Table of Contents

Contents

Introductionnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Jonathan S. Greer, John W. Hilber, and John H. Walton
Part One: Elements of the Drama
I. The Stage: Historical Geography
1. Introduction to Historical Geographynbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Paul H. Wright
2. Regions and Routes in the Levantnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Carl G. Rasmussen
3. Climate and Environment of the Levantnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Elizabeth Arnold
4. Plants and Animals of the Land of Israelnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Daniel Fuks and Nimrod Marom
II. The Sets and Props: Archaeology
5. Introduction to Biblical Archaeologynbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Seymour Gitin
6. Archaeology of the Late Bronze Agenbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Joe Uziel
7. Archaeology of the Iron Age Inbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Aren M. Maeir
8. Archaeology of the Iron Age IInbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Amihai Mazar
9. Archaeology of the Neo-Babylonian and Persian Periodsnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Constance E. C. Gane
10. Archaeology of the Hellenistic Periodnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Jordan Ryan
III. The Scripts: Ancient Near Eastern Literature
11. Introduction to Ancient Near Eastern Literaturenbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Adam E. Miglio
12. Hebrew Inscriptionsnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Judith M. Hadley
13. Mesopotamian Literaturenbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Dave C. Deuel
14. Egyptian Literaturenbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Nili Shupak
15. Hittite Literaturenbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Alice Mouton
16. Northwest Semitic Inscriptionsnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Margaret E. Cohen
17. Ugaritic Literaturenbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;William D. Barker
18. Early Jewish Literaturenbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Ryan Stokes
IV. The Frames: Ancient Near Eastern Iconography
19. Introduction to Ancient Near Eastern Iconographynbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Izak Cornelius
20. Egyptian Iconographynbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Laura Wright
21. Mesopotamian and Anatolian Iconographynbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Daniel Bodi
22. Canaanite/Israelite Iconographynbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Brent A. Strawn
Part Two: Acts and Scenes of the Drama
V. Acts: Integrated Approaches to Broad Historical Contexts
23. The Ancestral Periodnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Richard S. Hess
24. The Egyptian Sojourn and the Exodusnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;David A. Falk
25. The Settlement Periodnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Pekka Pitkauml;nen
26. The United Monarchynbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Steven M. Ortiz
27. The Divided Monarchy: Israelnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Jens Bruun Kofoed
28. The Divided Monarchy: Judahnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Eric L. Welch
29. The Exile and the Exilic Communitiesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Deirdre N. Fulton
30. Persian Period Yehudnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Kenneth A. Ristau
31. The Maccabean Revolt and the Hasmonean Kingdomnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Joel Willitts
VI. Scenes: Integrated Approaches to Event-Based Historical Contexts
32. Akhenaten and the Amarna Periodnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Mark D. Janzen
33. The Late Bronze Age Collapse and the Sea Peoples' Migrationsnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Gregory D. Mumford
34. Sheshonq's Levantine Conquest and Biblical Historynbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Yigal Levin
35. The Battle of Qarqar and Assyrian Aspirationsnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Mark W. Chavalas
36. The Mesha Inscription and Relations with Moab and Edomnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Juan Manuel Tebes
37. The Tell Dan Inscription, Jehu's Revolt, and Aramaean Campaigns in Israel and Judahnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;K.nbsp;Lawson Younger Jr.
38. Sennacherib's Invasion of Judah and Neo-Assyrian Expansionnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Kyle H. Keimer
39. Eighth-Century Levantine Earthquakes and Natural Disastersnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Ryan N. Roberts
40. The Battle of Carchemish and Seventh-Century Regional Politicsnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Sara L. Hoffman
41. Alexander the Great and Levantine Hellenismnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;D. Brent Sandy
Part Three: Themes of the Drama
VII. God: Integrated Approaches to Themes in Israelite Religion
42. Monotheism in Ancient Israelnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Matthew J. Lynch
43. Biblical Texts Studied in Comparison with Other Ancient Near Eastern Documentsnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;John H. Walton
44. The Temple in Contextnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;John H. Walton
45. Priests in the Ancient Near Eastnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Gerald Klingbeil
46. Worship, Sacrifice, and Festivals in the Ancient Near Eastnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Roy E. Gane
47. Family Religion in Ancient Israelnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Andrew R. Davis
48. Prophecy, Divination, and Magic in the Ancient Near Eastnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;John W. Hilber
49. Death and Burial in the Iron Age Levantnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Christopher B. Hays
VIII. Family: Integrated Approaches to Themes in Family Networks
50. Tribes and Nomads in the Iron Age Levantnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Thomas D. Petter
51. Women in Ancient Israelnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Carol Meyers
52. Family, Children, and Inheritance in the Biblical Worldnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Victor H. Matthews
IX. Sustenance: Integrated Approaches to Themes in Economic Contexts
53. Seasons, Crops, and Water in the Land of the Biblenbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Oded Borowski
54. Trade in the Late Bronze and Iron Age Levantnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Joshua T. Walton
55. Slavery in the World of the Biblenbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Richard E. Averbeck
56. The Local Economies of Ancient Israelnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Peter Altmann
57. Metallurgy in the World of the Biblenbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Brady Liss and Thomas E. Levy
58. Ancient Technologies of Everyday Lifenbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Gloria London
59. Food Preparation in the Iron Age Levantnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Cynthia Shafer-Elliott
60. Feasting in the Biblical Worldnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Janling Fu
61. Music and Dance in the World of the Biblenbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Annie F. Caubet
X. Governance: Integrated Approaches to Themes in Social Organization
62. Kingship and the State in Ancient Israelnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Nili S. Fox
63. Social Stratification in the Iron Age Levantnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Avraham Faust
64. Law and Legal Systems in Ancient Israelnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;David W. Baker
65. Wisdom Traditions in Ancient Israelnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Paul Overland
66. Warfare in the World of the Biblenbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Mark Schwartz
Indexes

About the Author

Jonathan S. Greer (PhD, Pennsylvania State University) is associate professor of Old Testament and director of the Hesse Memorial Archaeological Laboratory at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

John W. Hilber (PhD, University of Cambridge) is professor of Old Testament at McMaster Divinity College in Hamilton, Ontario, and is the author of several books.

John H. Walton (PhD, Hebrew Union College) is professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. He speaks extensively on reading the Old Testament in its ancient context and has authored or edited numerous books.