Overview

The definitive book on the archaeology of Palestine from Alexander the Great’s conquest to Constantine’s reign Drawing on the most recent, groundbreaking archaeological research, Eric M. Meyers and Mark A. Chancey re-narrate the history of ancient Palestine in this richly illustrated and expertly integrated book.  Spanning from the conquest of Alexander the Great in the fourth century BCE until the reign of the Roman emperor Constantine in the fourth century CE, they synthesize archaeological evidence with ancient literary sources (including the Bible) to offer a sustained overview of the tumultuous intellectual and religious changes that impacted world history during the Greco-Roman period. The authors demonstrate how the transformation of the ancient Near East under the influence of the Greeks and then the Romans led to foundational changes in both the material and intellectual worlds of the Levant. Palestine's subjection to Hellenistic kingdoms, its rule by the Hasmonean and Herodian dynasties, the two disastrous Jewish revolts against Rome, and its full incorporation into the Roman Empire provide a background for the emergence of Christianity.  The authors observe in the archaeological record how Judaism and Christianity were virtually undistinguishable for centuries, until the rise of imperial Christianity with Emperor Constantine. The only book-length overview available that focuses on the archaeology of Palestine in this period, this comprehensive and powerfully illuminating work sheds new light on the lands of the Bible.

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9780300205831

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Reviews

"""'Based on the most recent research, this book is authoritative, well written and beautifully presented, with many illustrations in addition to the 17 colour plates; and it challenges a fair number of opinions that have become standard fare in biblical scholarship. It is a most impressive piece of work.' (Canon J.W. Rogerson, Church Times) 'An impressive piece of work... a readable and informative overview of a field that has generated an enormous amount of new material just in the past 30 years.' (Morten Horning Jensen, Biblical Archaeology Review)"""

'Based on the most recent research, this book is authoritative, well written and beautifully presented, with many illustrations in addition to the 17 colour plates; and it challenges a fair number of opinions that have become standard fare in biblical scholarship. It is a most impressive piece of work.' (Canon J.W. Rogerson, Church Times) 'An impressive piece of work... a readable and informative overview of a field that has generated an enormous amount of new material just in the past 30 years.' (Morten Horning Jensen, Biblical Archaeology Review)

Author Information

Eric M. Meyers, three-time president of the American Schools of Oriental Research, is Bernice and Morton Lerner Professor of Jewish Studies and Archaeology, Duke University. Mark A. Chancey is professor of religious studies, Southern Methodist University.

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