This work comprises several studies dealing with the society, economy, ideology and power among the mainly tribal, semi-pastoral communities living and moving around the southern arid margins of the southern Levant, particularly the Negev desert, southern Transjordan (ancient Edom) and north-eastern Sinai during the first millennium BCE. All studies revolve around a central concept: the phenomenon of tribalism. In few words, tribalism constituted the framework around which were structured the local groups' social institutions, economy, politics and ideology. Key topics such as the manufacture and circulation of local ceramics, the exploitation and trade of copper and incense, the local socio-political fluctuations and emergence of local chiefdoms, and the ideology of kinship and segmentation are studied under this light.

This volume brings together the work of scholars using various methodologies to investigate the prevalence, importance, and meanings of feasting and foodways in the texts and cultural-material environments of the Hebrew Bible and the ancient Near East. Thus, it serves as both an introduction to and explication of this emerging field. The offerings range from the third-millennium Early Dynastic period in Mesopotamia to the rise of a new cuisine in the Islamic period and transverse geographical locations such as southern Iraq, Syria, the Aegean, and especially the southern Levant. The strength of this collection lies in the many disciplines and methodologies that come together. Texts, pottery, faunal studies, iconography, and anthropological theory are all accorded a place at the table in locating the importance of feasting as a symbolic, social, and political practice. Various essays showcase both new archaeological methodologies-zooarchaeological bone analysis and spatial analysis-and classical methods such as iconographic studies, ceramic chronology, cultural anthropology, and composition-critical textual analysis.

'Breaking Monotheism' makes the case that the failed vision of a theocratic utopia in the biblical texts has contributed (in a structural sense) to the exclusionary focus of monotheistic religion. Using the Persian province Yehud as its primary case study, it embodies a special focus on the interaction between religion and the social-political body in several important areas.

In 2002 a burial box of skeletal remains purchased anonymously from the black market was identified as the ossuary of James, the brother of Jesus. Transformed by the media into a religious and historical relic overnight, the artifact made its way to the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, where 100,000 people congregated to experience what had been prematurely and hyperbolically billed as the closest tactile connection to Jesus yet unearthed. Within a few months, however, the ossuary was revealed to be a forgery. Resurrecting the Brother of Jesus offers a critical evaluation of the popular and scholarly reception of the James Ossuary as it emerged from the dimness of the antiquities black market to become a Protestant relic in the media's custody. The volume brings together experts in Jewish archaeology, early Christianity, American religious history, and pilgrimage to explore the theory and practice couched in the debate about the object's authenticity. Contributors explore the ways in which the varying popular and scholarly responses to the ossuary phenomenon inform the presumption of religious meaning; how religious categories are created, vetted, and used for various purposes; and whether the history of pious frauds in America can help to illuminate this international episode. Resurrecting the Brother of Jesus also contributes to discussions about the construction of religious studies as an academic discipline and the role of scholars as public interpreters of discoveries with religious significance. Contributors: Thomas S. Bremer, Rhodes College Ryan Byrne, Menifee, California Byron R. McCane, Wofford College Bernadette McNary-Zak, Rhodes College Milton Moreland, Rhodes College Jonathan L. Reed, University of La Verne

The period of the demise of the kingdom of Judah at the end of the 6th century B.C.E., the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians, the exile of the elite to Babylon, and the reshaping of the territory of the new province of Judah, culminating at the end of the century with the first return of exiles-all have been subjects of intense scrutiny during the last decade. Lipschits takes into account the biblical textual evidence, the results of archaeological research, and the reports of Babylonian and Egyptian sources and provides a comprehensive survey and analysis of the evidence for the history of this 100-year-long era. He provides a lucid historical survey that will, no doubt, become the baseline for all future studies of this era.

The nature of historical and archaeological research is such that biblical and archaeological evidence should both be taken into account so that we can attain a more reliable reconstruction of ancient Israel. Nowadays we are faced with numerous reconstructions which are very often diametrically opposed to each other owing to the different assumptions of scholars. An examination of certain issues of epistemology in the current climate of postmodernism, shows that the latter is self-defeating when it claims that we cannot attain any true knowledge about the past. Illustrations are taken from the history of pre-exilic Israel; however, the indissoluble unity of text and artefact is made clearer and more concrete through a detailed case study about the location of the house of Rahab as depicted in Joshua 2: 15, irrespective of whether this text is historical or not. Text and artefact should work hand in hand even when narratives turn out to be fictional, since thus there emerges a clearer picture of the external world which the author would have had in mind.

