History of the Levant and Israel - 2000 BCE to the bronze age collapse - where to find info?
Upvote:1
The Penguin Atlas of Ancient History covers this period very well, as well at the area's interactions with the nearby peoples of Iran, Africa, and Asia Minor (and in some extreme cases, Europe).
The atlas takes a fairly unsual (but very effective) form, in that it keeps the map's geographic area the same on every page, but advances the narrative by a set amount, and adjusts the political/cultural borders accordingly.
My copy does have a few bits that are a bit shaky. For instance, he tries to place the Hebrews in Egypt down to a specific ruler, which is contraversial to say the least. Still, it is otherwise a really good compilation of available sources in a very easy to process form.
Upvote:4
There is a large number of scholarly texts that deal with this period, or parts of it. Some good places to start (in alphabetical order only) would be:
- John Bright, A History of Israel (2nd ed; London: The Westminster Press, 1972);
Bright's book was hugely influential at the time, though be aware that much of it has been since superceded, and is no longer considered an accurate reflection of the present state of academic historical discourse.
- J. Maxwell Miller and John Hayes, A History of Ancient Israel and Judah (2nd ed; Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006);
Miller and Hayes' book is my personal favourite: an excellent introduction to the field of ANE historiography, and a very readable survey of what mainstream academics today believe about the land of Israel in ancient times. Up to date.
- Iain Provan, V. Philips Long and Tremper Longman III, A Biblical History of Israel (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003);
Depending on preference, you may either enjoy or be frustrated with Provan, Long and Longman. They are so-called "maximalists" - desirous to portray the narratives of the Bible as being historically true, to the extent that they have each independantly been criticised at different times by more 'mainstream' historians. Their book is, however, up-to-date.
- Donald B. Redford, Egypt, Canaan and Israel and Ancient Times (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1992);
Redford is an egyptologist and Egypt is the primary focus of this text. That said, it has some excellent material on the Levant and is hugely recommended.
- D. Winton Thomas (ed.), Archaeology and Old Testament Study (London: Oxford University Press, 1967);
This is very much out of date, so far as the basic historical information is concerned, but it remains an excellent primer on the nature of archaeology and what can be learned from it. If you are interested in more background of that nature, without the focus on the ANE, I recommend Colin Renfrew and Paul Bahn, Archaeology: Theories Methods and Practice (3rd ed; London: Thames & Hudson, 2001).
- Marc Van De Mieroop, A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000-323 BC (Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 2004).
Most of the material within this text does not pertain to the Levant (or "Syria-Palestine", as he describes it), but it is of inestimable value for putting the Levant into its geo-political context. The same author has A History of Ancient Egypt (2011), which is likewise excellent.
More post
- 📝 Why did Ong Khan offer Temujin (young Gengis Khan) a position?
- 📝 Did Japanese officers refuse to engage in kamikaze attacks?
- 📝 Why did John Ganson vote contradictorily on the 13th Amendment?
- 📝 How large could king Arthur's kingdom have realistically been?
- 📝 Was Princess Elizabeth a van/ambulance driver/mechanic during WW2?
- 📝 Which is more correct, Carlos I or Carlos V?
- 📝 Was Apollo's birthday December 25th according to the Romans?
- 📝 What were the operating principles of Japan's MITI during the 1950s and 60s?
- 📝 What was the need to call the Estates-General of 1789?
- 📝 Has China ever sent officials to collect tribute under the tributary system, instead of receiving missions, besides Zheng He's voyages?
- 📝 Where and when was the shortest calendar day in history, due to DST and calendar changes, etc?
- 📝 What did the Romans call black people (sub-Saharan)?
- 📝 What was the range of medieval bombards?
- 📝 How common was it for archaeologists in past eras to believe in giants?
- 📝 In 1916, did an amputee, invalided out of the French army, get a pension?
- 📝 How did Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor come to control part of Spain?
- 📝 How fortified was Cyprus during WW2?
- 📝 How did European monarchies become nation states?
- 📝 Has an offensive ever succeeded without an advantage in artillery?
- 📝 How did East Indies oil lose its "top billing" in the Pacific War as the war went on?
- 📝 What was lost when the British burned the White House in 1814?
- 📝 Why did Uesugi Kenshin never marry? Was it common practice for Japanese Buddhists of the time?
- 📝 What route did the Hindenburg take when traveling from Germany to the U.S.?
- 📝 How do I organise my "What-if" research paper?
- 📝 Who is on the Nazi 2 Reichsmark coin?
- 📝 What is the purpose of the bridge to the Russkiy island?
- 📝 How did Lincoln's views change up to the Lincoln-Douglas Debates?
- 📝 How was the term "Mandate of Heaven" used during the rise and fall of Chinese dynasties?
- 📝 How long might the campaigning season in the Caucasus have lasted for the Germans?
- 📝 Does it make sense to mention months (and days) in any BCE date?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 History of the Levant and Israel - 2000 BCE to the bronze age collapse - where to find info?
- 📝 What effect did the Bronze Age collapse have on India?
- 📝 Did the chariot drop in importance between bronze age Greece and the iron age Greece? Why, why not?
- 📝 Why weren't pickled fruits and vegetables part of (European) rations during the Age of Sail?
- 📝 Where did the “vikings wear helmets with horn” stereotype come from and why?
- 📝 How and why was the boundary between West and East Berlin decided to be where it was?
- 📝 When and where were the first coins made showing the currency or a face value?
- 📝 Is black American history only about segregation, slavery, and the 3 people you get taught about in school?
- 📝 Was there a bronze age in the Americas?
- 📝 How were servants to the Kaiser of Imperial Germany treated and where may I find more information on them?
- 📝 Where did John Adams write of the night he shared a bed and an argument with Benjamin Franklin? Did Franklin write of it as well?
- 📝 Where and how did the concept of "incorporation" originate?
- 📝 Was the transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age violent?
- 📝 Where did the Roman money involved in the spice and luxury trade end up?
- 📝 How many pens were used by MacArthur to end the final chapter of World War II and where are they now?
- 📝 When and where was the first time moveable bridge?
- 📝 Where and how did the allies scrounge enough food for the Soviets AND the British?
- 📝 Where is the location of this large stump and monument (lighthouse?) background?
- 📝 Where and how did scientists of the 18th and 19th century learn foreign languages?
- 📝 Where was the pre-war (ww2) border between Poland and Germany?
- 📝 When and where did Louis Blanc say the famous "from each according to his abilities..."?
- 📝 What are the earliest examples in history where one state/people stepped in to rescue another?
- 📝 How accurate and balanced is Paul Johnson's 'A History of the Jews'?
- 📝 How do the kings and important figures in history get the titles?
- 📝 Where and when was the shortest calendar day in history, due to DST and calendar changes, etc?
- 📝 Where and how were the catapults/trebuchets operators trained?
- 📝 What is the source and history of "green on blue attack" expression?
- 📝 When and where was the first naval gunnery school/college established?
- 📝 Historiography and the uses of history in the Second French Empire?
- 📝 When, where and with what propagation through Europe did the idea of gypsies stealing children occur?