, US forces were raiding close to Hanoi looking for POW camps as the last combat troops pulled out.

The Communists won the war, however, because they weaponized the information about the war much more successfully than did the US.And, among the students of this weaponization of information was Yassir Arafat.

He learned his lessons well.A Kuwaiti businessman born in Cairo married to a French teenager, he established himself as the head of the Palestine Liberation Organization.Against him was Ariel Sharon, who was born in Palestine and was often described as a "Palestinian" himself.

Arafat co-opted the term "Palestinian" equating it with PLO and excluding Jews, Christians and others who were previously included when the term was used. Arafat also created the idea that Palestine was "occupied" and that the PLO were the helpless victims of brutal, Israeli oppression. He cast the Israelis as "European invaders" into the "Palestinian homeland."

This was a stunning achievement and it worked.People forgot that Israel had always been part of Palestine and that the Jews were historically a "Palestinian people" themselves.

They also forgot that Arafat's PLO had been kicked out "the Palestinian state" of Jordan after trying to take it over from King Hussein.Instead of wondering how many "Palestinian states" Arafat demanded, the West accepted his reframed debate of the issue and pivoted against Israel pressing it to trade "land for peace" and "restrict settlements on occupied land."

This while PLO and other anti-Jewish terrorists slaughtered innocent, unarmed Jewish men, women and children in various "martyrdom operations". So successfully had the discussion been reframed that terrorists could operate with impunity assured that the West would condemn Israel for any efforts to defend themselves.

This is the "upside down" history mentioned in the book's title.Rather than criticizing the aggressors, the West criticized the Israelis for refusing to commit suicide. It is truly a case of history being turned upside down by the realization that information can be weaponized successfully enough to bring strategic victory.

If you're interested in the Middle East and looking for a coherent, concise explanation of the issues, you need this book.I liked it and gave it five stars.

Great Summary of 20th Century Israel/Palestinian Conflict
Abba Eban, Israel's erstwhile UN ambassador, once said, "The Palestinians have never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity." David Meir-Levi's book, History Upside Down, details why this has been the case. Palestinian misery has been primarily the result of theirs and other Arab states' duplicity. Instead of helping their Palestinian brothers, other Arab nations have used them as "cannon fodder" against Israel. While Israel has attempted to reinstate displaced Palestinians, surrounding Arab states have rejected Israel's motions in favor of propaganda. And, of course, the ever-duplicitous UN continues to blame Israel for everything. Read this book to see what the history of the conflict has really been--from Haj Amin al-Husseini's tet-a-tet w/ Hitler to destroy all Jews, to the "Three Nos" formulated by the Arab states at Khartoum--but only if you wish to disabuse yourself of the self-serving Palestinian and Arab propaganda infusing the usual suspects of the mainstream media and of left-wing Israel haters.

Here we go again with the spin
So what do you expect from a Zionist author other than this book that is filled with blatant lies and transformations of truth? The Israeli spin machine and its masters from Alan Dershowitz to Daniel Pipes to the whole gang are busy justifying the immoral and abject Israeli occupation and terrorizing of the Palestinians. However, they will never succeed no matter how hard they tried. This book is just another rubbish that gets created that is not even worth skimming.

For all the spin masters, remember that just causes and people behind them defending their land will ALWAYS be victorious and all occupations will end in humiliation for the occupier. The Israeli occupation of Palestine and the methodical torture and cleansing of Palestinians from their homeland will never be forgotten and it will be a stark reminder for how low can humans become. Congratulations to the Israelis for all the hatred and anti-semitism they provoke around the world with their ugly occupation.


Not even worthy of a start but that's the lowest that can be assigned.
What a waste! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Review of Davies' 'Memories'
This book isn't poorly written, but it's too esoteric to appeal to a large audience. Davies himself admits this is a book 'for practioners'. The work begins by addressing the basic problems of biblical history, then looks at the problems of biblical archaeology. It closes with a detailed consideration of the maximalist-minimalist debate present in contemporary biblical studies.

'Memories' is just lucid enough to be readable, and is more interesting to someone who has read a few histories of Israel. I even recognized some of the names he mentioned (Barton, Lemche). However, this is ultimately a book that has too little to offer to a wide audience. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (22)

A Wonderful Book!
I've ready many histories of the region, but this is one of the best.It brings clarity to a complex subject and the author's attention to detail has enabled me to better understand some matters that previous histories either hadn't thought to address or hadn't managed to address adequately.My compliments to the author for a job well done!

An interesting start at understanding a war without end
Benny Morris' book, I feel, is essential reading and an excellent step in trying to understand the roots of a conflict and wounds that fester to this day because of it. It describes the struggle of the actual fighting that took place on that fateful year between the Arabs and Israelis, in which the Israelis gained theirindependence, andwhich 'spelled disaster' for the Palestinians. It also provides much historical background on how it all came to a head that year. Interesting historical insight on the British, American and eventually UN involvement gives much depth to understanding the roots of this conflict. Morris, himself a Jew, wrote a book that is as fair and concise a history as possible, shedding light on not only Arab atrocities and terrorism that took place, but Israeli acts of terrorism and bloody reprisal that also occurred. Morris' level handling of all belligerents and their motives gives fairness that other books on the subject lack. A must read in order to at least somewhat clarify an unfortunate conflict, whose meaning now (because of rhetorical biases and intransigence after so many years of hostilities) seems at first glance to be as clear (and as dirty) as mud.