Because of their significance in everyday life in ancient Egypt, this works provides a specific lexicography of terms with textual and bibliographical references to cattle, sheep and goats. In ancient Egypt there were many words to indicate cattle, sheep and goats, and the same term can often represent different meanings. These variations depend on the genre and the dating of the texts and where the term appears. To classify and analyse the different writings and the etymology of the words for these domesticated animals, the author of this research examines Egyptian documents from the Old Kingdom to the Greek-Roman Period and then considers the specific and derived meanings. The work concludes with a general synthesis of current studies on cattle, sheep and goats.

Hierapolis (Phrygia) is located in Turkey in the territory of Pamukkale-Denizli. The city was known in antiquity for the cult of Cyble, patron goddess of the colony since its foundation. Hierapolis experienced a period of extraordinary prosperity both economically and politically throughout the 2nd century A.D. and into the early years of the 3rd century A.D., corresponding to the phase of monumentalization of the city. On the hill overlooking the east of the city is an imposing octagonal building, built in the late 4th and early 5th centuries A.D, erected as a 'martyrion' in honour of Saint Philip. Among other key monuments of this important ancient city, this study concentrates on the martyrion with the main objective of increasing knowledge of the building from an architectural point of view and aimed at retrieving a data set useful for planning a future restoration project. In addition, an aim of the research was to contribute to the knowledge of religious architecture between the 4th and 6th centuries in Asia Minor within the field of the history of late antique architecture. Most of the work was dedicated to the realization of plans and prospects which have allowed detailed analysis of each part of the building. It is hoped this work on the topographical-historical framework of Hierapolis will contribute to the study of similar architectural structures by presenting a seriation of masonry structures and technical solutions applicable also to other regions.

Aimed primarily at Egyptologists and archaeologists, this book covers all aspects of craftwork in ancient Egypt, from the construction of the pyramids and the carving of statues to techniques of mummification, boat-building, jewelery making, ancient brewing, carpentry, hairstyling, tailoring and basket weaving. Drawing on archaeological, experimental, ethnographic and laboratory work, it is the first book since the 1920s to describe current research into the actual basics of life in Pharaonic Egypt. The twenty-five chapters, by well-regarded scholars, present up-to-date and accessible information on a wide array of techniques.

In the 6th century BCE, Jerusalem and Judea were destroyed by the Babylonians. This traumatic event created the need to construct and articulate a comprehensive past that would give meaningful context to the identity of the Israelites. New modes of communal organization and worship during this period formed the foundation of Second Temple Jerusalem and early Christianity. Readers will be able to revisit familiar Bible stories and reach a better understanding of these events through the lens of modern archaeology. Archaeology and the Biblical Record challenges traditional views of the scripture while respecting the religious sensitivities of the reader. This bold text invites both Jewish and Christian biblical scholars to rethink basic assumptions and reformulate their instructional methods. Accessible and concise, this fresh look at Bible history is written for teachers, members of the clergy, and general readers, providing answers to the many historical dilemmas confronted in the course of studying the Bible. Please visit www.factorfictionthebible.com for more information.

Originally published in 1968, this volume is being reissued to make the entire series available to students and scholars of biblical and post-biblical Judaism and early Christianity.

Originally published 1961, this volume is being reissued to make the entire series available to students and scholars of biblical and post-biblical Judaism and early Christianity. A companion volume contains the plates found in the original one-volume publication.

Ancient Egypt, with its spectacular temples and tombs, its history, gods, and legends, has enticed the human imagination for centuries. This fascination--and the irresistible drive to unearth the buried secrets of a lost civilization--have been the life work of archaeologist Donald P. Ryan. "Beneath the Sands of Egypt" is the gripping first-person account of a real-life "Indiana Jones" as he recalls a career spent delving into the remains of Egypt's past--including his headline-making rediscovery of a lost tomb in the Valley of the Kings containing the mummy of the famous female pharaoh Hatshepsut.

