Israel's History and the History of Israel [Paperback]

In 'Israel's History and the History of Israel' one of the world's foremost experts on antiquity addresses the birth of Israel and its historic reality. Many stories have been told of the founding of ancient Israel, all rely on the biblical story in its narrative scheme, despite its historic unreliability. Drawing on the literary and archaeological record, this book completely rewrites the history of Israel. The study traces the textual material to the times of its creation, reconstructs the evolution of political and religious ideologies, and firmly inserts the history of Israel into its ancient-oriental context.Preface  Acknowledgements  1. Palestine in the Late Bronze Age (14th - 13th Centuries)  Part One: A Normal History  2. The Transition (12th Century)  3. The New Society (c. 1150-1050)  4. The Formative Process (c. 1050-930)  5. The Kingdom of Israel (c. 930 -740)  6. The Kingdom of Judah (c. 930-720)  7. The Impact of the Assyrian Empire (c. 740-640)  8. Pause between Two Empires (c. 640-610)  9. The Impact of the Babylonian Empire (c.610-585)  Intermezzo  10. The Axial Age  11. The Diaspora  12. The Abandoned Landscape  Part Two: An Invented History  13. Returnees and 'Remainees': The Invention of the Patriarchs  14. Returnees and Aliens: The Invention of the Conquest  15. A Nation without a King: The Invention of the Judges  16. The Royal Option: The Invention of the United Monarchy  17. The Priestly Option: The Invention of the Solomonic Temple  18. Self-Identification: The Invention of the Law  Epilogue  19. Local History and Universal Values  BibliographyOne of Italy's foremost experts on antiquity addresses a new issue surrounding the birth of Israel and its historic reality.

Liverani charts a sinuous and expert path throl7