1948 for the History Scholar
For those interested in a scholarly understanding of the First Arab-Israeli War, I find it hard to imagine there's a better book available in the popular press. Benny Morris, a university professor, approaches the topic in a scholarly fashion, owing his allegiance only to the available evidence and documents. His book includes no protagonists, but rather reads as a period of unfolding events. The real achievement of the book is that he was nonetheless able to provide a gripping read that is, at times, difficult put down.

Morris is however not oblivious to the controversy surrounding the historiography of this critical period. And often, when touching on a controversial topic or event, he not only mentions the controversy, but includes the available evidence which fuels both sides of the debate. His lucidity is however unmatched, allowing him to extrapolate from the evidence what the most accomplished historians would ultimately hypothesize.

Although this book's breadth and the scholarly standards to which it was written land it firmly in the 5-star range, some more maps may have aided in understanding the details of the events and battles. Furthermore, Morris assumes a prior knowledge of battle terms and weaponry. A glossary would have been helpful.

Considered in sum, books on the middle east should not be politically motivated. It's difficult enough even for the critically minded individual to parse apart the rhetoric. Benny Morris 1948 provides a refreshing dose of unfiltered history and clear-minded scholarship.

A reasonable look, overall, at 1947-48
Overall, Benny Morris does a good and even-handed job at presenting the buildup to civil war in Palestine then the first war against the Arabs. That includes separating Israeli-Palestinian civil war before the British officially left Mandate Palestine from the attacks by Arab nations on an independent Israel.

He also portrays well pressures on the Arab "street," the distrust of most Arab nations for each other, the wiliness of Jordan's King Abdullah, British-American wrangles over how much support to offer Israel and more.

Morris also notes that, not just in hindsight, but at the time, it became clear that Arab blustering was not matched by Arab organization. At the battlefield level, Morris has a number of good maps.

Morris is also fair enough to note battlefield atrocities by Israelis as well as Arabs.

There is one area where I think he may be a bit weak, though. Even if Plan D did not call for deliberate Arab expulsion, nonetheless, in both the civil war and the Arab war, Morris could have delved more critically into whether the Yishuv first, then the government of Israel, had some plan, even if not fully coherent, for driving out Arabs, at least in certain situations.

One or two other points keep this just short of a five-star book. First, I would have liked to see the friction, at times, between ben-Gurion and other top Israelis examined in more detail. How serious was it, as far as possible effect on either the battlefield or geopolitics? Second, a few more photos would have been nice, and printed on gloss, not regular stock paper.

Abysmal formatting on the kindle
I'm used to not having good kerning, seemingly random '-' inserted into the words, but this book is crazy: both the inter and INTRA letter spacing is off.

I first thought I was imagining that it had split an 'n' into two pieces, now I just encountered a 'u' that was also split. I'm befuddled as to how this is even possible.

The content of the book is excellent, but these formatting errors are deeply frustrating. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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Israel:No other country in the history of the world has come so far so fast.This dazzling volume takes you on a dramatic pictorial journey through a century of nation-building, showing how the country has grown and developed since the idea of a modern Jewish State was first conceived.Israel Yesterday and Today shows hundreds of scenes of Israel-in-the-making, with full-color photographs by leading photographers placed next to historic pictures of the same sites.The effect is riveting and magical.You can follow the growth of Tel Aviv from a dusty beachside suburb of ancient Jaffa to a cosmopolitan metropolis; you can trace the development of Jerusalems ancient alleys into modern boulevards; and you can see how rocky pastures became the lush fields and orchards of the countrys kibbutzim.Complementary text offers insightful explanation of the photographs.Israel Yesterday and Today is an eyewitness account of one of the most remarkable transformations ever created by humankind. ... Read more

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Wellhausen's theories about the development of the Old Testament are for Biblical criticism what Einstein is to physics. Wellhausen devised a new paradigm which explained many of the apparent inconsistencies in the Biblical texts. In the process, he upset many traditionalists who didn't like the concept that the early portions of the Bible were the product of four separate authors. Or that the Levitical code was redacted into the text by the priestly class at a very late date in the evolution of the Bible. Or that the Bible even evolved...

He has continued relevance. Wellhausen's theories have been built on by contemporary scholars. The current Christian fundamentalist movement emerged as a response to the Biblical criticism of Wellhausen and other 19th century scholars. Wellhausen remains difficult to fully grasp by all but those schooled in the ways of the Documentary hypothesis. However, brave readers willing to attempt an expedition through the Prolegomena will be richly rewarded, whichever side of the cultural divide you fall on. (Quote from sacred-texts.com)

About the Author

Julius Wellhausen (1844 - 1918)
Julius Wellhausen (May 17, 1844 - January 7, 1918), was a German biblical scholar and Orientalist. He was born at Hameln on the Weser, Westphalia. Having studied theology at the University of Gottingen under Georg Heinrich August Ewald, he established himself there in 1870 as Privatdozent for Old Testament history. In 1872 he was appointed professor ordinarius of theology at Greifswald. Resigning in 1882 for reasons of conscience, he became professor extraordinarius of oriental languages in the faculty of philology at Halle, was elected professor ordinarius at Marburg in 1885, and was transferred to Gottingen in 1892 where he stayed until his death. Wellhaus ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Not worth the money
The text of this material is available free online so don't bother spending money on it.In fact, as one of the other reviewers pointed out, it's only important for historical reasons.Starting with Umberto Cassuto in the 1940s and continuing with Whybray and Van Seters at the end of the 1970s, Wellhausen's conclusions and those of his school have lost cogency.