Infused with the irrepressible curiosity and the incomparable wonder of discovery that have fueled Ryan's lifelong journey, "Beneath the Sands of Egypt" is the extraordinary story of a man who has always embraced adventure whenever--and wherever--he finds it.

The nature of historical and archaeological research is such that biblical and archaeological evidence should both be taken into account so that we can attain a more reliable reconstruction of ancient Israel. Nowadays we are faced with numerous reconstructions which are very often diametrically opposed to each other owing to the different assumptions of scholars. An examination of certain issues of epistemology in the current climate of postmodernism, shows that the latter is self-defeating when it claims that we cannot attain any true knowledge about the past.
Illustrations are taken from the history of pre-exilic Israel; however, the indissoluble unity of text and artefact is made clearer and more concrete through a detailed case study about the location of the house of Rahab as depicted in Joshua 2: 15, irrespective of whether this text is historical or not. Text and artefact should work hand in hand even when narratives turn out to be fictional, since thus there emerges a clearer picture of the external world which the author would have had in mind.

This volume is a study of the tombs of officials in the Theban necropolis, now lost, but documented in the manuscripts of travelers to Egypt in the early and mid 19th century. One such traveler was the accomplished draftsman Robert Hay, who made unpublished facsimile drawings which have been re-drawn by the author Lise Manniche for this book. The descriptions and drawings are used to reconstruct the decoration of tomb chapels in the Theban necropolis and to assess their ownership and place in history. The book also examines fragments of relevant wall decorations found in museums and other collections.

In his illuminating, well-researched book examining the site of Et-Tell, also known as Bethsaida, Carl E. Savage explores archaeological evidence to offer readers a portrait of the religious beliefs and practices of the community living near the north shore of the Sea of Galilee during the first century CE. In the study of the cultural and social matrix of the first century in the Galilee, scholars have commonly prioritized written sources over archaeological evidence because written sources seem to contribute more directly to an understanding of the religious beliefs and practices of a community. However, there exist many competing views of the landscape during that time due to the varying interpretations of the textual sources. Using archaeological data from Bethsaida itself, Savage investigates the material practices of Bethsaida's ancient inhabitants, describing these practices as significant indicators of their sense of place both ideologically and geographically. He evaluates the historical plausibility of various social reconstructions for the region, and finds that the image that emerges of first-century Bethsaida is one similar to those of other Jewish communities in the Galilee.

Outlining the major political and cultural events, A History of Ancient Egypt is an authoritative and accessible introduction to this fascinating ancient culture. * An accessible chronological narrative that draws on a range of historical sources * Offers an up-to-date survey of ancient Egypt s history from its origins to its domination by the Roman Empire * Considers social and economic life and the rich culture of ancient Egypt * Places Egypt s history within its regional context, detailing interactions with Asia and Africa * Engages students with various perspectives on a range of critical issues with the Key Debate section included in each chapter * Makes the latest discoveries and scholarship accessible to a wide audience

A fully photographed catalogue of 18 shabtis in the Egyptian Museum, Florence with military titles. Each entry contains a description of the shabti and a transcription, translation and commentary on the title. Italian text.

This volume focuses on the reconstruction of household organization during the Iron II period at Tell Halif. It centers in particular on one four-room, pillared-type building located in Area F7 of Field IV and on its remains, which were sealed in a massive destruction that eclipsed the site in the late eighth century B.C.E. This study was first prepared as a Ph.D. dissertation for the Department of Near Eastern Studies at the University of Arizona (Hardin 2001) and has since been amplified and embellished by further research. Published here are the results of research deliberately designed by the author to provide for more complete recovery and detailed recording in the field of all artifacts and other remains within a special refined three-dimensional grid matrix. These data in turn established a framework for studying the formation processes active on the materials and for conducting a spatial analysis of the assemblages in the building. Along with developing ethnographic and ethnoarchaeological inferences, these techniques are used to identify activities, activity areas, and social organization related to the building, ultimately defining an "archaeological household" consisting of the pillared dwelling and its occupants. Finally, these conclusions are also related to reconstructions of the Iron II-period household suggested by Hebrew Bible sources.

