This book surveys four thousand years of pottery production and presents totally unexpected fresh information, using technical and analytical methods. It provides a study of ancient pottery of Jerusalem, from the earliest settlement to the medieval city and brings to light important aspects that cannot be discovered by the commonly accepted morphological pottery descriptions. Thus, third millennium BCE pottery appears to have been produced by nomadic families, mb ceramics were made by professional potters in the Wadi Refaim, the pottery market of the IA.II pottery cannot be closely dated and is still produced during the first centuries after the exile. The new shapes are made by Greek immigrant potters. The book contains a chapter on the systematics of ceramic studies and numerous notes about the potters themselves. H. J. Franken is Emeritus Professor at the State University Leiden, The Netherlands.

The Book of the Dead was intended to assist the deceased in the afterlife and comprised a collection of hymns, spells and instructions to allow the deceased to pass through obstacles in the afterlife.

The World of the Aramaeans is a three-volume collection of definitive essays about the Aramaeans and the biblical world of which they were a part The World of the Aramaeans is a three-volume collection of definitive essays about the Aramaeans and the biblical world of which they were a part. Areas of interest include the language, epigraphy and history of the Aramaeans of Syria as well of their neighbours, the Israelites, Phoenicians, Ammonites, Moabites and Edomites. The second volume, devoted to history and archaeology, includes contributions by Brian Peckham, Wolfgang Rollig, Carl S. Ehrlich, Guy Couturier, Stafania Mazzoni, Timothy P. Harrison, Michael Heltzer, John S. Holladay Jr., Michele Daviau, Paolo Xella, Emile Puech, Piotr Bienkowski, Bezalel Porten and John Gee.

BOOKS AND READERS IN ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME by FREDERIC G. KENYON. Originally published in 1932. PREFACE: THIS book is the outcome of a course of three lectures which I was invited by the University of London to deliver at King's College in March 1932. The material has been slightly expanded, but the general scale of treatment has not been altered. It does not claim to replace the standard works on ancient book-production, but to supple ment them, and that especially with regard to the period during which papyrus was the principal material in use. It is in respect of this period that our knowledge has increased in the course of the last two generations. The object of this book is to bring together and make available for students the results of these discoveries. In particular, use has been made of the remarkable collection of papyrus codloss . recently acquired by Mr. A. Chester Beatty, which has greatly extended our knowledge of this transitional form of book, which appears to have had a special vogue among the Christian community in Egypt. Although the subject of the book is primarily bibliographical, namely, the methods of book-con struction from the date of Homer ( whenever that may have been) until the supersession of papyrus. . in the fourth centur f yJLera ne of vi Preface its main objects has been to show the bearings of the material and form of books on literary history and criticism, and to consider what new light has been thrown by recent research on the origin and growth of the habit of reading in ancient Greece and Rome. F. G. K. Contents include: I. THE USE OF BOOKS IN ANCIENT GREECE i II. THE PAPYRUS ROLL . . . .38 III. BOOKS AND READING AT ROME . 73 IV. VELLUM AND THECODEX . . . 86 APPENDIX 120 INDEX . . . . . .134 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS A poetess with tablets. and stylus. Naples Museum-Photograph, Anderson . . . Facing page 16 A papyrus roll open. British Museum . 40 Papyrus roll before opening. British Museum 48 Teacher and students with rolls. Treves Museum. Photograph, Giraudon . . . Facing page 56 A book-box ( capsa) containing rolls with sillybi page 59 A reader holding a roll of papyrus . . 64 Roman inkpots. British Museum . Facing page 74 Roman pens and styli. British Museum 80 A papyrus codex. Heidelberg University Between pages 88 and 89. THE USE OF BOOKS IN ANCIENT GREECE. UNTIL within a comparatively recent period, which may be measured by the lifetime of persons still living, our information with regard to the physical formation and the habitual use of books in ancient Greece and Rome was singularly scanty. Our ancestors were dependent on casual allusions in Greek and Latin authors, intelligible enough to those for whom they were written, but not intended for the information of distant ages, and in no case amounting to formal descriptions.