One of the hard core problems with Wellhausen is that he addresses only one piece of archaeological data.His students have followed suit: Ernest Nicholson's Pentateuch in the 20th Century references only the information about the Mesha stone in the Prolegomena.Ten years earlier than Nicholson, however, Whybray pointed out that the "names of God" pillar doesn't fit with the archaeology of other cultures in the area (besides the fact that it doesn't apply for more than 2/3 of the Pentateuch).

Another serious problem is that studies in folk literatures show that Wellhausen and his successors require processes demonstrated in no other culture.Wellhausen ignored the work done in his own time by the Grimm Brothers.Further while Hermann Gunkel (a Wellhausen follower) adopted the Epic Laws posited by Axel Olrik, nobody in the field inspired by Wellhausen has examined the rest of Olrik's Principle For Oral Narrative Research which (see my review) show that the work that started with Wellhausen doesn't pass the test of Occam's Razor.While Olrik himself analyzed a part of Pentateuch in terms of what is now known as Documentary Hypothesis, he failed to realize that his principles can replace DH and coordinate better with related fields.The "doublets" issue only arises from conflation according to the DH; Olrik's principles give other possible reasons such as emphasizing a concept by repeating a related action, or lengthening a popular story (a sort of in-text sequel).DH claims that some stories are composites of various written texts; Olrik declares that to split a story up requires that the fragments must still form a coherent plot and also that the person claiming to show the composite nature of a narrative must be able to point to the sources out of which the narrative was compiled.

One of the fields has developed since Wellhausen's (and Olrik's) time, Sapir-Whorf linguistic theory.This field basically claims that cultures develop the language that express in-culture issues, and also shape themselves around the words they use.It shows that words only have meaning in context of the culture that uses them, whether the context is written or oral.Thus the "names of God" issue takes the words out of context and fails to examine how the culture uses particular names for particular facets of God.Further, Wellhausen applied Hegelian theory to the Pentateuch, the existence of which not only predated Hegelian philosophy but also Western metaphysics as a whole.Explaining Pentateuch in Hegelian terms is a reading in of Wellhausen's views, not a reading out of the actual cultural content of Pentateuch.

While many of DH's problems can be blamed on shoddy work by later scholars, Whybray points out that Wellhausen himself failed to avoid fallacious claims.Wellhausen claimed that there was no legalistic material in J, but when he realized that the J/E composite contained legalistic material, he not only claimed that it all originated in J, but also that it was inserted _after_ J/E became a composite document.

So the only real reason for reading the Prolegomena is as background to other books, and if you want that background, get it for free.

Ahistorical
My comment applies to the publisher's blurb not the volume itself. To claim that Wellhausen's contribution is comparable to Einstein's to physics shows just how unworldly and abstracted from ordinary academic standards traditional liberal theology has become. It is pure, hollow hyperbole. Wellhausen is not only hopelessly dated, his predictions discredited, he's obsolete - his only value is as the marker to a grandiose historical misturn.

Cheap, but not citable.
The reason this edition is much cheaper than others is: it's basically an OCRed version of Wellhausen's Prolegomena. If you are serious about studying this author while citing him, this is not for you (its pagination doesn't match that of scholarly editions); if you're interested about its content only, it's a good deal - compare the prices. ... Read more

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In this controversial book, acclaimed Israeli writer and human rights campaigner Israel Shahak, and American scholar Norton Mezvinsky, provide a thorough assessment of fundamentalism in modern Israel. The authors trace the history and development of Jewish fundamentalism, examining the various different strains, and identify the messianic tendency as the most dangerous. Shahak and Mezvinsky place the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin in the context of what the authors see as a tradition of punishments and killings of those Jews perceived to be heretics. The authors argue that Jewish fundamentalism is essentially hostile to democracy because it opposes equality for all citizens and therefore it poses a considerable threat to democracy in Israel. To fully understand the situation in the Middle East and the prospects for peace, we must more fully understand Jewish fundamentalism. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

Shahak is in the same mold as Jewish Prophets of old
I couldn't resist reading this book. My three favorite American intellectuals Noam Chomsky, Edward W. Said and Gore Vidal have in one way or another recommended it. This in itself is high praise.

I find Israel Shahak's book a spring of fresh water in an arid intellectual environment of disinformation, propaganda and outright intellectual intimidation. For me Shahak is in the same mold as Jewish Prophets of old, warning Israel against a new catastrophe.

I do not pretend to the intellectual heights of Shahak.I can only judge the accuracy of the book by comparing it to areas where I do have expertise, namely the history, as it pertains to the Lithuanian, Polish, Russian and Austro-Hungarian Empires. The only portion of the book I found lacking was Shahak's knowledge of Petlura's government of Ukraine during the First World War.

When I sent Shahak a short article about Petlura from a Symposium "Ukrainian & Jews" he responded in a letter to me dated June 1, 1999, quote..."I am sorry for my mistake about the regime of Petlura. Your evidence, especially the translated documents, is very persuasive and I accept it. If possible I will change the next editions" Jewish History, Jewish religion" accordingly."...unquote.

I found Shahak's book made me understand portions of the Bible which I had difficulty understanding. It provided the cultural context for an intellectual conundrum that I had in regard to the Old Testament.

The two conundrums are the ethnic cleansing condoned by God of the Canaanites in Deuteronomy and the other was the dialogue between Jesus and the Canaanite women in Mathew 15:21-28, where he replies , quote..."I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."...unquote.