Despite major movements for change, in practice archaeologists still pursue the past to the exclusion of the present inhabitants of archaeological landscapes. Archaeological archives hold a key to the formation of archaeology as a separate study, but they may be overlooked in current debates on ethics in archaeology and anthropology. This study focuses on the great archive that records the work of Flinders Petrie in Egypt, first in 1880-1882 under a nationalist government, and then during the English military occupation that lasted from 1882 until after his death in 1942. The archive brings to life the main Egyptian supervisors who enabled Petrie to function as an archaeologist, while payroll lists record the names of hundreds more men and children on the full labour force. None of these Egyptians have received recognition as an archaeologist in history-writing, foreign or Egyptian. This archival ground offers a new open resource to those within Egypt and elsewhere opposed to the neo-colonial regime of the disciplines.

The Nile and its People is an ambitious title, covering 7000 years of Egyptian history, from the time of the first settlers in Egypt through to the modern day, with the Nile being the constant element throughout. Changes through history of the culture and people are reflected in how the river was seen and used. As their manipulation and exploitation of the Nile improved so did their economy. Follow the journey of the Nile thus far: from the attraction it held for early settlers and how it affected their living methods; through the pharaonic period and how it was used politically; to the nineteenth-century industrial age and its role as a centre for tourism. Speculate as to what changes will shape the future of Egypt and her culture. Whatever the age, this important and peaceful body of water will be a constant presence through the centre of the landscape forever.

In the cemeteries of Graeco-Roman Alexandria in Egypt, archaeological investigations initiated more than a century ago discovered various water systems adapted for specific funerary purposes. From the foundation of the city in 332 B.C. to the third century A.C., over fifty hydraulic installations have been noted within the records of Alexandria itself and its vicinity. From a corpus that inventories the hydraulic structures identified to this day in the archaeological literature, the different water management systems are described and reasons put forward to explain the presence of these devices (wells, cisterns, basins, etc.). The results show that the cemeteries should not just be considered as a cities for the dead but also as places of rebirth and life. Some of the devices discovered within the funerary context have echoes in the libation systems already known in the Mediterranean and lead towards an evaluation, from textual and iconographical documents, of the role of water in the offerings to the Alexandrian dead. French text.

Building on the latest research, Wolfram Grajetzki here looks in detail at the circle of officials that surrounded the king in the Middle Kingdom of ancient Egypt (Eleventh to Thirteenth Dynasty, also including the Second Intermediate Period; c. 2040-1550 BC). Describing the history of the principal offices of state, he takes into account inscriptions, monuments and the few preserved tombs, and traces the careers of some individual officials. The holders of these offices were the men chosen by the king to be his close advisers. They received strings of important titles, and their monuments are among the finest works of art and architecture of the time. Over all the other officials and second only to the king stood the 'tjaty', or vizier, while alongside him and of only slightly lower status, the treasurer was in charge of the resources of the country. From the evidence for these men, a new, more precise image emerges of ancient Egyptian civilization in its monumental accomplishments and its daily operations. "Court Officials of the Middle Kingdom" is essential reading for all scholars and students of the period. The text is copiously illustrated with drawings by Paul Whelan.

Many of our religious beliefs are based upon faith alone, but archaeology gives us the opportunity to find evidence about what really happened in the past-evidence that can have a dramatic impact on what we believe and how we understand the Bible today. Archaeologist and rabbi Richard Freund takes readers through many of his own excavations in the Holy Land, searching for information about key biblical characters and events.

This volume is the first in a planned series of reports on the investigations of the Lahav Research Project (LRP) at Tell Halif, located near Kibbutz Lahav in southern Israel. The LRP has focused widely on stratigraphic, environmental, and ethnographic problems related to the history of settlement at Tell Halif and in its immediate surroundings, from prehistoric through modern times. It is fitting that this LRP series begins by focusing on remains from Site 101, which was the first location excavated by the team in 1973. This initial effort involved investigation of a warren of shallow caves that had been exposed by efforts to widen the road into the kibbutz. In this volume, J. P. Dessel reports on the excavation undertaken at Site 101 during Phase II and is also supplemented by his later research. The excavation itself was guided throughout by Dessel's determination to require the total retrieval of all ceramic remains. It was his rigorous follow-through on all details involved in the analysis of materials that produced the pioneering results herein presented. Readers will find the book important for the archaeology and history of the southern Levant in the 4th millennium B.C.E. as well as for connections between the Levant and surrounding regions in that era.