In this volume, Julius Bewer attempts to construct a coherent history of the tramsission of the New Testament documents in the early Syriac tradition.

This is the first book-length study in English of the Byzantine emperor Basil II. Basil II, later known as 'Bulgar-slayer', is famous for his military conquests and his brutal intimidation of domestic foes. Catherine Holmes considers the problems Basil faced in governing a large, multi-ethnic empire, which stretched from southern Italy to Mesopotamia. Her close focus on the surviving historical narratives, above all the Synopsis Historion of John Skylitzes, reveals a Byzantium governed as much by persuasion as coercion. This book will appeal to those interested in Byzantium before the Crusades, the governance of pre-modern empires, and the methodology of writing early medieval political history.

Philip and Alexander of Macedon transformed a weak kingdom in northern Greece into a globe-spanning empire. In so doing, they changed the course of history. By the end of his short life, Alexander the Great had eclipsed the power of Persia, crossed the Hindu Kush and marched into what is now Pakistan, redrawing the map of the ancient world to create an empire that stretched from the Adriatic Sea to the Indian subcontinent. But his success was not just the product of his own genius and restless energy, it was built on decades of effort by his father. History has portrayed Philip II of Macedon as an old man, one-eyed and limping, whose convenient assassination allowed Alexander the Great to come to power. However, there was far more to him than this. Through decades of hard fighting and clever diplomacy, Philip unified his country and conquered Greece. His son inherited all of this at the perfect moment and age for him to chance his luck and win greater glory. Between them, Philip and Alexander played a key role in spreading Greek language and culture over a vast area, the consequences of which were many and profound, for it led to the New Testament being written in Greek, and a Greek-speaking 'Roman' empire surviving in the eastern Mediterranean for a thousand years after the last emperor to rule from Italy. As authoritative as it is accessible, Philip and Alexander is the latest in a much-praised sequence of essential ancient histories from Adrian Goldsworthy; it is the work of a master historian at the peak of his powers. Praise for Philip and Alexander: 'A thrilling read, as sweeping as Alexander's conquests' TOM HOLLAND 'Sterling scholarship, engaging prose, insightful analysis and unbiased assessment' VICTOR DAVID HANSON 'History-writing at its best. Expert, fluent and vivid' BARRY STRAUSS

This sourcebook presents a wealth of material relating to every aspect of Roman spectacles, especially gladiatorial combat and chariot racing.
Draws on the words of eye-witnesses and participants, as well as depictions of the games in mosaics and other works of art.
Offers snapshots of "a day at the games" and "the life of a gladiator."
Includes numerous illustrations.
Covers chariot-races, water pageants, naval battles and wild animal fights, as well as gladiatorial combat.
Combines political, social, religious and archaeological perspectives.
Facilitates an in-depth understanding of this important feature of ancient life.

This book is a study of a colourful Athenian Politician of the fourth century BC, Apollodoros the son of Pasion. It provides the first full-length treatment of his career and of the seven law-court speeches he delivered, which have come down to us attributed - wrongly - to the famous orator Demosthenes. These speeches, which are our main source of information about Apollodoros, not only tell us about his political career but also illuminate Athenian banking and social attitudes, since his father had risen from servile origins to become a very wealthy banker and, ultimately, an Athenian citizen. Dr Trevett also considers the authenticity, style, and rhetorical technique of the speeches, and argues conclusively that they were all written by the same author, who was probably Apollodoros himself. At the same time, he shows that the speeches were composed with considerably more skill than has generally been recognized.

Harle focuses on the perennial issue of social order by providing a comparative analysis of ideas on social order in the classical Chinese political philosophy, the Indian epic and political literature, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, the classical Greek and Roman political thought, and early Christianity. His analysis is based on the religious, political, and literary texts that represent their respective civilizations as both their major achievements and sources of shared values.