It is only after reading Shahak that I finally understood the unchristian behavior of Jesus. He after all was not a Christian but a Jewish Rabbi, well versed in the Talmud with all of the cultural taboos associated with it in those times. He came to save the Jews and the World. It was Paul (Saul), another well trained Rabbi who brought Jesus' reformed Judaism to the Pagan Mediterranean world and created Christianity.

This book is replete with insights that only and intellect of rigorous and highly developed moral understanding of History could deliver.

Problematic in the Extreme
Intelligent and reasonable people understand that multiple and complex cultural,psychological,and political forces are always at work to make things "the way they are."There are no pure angels or demons in Israel/Palestine, yet the authors insist they can correctly interpret and / orexplain "what really happened" throughout history, or what Judaism is and always was all about.Neither project is do-able. What is do-able is composing polemics and even fabrications to suit an argument, the premise of which is dubious and borders on the reprehensible. If the failure to achieve political compromise in Palestine in 1947, or a peace agreement afterwards, and the consequences of those failures, are deemed worse than or equal to the fate that befell Jews during WWII, then what we are really dealing with here becomes clear.A big lie. I feel pity for the Israeli chemist who survived the Warsaw Ghetto, was obviously brilliant, but whose writings reflect deep rooted problems.I do not believe that there is courage or anything laudable about hateful and falsehood-riddled polemics against anyone, especially one's "own" people for defending themselves against enemies who wish for their destruction.I feel far less pity for a Professor in the US who has misguided generations of naive students and educators, posing as an expert on matters that drive him emotionally but who has no standing whatsoever among most scholars who have genuine credentials regarding the so-called "Middle East."Shahak, Mezvinsy, Chomsky, Said, Rodinson etcand the younger Israeli or ex-Israeli anti-Zionist writers are lauded by Islamists, Marxists, anti-Semites, the Neturai Karta, and naive people who really think they are prophets calling out in the wilderness.Iwonder what Said would make of the doctrines and popularity of Hamas. Is it really because of what Israel does, or is it the mere fact that Israel exists at all?This has always been the core issue, nothing has changed.I doubt this book would have passed peer review by any worthy academic press.As for Israel Palestine a two-state solution is the only viable "solution" though it is not a deeply meaningful solution at all. Hatreds and prejudice and discrimination and the war will end when they cease to have reasons to exist. Those who insist that the only way that will happen is for Israel to cease to exist are the true extremists, the real haters, and, in my view, the root cause of Palestinian "disaster."

If you like Fabrication and Political Anti-Semitism
then please buy this book! This is clearly a book written by someone who has never stepped foot out of his comfortable city life and engaged with a real religious Jew.This could have been written by anyone who reads left-wing media - a waste of your time.

Great source of knowledge about Israel
Although many people have their own opinion about this book there is one requirement when reading it: be unbiased.

You can certainly read a book but not be able to comprehend it because of the personal's opinions we already have about the subject.

Mr. Mezvinsky not only is highly qualify to write about this subject but also have direct government and secular sources who back up the information presented in this book.

Seldom-Mentioned Facts about Judaism, Jewish Philo-Germanism, and the Origins of Polish anti-Semitism
The title of this book doesn't do justice to its content, and I will focus on matters not generally emphasized by other reviewers.

There clearly is another side to the oft-discussed historic Christian antagonism towards Jews. Citing Israeli scholars such as Bartal and Rosen, the authors comment: "Rosen included in his long article many well-documented cases of massacres of Christians and mock repetitions of the crucifixion of Jesus on Purim, most of which occurred either in the late ancient period or in the Middle Ages." (p. 116)

Many vices tacitly blamed on Christianity turn out to have been common in the pre-modern world, including in Judaism. This includes such things as the humiliation of offenders in stocks (p. 129) and intolerance towards religious dissenters, which culminated in the killings of heretics. (p. 131). So was general violence: "Until 1881 in Russia, the number of riots by Jews against other Jews probably exceeded the number of pogroms by non-Jews against Jews." (p. 132)

WWII Poles are bashed because some of them believed in God's collective punishment of Jews. And, whenever some modern Christian, no matter how obscure, suggests this, the press has a feeding frenzy. Not so for Jewish religious leaders: "Many Haredi rabbis, for example, assert that the Holocaust, including most particularly the deaths of one-and-a-half million Jewish children, was a well-deserved divine punishment, not only for all the sins of modernity and faith renunciation by many Jews, but also for the decline of Talmudic study in Europe...The Haredim believe that God punishes each Jew for his or her sins and sometimes punishes the entire Jewish community, including many who are innocent, because of the sins committed by other Jews." (p. 31)

On another topic, divergent attitudes towards Germany became a major factor antagonizing Poles and Jews. Poles usually saw Germans as their mortal enemies; Jews virtually never did, until well into the Holocaust (and then only for its duration). At the time of the Partitions, Polish Jews living in German-conquered regions of Poland became enamored by the Enlightenment tendencies of Frederic II the Great, and by the enlightened Jews centered on Berlin (p. 145). Jewish philo-Germanism continued to grow: "This situation, which endured until the rise of Nazism, made the Jews of eastern Europe strong German sympathizers and contributed to the rise of modern Polish anti-Semitism. Contrary to what Goldhagen has propagated, Jews of eastern Europe, even during World War I, regarded the Germans and the German occupying army as philo-Semitic. They had good reasons for holding this view." (p. 167). (As for the Prussian-ruled Polish Jews, they had become totally Germanized long before WWI, and had come to include some of the most vociferous opponents of the resurrection of the Polish state).
... Read more

Product Description
Spinoza's Theological-Political Treatise (1670) is one of the most important philosophical works of the early modern period. In it Spinoza discusses at length the historical circumstances of the composition and transmission of the Bible, demonstrating the fallibility of both its authors and its interpreters. He argues that free enquiry is not only consistent with the security and prosperity of a state but actually essential to them, and that such freedom flourishes best in a democratic and republican state in which individuals are left free while religious organizations are subordinated to the secular power. His Treatise has profoundly influenced the subsequent history of political thought, Enlightenment 'clandestine' or radical philosophy, Bible hermeneutics, and textual criticism more generally. It is presented here in a new translation of great clarity and accuracy by Michael Silverthorne and Jonathan Israel, with a substantial historical and philosophical introduction by Jonathan Israel. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

brilliant, edgy, playful
Spinoza wrote his Theological-Political Treatise after his Ethics as a kind of explanation, as a defense against attacks against him of heresy, as a demonstration of the philosophical principles in action which he had previously laid out in the highly theoretical Ethics, and - so it has been many times claimed -as to make his views readable to a much wider audience. The result is a highly readable, extended meditation on the history of biblical interpretation. He makes a persuasive case for the total lack of consistency among religious authorities who have laid down the law before, raising questions about their claims to having access to a true or pure understanding. In fact, his expose impresses upon the reader that every attempt at interpretation of the bible will inevitably be political. That is, no matter how well intentioned and how well informed, all attempts at interpreting the bible cannot help but be shaped by the cultural, historical, and political context of the interpretor.Of course, from the very outset of this work, Spinoza makes a concerted effort to show that all claims of prophetic authority are unfounded.

I found it particularly engaging and interesting to watch Spinoza make these incredible daring (for the time) arguments while at the same time always being careful to insist that he is a deeply religious person and that this work is -- and all his works are -- neither scandalousnor subversive. There are times when it seems like he is engaged in defensive maneuvers to save his life, and other times when his equivocal positioning seems a virtuoso act of rhetorical fencing.

This particular edition comes with Cambridge's usual high quality scholarly reference material throughout.

Radical Hermeneutics
Spinoza's TTP remains a crucial pre-enlightenment work of political/theological philosophy. Contrary to his foil, Moses Maimonedes, Spinoza attempts to provide a new and unprejudiced reading of the Old and New Testaments, so as to situate the work within the framework of naturalistic philosophy and to strip it of its spiritual biases. Spinoza concludes (much to the chagrin of his contemporaries) that miracles and prophecy are internally incoherent according to the rationalists' conception of God, and that much of the prior interpretations of the bible have failed to provide sufficient hermeneutical accounts of the historicity of biblical creation. The TTP is also a great work of political theory-and an immensely important the Hobbsian Social Contract. Philosophy is still attempting to catch up with the overwhelming radicalism of Spinozism, and this text is an invaluable precursor to the Ethics.

An Early Father of the Enlightenment
Published in 2007, this is the most recent translation of the Theological-Political Treatise by Spinoza. This is not considered his "major" work (Ethics is), but is still an enormous accomplishment for someone writing in the 17th century.

In this volume, Spinoza outlines many things regarding religion and politics, an unusual amalgam, but understandable with regard to his intent. His real intent in this work is to present reasoning for why people should have the freedom to think for themselves and not be persecuted for what they think. He argues that it is in the government's best interest to allow freedom of thought...freedom of religion. Seems like he may have had an influence on the values of the U.S. founders.

This treatise is also seen as one of the earliest cogent attempts at biblical criticism; he shows by some of the same methods used today by many biblical experts and theologians that the biblical documents have errors, contradictions, absurdities, and disputable authorship. He argues against the believability of miracles, and shows that anything called a miracle would have to be something that occurs within the natural scheme of things...not supernatural events.

Einstein said he believed in Spinoza's god. If one is not already familiar with what that is, it becomes clear after reading this volume carefully. He was a pantheist, which essentially means he just thought of nature and natural laws as god, so did not believe in a personal god. So, when he refers to god, he is not referring to the god his readers may think of, which is confusing, but understandable considering the stigma and persecution attached to such thinkers of his day.

While he talks seemingly respectfully in regard to the beliefs of the day, a careful reading will pick up on the biting sarcasm directed to the ignorant commoners and elite...with all due respect, of course. In his introduction, he makes it clear he does not intend the treatise for the eyes of the common people, but only for the educated elite, which is why he wrote it in Latin. He knew the prejudice of common beliefs, but the elite had much the same prejudices. He had to publish it anonymously as well.