Harle maintains that two major approaches to establishing and maintaining social order exist in all levels and types of social relations: moral principles and political power. According to the principle-oriented approaches, social order will prevail if and when people follow strict moral principles. According to the contending power-oriented approach, orderly relations can only be based on the application of power by the ruler over the ruled. The principle-oriented approaches introduce a comprehensive civil society of individuals; the power-oriented approaches give major roles to the city-state, its government and relationships between them. The question of morality can be recognized also within the power-oriented approaches which either submit politics to morality or maintain that politics must be taken as nothing else than politics. This book is a contribution to peace and international studies as well as political theory and international relations.

Published over a period of 20 years the essays collected together in this volume all relate to the lasting human preoccupation with cosmological matters and modern responses to them. The eclecticism of the typical medieval scholar might now seem astonishing, regrettable, amusing, or derisory, according to one's view of how rigid intellectual barriers should be. In Stars, Fate & Mind North argues that we will seriously misunderstand ancient and medieval thought if we are not prepared to share a willingness to look across such frontiers as those dividing astrology from ecclesiastical history, biblical chronology from astronomy, and angelic hierarchies from the planetary spheres, theology from the theory of the continuum, celestial laws from terrestrial, or the work of the clockmaker from the work of God himself, namely the universe. Surveying the work of such controversial scholars as Alexander Thom and Immanuel Velikovsky this varied volume brings together current scholarship on cosmology, and as the title suggest considers the confluence of matters of the stars, fate and the mind. The collection is accompanied by further commentary from the author and new illustrations.

Women have had their place in history, but none have created as much of an impact as the classical Amazon warriors of Ancient Greece. An entire culture whose foundation was based on an all-female society, the Amazons were both industrious and intelligent as they participated in warfare, founded cities, and kept a peaceful and productive way of life. Author A.P. Bristol has put together his findings that trace the Amazons and other peripheral cultures of women warriors in ancient history, possibly as far back as 2000 B.C.E. Astoundingly well-written with helpful references to other authors and websites, Amazon Warriors gives a fascinating look into an amazing and unique culture.

Egyptologist Gerald Massey challenged readers in A Book of the Beginnings to consider the argument that Egypt was the birthplace of civilization and that the widespread monotheistic vision of man and the metaphysical was, in fact, based on ancient Egyptian mythos. In The Natural Genesis, Massey delivers a sequel, delving deeper into his compelling polemic. Volume II provides detailed discourse on the Egyptian origin of the delicate components of the monotheistic creed. With his agile prose, Massey leads an adventurous examination of the epistemology of astronomy, time, and Christology-and what it all means for human culture. British author GERALD MASSEY (1828-1907) published works of poetry, spiritualism, Shakespearean criticism, and theology, but his best-known works are in the realm of Egyptology, including A Book of the Beginnings and Ancient Egypt: The Light of the World.

'Ferrara's book is an introduction to writing as a process of revelation, but it's also a celebration of these things still undeciphered, and many other tantalising mysteries besides.' The Spectator This book tells the story of our greatest invention. Or, it almost does. Almost, because while the story has a beginning - in fact, it has many beginnings, not only in Mesopotamia, 3,100 years before the birth of Christ, but also in China, Egypt and Central America - and it certainly has a middle, one that snakes through the painted petroglyphs of Easter Island, through the great machines of empires and across the desks of inspired, brilliant scholars, the end of the story remains to be written. The invention of writing allowed humans to create a record of their lives and to persist past the limits of their lifetimes. In the shadows and swirls of ancient inscriptions, we can decipher the stories they sought to record, but we can also tease out the timeless truths of human nature, of our ceaseless drive to connect, create and be remembered. The Greatest Invention chronicles an uncharted journey, one filled with past flashes of brilliance, present-day scientific research and the faint, fleeting echo of writing's future. Professor Silvia Ferrara, a modern-day adventurer who travels the world studying ancient texts, takes us along with her; we touch the knotted, coloured strings of the Incan khipu and consider the case of the Phaistos disk. Ferrara takes us to the cutting edge of decipherment, where high-powered laser scanners bring tears to an engineer's eye, and further still, to gaze at the outline of writing's future. The Greatest Invention lifts the words off every page and changes the contours of the world around us - just keep reading. 'The Greatest Invention is a celebration not of achievements, but of moments of illumination and "the most important thing in the world: our desire to be understood".' TLS