This is a very important work in the history of enlightened beliefs, science, philosophy, biblical criticism, and politics. Anyone interested in that history should get this book. ... Read more

Product Description
The story of ancient Israel's rulers, from Abraham to Herod, encompasses some of the greatest events and most powerful personalities in history. Covering a span of 1,500 years, Chronicle of the Old Testament Kings charts all the leaders of Israel from the Ancestors--the physical and spiritual founders of the nation--through the united monarchy under David and Solomon, to the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, Persian and Greek rule and, finally, Roman domination. Chronicle of the Old Testament Kings searches through the mists of tradition to reveal the historical figures behind familiar names such as Moses, David, and Solomon. Did they exist? What is known about them? The rulers are placed in the context of their own world and brought vividly to life, complete with their outstanding feats and their equally notable failings. We are also introduced to less-known but fascinating figures, such as Ahab and his Ivory House; Hezekiah, who withstood the might of the Assyrians; and Judas Maccabeus, who restored Jewish independence. Although leaders of a people dedicated to God, they frequently lapsed into morally questionable behavior, resulting in criticism and censure from Prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Elijah. Key features of the book include:
* data files for every ruler, listing important information such as the meaning of their names, their lineage, wives, and children, and Bible references;
* portraits of rulers, genealogical trees, full-color maps, and illustrations taken from a huge range of sources;
* special features, including the Exodus, the Philistines, the Exile, Solomon's Temple, and the Dead Sea Scrolls;
* timelines providing at-a-glance visual guides to reigns and events.Amazon.com Review
Chronicle of the Old Testament Kings charts the riseand fall of the leaders of Israel from Abraham to Herod. The firstfounders of the nation (such as David, Solomon, and Moses) and theprophets who first judged their leadership (such as Isaiah, Jeremiah,and Elijah) are brought vividly to life, with lavish color maps, timelines, photographs of archaeological treasures, and reproductions oflater artists' imaginative renderings of each figure. These featuresalone make Chronicle of the Old Testament Kings a whiz-bangcoffee-table book. In addition, author John Rogerson, a professor ofReligious Studies at the University of Sheffield, also provides anaccessible, absorbing set of profiles of Israel's leaders. Heconsiders all of the crucial debates in biblical scholarship today:Did the earliest biblical leaders of Israel actually exist? How muchcan we know about them? And how should that historical knowledgeinfluence our reading of the Bible? Rogerson's intrepid exploration ofthese questions, presented in such a stylish volume, makesChronicle of the Old Testament Kings a valuable addition to anylibrary of books about religion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Review of Rogerson's 'Chronicle of the Old Testament Kings'
In order to enjoy this book, one must expect a very basic, biographical introduction to Biblical content. To those who have already read the Bible, this is little more than a collection of artwork. However, to one who hasn't read the Bible, it would serve well as an overview of the Bible's content, and the vivid pictures on every page serve to immerse the reader in the various biblical stories. Rogerson also considers recent archaeological theories, and discusses tensions present in biblical studies.

Good beginning point for Old Testament Chronology
If you are looking for an indepth scholarly analysis or are looking for a faithful summary of what the Bible says do not buy this book.

However, if you are looking for a basic summary of current scholarship on old testament chronology, along with lots of great photos and maps, this is a great book to buy.The text is organized well and the photos really enhance the learning experience.I bought this because I needed to get a very quick summary of the kings and I was not disappointed.I also feel more confident that I would be able to follow a more scholarly treatment of the problems in old testament chronology having read this book.

Great addition to Bible Studies Library!
True persons of faith should not fear history, they should embrace it!

This book is a wonderful addition to any biblical studies library for the ease of convenience reference it provides for the Kings of ancient Israel from Saul and David through Hosea and Zedekiah respectively.

Plus, it also includes pictures including Jehu prostrate. Signicantly, this is the only contemporaneous picture of a Judean or Samarian King and it appears here in this book along with the necessary history to place Jehu next to his Omride predecessors as well as his Judean betters (according, at least to Kings 1 and 2!).

Tuuly I didn't really appreciate Armegedon or the Temple Mount until after physically seeing them and in the same vein I didn't appreciate the relationship between these biblical leaders until seeing them in context with each other.

A wonderful read, an accessible read and a necessary part of a good bible studies library, this book is HIGHLY recommended!

Typically fine book in the T & H Chronicles group
This book is for those with open minds that are interested in the material of the ancient kings of Israel.It is not intended to be a religious or Biblical text so those who purchase it believing it is just that are going to be disappointed, offended, etc.Considering the low ratings shown here that are based on that, the potential buyer should be aware of this and that the use of the term "secular" appears to be a put down of a non-religious work that some believe should be dealt with only from a religious perspective.

I happily recommend this book.

Major Disappointment
This is a major disappointment for several reasons.The overwhelming majority of the book is a secular rehash of what is in the Bible, but with liberal scholarship and scepticism.I had really purchased the book to learn about the kings of Israel which are not recorded in the Bible, but there was little information there ... just scant references and ultra brief biographies.

I would not mind the liberal scholarship if the author had been honest enough to furnish the conservative responses and evidences, but it was obviously a one sided portrayal.

Consequently, these two reasons (too little on extra-Biblical kings and too liberally biased) I cannot recommend the book although the other Chronicle series are well worth the money.

David C., Ph.D. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the original classic work by one of America's most respected modern military historians. It is a thrilling account of six extraordinary days in June 1967 when Israel embarked on a bold, risky war of national survival-and won! Hammel decisively disproves the myth that Israel's stunning victory was a miracle or a fluke and reveals how a tiny nation was able to, in secret, develop a First-World military force that has become the envy of nations around the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

six days
the book is a tremendous step by step review, first of the development of the IDF and then the actual war.However, discussion of the Egyptian side and viwepoint and world reaction is superficial at best.Also,maps are imperative to follow the course of events.The maps in the Kindle version are unreadable.This is one book that should be read in paper

Awkward Israeli OohRa tilt
I will keep this short. The only necessary chapter to read is on the Zahal. the IDF. Much of the book depends on silly, childish praise for the realistically superior Israeli Force. So much so that it makes for pedantic reading. I do not recommend.

pretty comprehensive review of the war
The six days war is a pivital event in Middle East Politics after the second world war. Hammel provides an excellent detailed account of the war in six days in june.

Hammel splits the book into seven sections. The first is the road to war and gives a background into the origins in the conflict. Part two is entitled Zahal focusing on the Israel Defense Force. Countdown to War is part three and focuses on other armies like those of Egypt and Syria and the days leading up to the war. Part 4 deals with the war in the Sinai peninsula. Part 5 deals with Jerusalem. Partssix and seven deal with two of the most important issues of the war, the west bank and golan heights respectfully for these along with the gaza strip are a source for continuing conflict.

There are plenty of maps that help illustrate the history of the war.In addition, order of battle contains information on the different Israelicommands and forces involved.

Tactical Retelling of 1967 Six Day War
Hammel's "Six Days of War" is one of the best secondary sources available regarding the 1967 Six-Day War. It is written in a popular format rather than an academic research format although it does have extensive references and a large bibliography. The book is clearly intended for popular consumption rather than discussion of university academics. Hammel is a well-known military writer and has extensively written about WWII although this is his first foray into the volatile military environment of the Middle East.

Many read this book expecting a full account of the war including every aspect manageable: political, economic, military, etc. Hammel's specialty is military history from the tactical perspective (that is to say devoid of all but the most important political and economic factors) and this book is no exception. Hammel focuses very tightly upon analysis and retelling of the battles that occurred and the military factors that led
to them. This tendency leads Hammel to discuss the many terrorist intrusions into Israel that the Israeli military was forced to lean how to counter (a factor that contributed greatly to the effectiveness and readiness of the Israeli military), but to leave out much of the bitter inter-Arab politics preceding the 1967 Six Day War.

The book lacks footnotes, but has an excellent bibliography, which includes not only books, but periodicals and special studies. An additional bonus is a complete Order of battle for the Israeli, Egyptian, Jordanian, and Syrian forces of the 1967 Six Day War.

I definitely prefer this well-written book to but A.J. Barker's "The Arab-Israeli Wars," which shows a unsettling bias towards the Arab side of the conflict.

I highly recommend this excellent account of the 1967 Six Day War.

In addition, I recommend the 2002 "Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East" by Michael B. Oren. This book has the most up-to-date research, extensive reference, and is bound to be regarding as a classic for historians regarding the Six Day War. As much as I've characterized Hammel's "Six Days of War" as the best secondary source popular history of the war, Oren's "Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East" functions as the best secondary source academic reference of the war.

Review by: Maximillian Ben Hanan

Excellent Coverage Of A Vital Conflict.
Well written, informative account of the Six Day War and the events preceding it.

Cross border incursions into Israeli territory by Palestinian terrorists sponsored and supported by neighbouring Arab nations are outlined in some detail. The situation is very similar to that of today.

The author documents the UN situation and attitude in relation to these terrorist attacks. The UN response was muted even then.

The author documents the vastly outnumbered Israeli forces in comparison to their Arab counterparts and how the latter were supplemented by Iraqi and other Arab forces all eager to be part of the eradication of the Jewish state.

This is a must read for anyone interested in this ongoing conflict. Without the pre-emptive strike against Egyptian air power, the vastly outnumbered Israeli forces would have had their work cut out to survive a co-ordinated strike by the surrounding Arab nations. Unless you actually read the accounts from the time and the facts that then existed, it is easily to be mislead. The author has done a fine job here.

Interesting is the account of the Jordanian involvement, without which Israel clearly had no intent in re-taking the 'West Bank' (Judea & Samaria) or the Eastern section of Jerusalem. The detailed accounts of the Jordanian attack upon Israel thinking that the Egyptians had destroyed the Israeli air force, are worth reading in themselves. ... Read more

Product Description
This new Biblical Resource series reprints titles that the scholarly community regards as essential resources for the biblical thinker of today, but that have long been difficult to obtain. Chosen in consultation with an editorial board of eminent biblical scholars - Astrid B. Beck, David Noel Freedman, Harold W. Attridge, Adela Yarbro Collins, John Huehnergard, Peter Machinist, John P. Meier, Shalom M. Paul, Stanley E. Porter, and James C. VanderKam - each volume features an introduction that outlines the importance of the work and summarizes its subsequent influences. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Ancient Israel religion
This book certainly gave me much to think about.

What I did not like is the layout of the book, I am a fairly fast reader and dislike footnotes. It disrupts my reading particularly when these footnotes are references to books and articles. I much prefer them in the back out of the way.

However the contents are interesting. What the author does is discuss several issues on God and his practice in ancient Israel and discusses some of the evidence. I particularly found the discussion of Yahweh and Asherah fascinating.

A tip for any reader for this book is read the introduction and then the conclusion at the end of each chapter first. Then absorb it. Then read the chapter. Otherwise you may like me get confused about the discussion in the chapter.

Respected Authority on the Old Testament
The author does not start with the premise that there is no god, or there never was a such thing as the Israelites. This makes it user friendly to Christians.
I believe the author is of a very high stature in knowledge and judgment concerning that which he writes of. I feel confident in his recommendations for who he thinks are good sources that the reader can use to do further study. I respect his opinion enough to be able to use names of books and authors I find in this book to guide me through subsequent book purchases.

History of God
Very informative and I learned a lot however it is way over my head. Good book for someone uninformed about the subject as long as they do not get bogged down in the details. I am inadequate to review the information or competence of the information.

Scholarly Treatment
This book is extremely heavily footnoted and reads like an article in a scholarly journal. On many pages the footnotes cover nearly the entire page. Most of the footnotes are not discussions but reference after reference after reference to other works. Not for the layman.

The Early History of God: Yahweh and the Other Deities in Ancient Israel (Biblical Resource Series)
The book is useful because it brings many information about archeoloy findings and hidden references in Bible about the other gods from Israel. However, the author does not structure the hidden references or archeology findings over the time showing the evolution of devotion in different phases of Israel history. ... Read more

Product Description
This pioneering study wrestles with the perpetual problem of chronology inthe Books of Kings. Starting from the conservative assumptions that the courtsof Israel and Judah maintained regnal records, and that these for the mostpart accurately reflect regnal length, the author arrives at a new andpersuasive dating for the reigns and their synchronisms.In addition, his chronological scheme includes all points of contact betweenIsrael and Judah and external powers, especially Assyria. The result is one ofthe most responsible and yet most critical chronologies proposed to date, andwill be the standard chronological reference for the next decade, if notlonger. ... Read more

Product Description
This book provides a detailed study of the fortifications of the founders of Ancient Israel from the time of their first settlement in the Middle East, through the periods of the united and divided kingdoms, until the sack of Jersualem in 586 BC. It begins in the period of Israelite settlement in the First Iron Age period (1200-1000 BC). The extensive fortifications created by the famous kings Saul, David and Solomon are covered, including Gibeah, Jerusalem, Megiddo, Hazor and Gezer, which are described in the Bible. The period of the Divided Monarchy saw the creation of two separate political entities: the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. The enemies the two kingdoms faced in this period included Moab, Edom, the Arameans as well as the mighty empires of Assyria, Babylonia and Egypt. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good Timing
Book was in perfect shape and shipping time was better than expected.Thanks Amazon! ... Read more

Product Description
These two volumes were written on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Bank of Israel. They recount the monetary history of Israel from 1948, when the country was established (and before) to the present day. Volume I retells Israel's monetary history, analyzes the background of the developments mentioned above, and describes the difficulties in regaining monetary control in recent years. This volume also provides an analytical framework to help understand the monetary developments in the inflationary era and in the disinflation process. ... Read more

Product Description
-- A ForeWord Magazine "Book of the Year" Finalist--

Why does Hamas refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the state of Israel? Why do Israeli settlers in the West Bank insist that Israel has a legitimate right to that territory? What makes the Israeli-Palestinian conflict so intractable? Reflecting both Israeli and Palestinian points of view, this provocative volume addresses the two powerful, bitterly contested, competing historical narratives that underpin the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Compelling contributions by Israeli and Palestinian authors show how the intertwined reckonings of the historical past--history's double helix--provide powerful ammunition for current battles. Just when a resolution of the conflict might seem to be on the horizon, the gulf of history resurges to separate the contenders. Palestinians and Israelis remain locked in struggle, tightly entangled and enveloped by a historical cocoon of growing complexity, fundamental disagreement, and overriding miscalculation.

This book creates a dialogue among Palestinian and Israeli authors, who examine opposing versions of the historical narratives in the context of contemporary Israeli-Palestinian relations. In hard-hitting essays the contributors debate the two justifying and rationalizing constructions, laying bare the conflict's roots and the distorted prisms that fuel it. Israeli and Palestinian Narratives of Conflict is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to make sense of today's headlines. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

On the wrong track
Narratives of conflict?

What's that supposed to mean?Does it mean that some folks have a bunch of anecdotes which they use to present a somewhat misleading picture of reality while others have a bunch of anecdotes which they use to present a horribly misleading picture of reality?

What we need are truths, not "narratives."

Yes, a bunch of people who committed crimes and fought as aggressors have "narratives."But that does not negate the reality of what happened.Sure, those families in the American South who fought to deny human rights to Black slaves have a narrative.And they suffered.But that would not get me or any other honest person to consider the emancipation of the slaves a catastrophe! The emancipation of the slaves was a triumph for human rights that has been a benefit to society as a whole.The victory over National Socialism was a similar triumph.The lifting of the siege of Jerusalem in 1948 was another such triumph.If we instead call it (or the existence of human rights for Jews in Israel) a "catastrophe," we're being both insulting and dishonest.And I think that some of the contributors in this book are encouraging such dishonesty.

In order to reduce strife, I think we do need to focus on truth.But that is not the same thing as accepting lies!I know that it is very difficult to admit that one is wrong if one wants to fight.But it is also difficult to admit that one is right if one wants to be diplomatic.And I think we need to strive to be more honest, and value truth whether one has been right or wrong.

There are some things in this book that I did find interesting.Mordechai Bar-On had some things to say about Israel from his perspective, and reasons why such people as Flapan or Zertal are unlikely to be taken seriously by most Israelis.In addition, he makes the excellent point that some Arabs like Israeli revisionist history because they feel it admits the truth of some Arab claims (I might call it the truth of some Arab falsehoods).Instead, he thinks that Arabs ought to see it as a call to try some revisionist history of their own, and reconsider some of the more dubious things they've tended to agree upon in the past.

Does this one good point make the book worth two stars rather than one?Definitely not.Its entire theme is no good.

It's hard to hear the other side
This is a very useful book for anyone who wants to understand the roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.Each side tells the story in a way that blends fact, emotion, and a particular point of view.It's hard to build relationships with others when we don't have an understanding of how differently they view reality. ... Read more