Archaeology of the Land of the Bible

Rating:
Summary: No wonder this text is the standard work...
Review: Amihai Mazar is an expert on the Archaeology of the Land of the Bible. His book is an amazing resource for anyone interested in the archaeology of Palestine/Israel. In his book, Mazar goes into great detail concerning the various important archaeological periods. His book is very will structured and allows for easy comparison of the different time period. This book is considered by many to be the standard text on archaeology in this area. Mazar, in his book, takes a rather neutral standpoint towards the bible. Sometimes, he compares his findings to what we can read in the bible, but he does not swing either way. It is his neutralism that makes him fairly objective as well as the best read on the subject. I would personally greatly recommend this book. There are many misconceptions about how what is in the bible compares to what is really there, this book will definitly help you clear up some of these misconceptions. For students of Christianity, whether Christian themselves or not, this book is an invaluable to finding the truth.

Rating:
Summary: A detailed and factual survey
Review: I bought this book because it seemed to be the one which would give me the most complete information on current archaeological data of the Land of the Bible from earliest times, and it met my expectations completely. As other reviewers have noted, it concentrates on what has been found , rather than dealing with specific archaeological issues, and describes what the remains tell us about the community who lived there, and how they lived.

There is an depth introduction explaining the geographical setting, which is one of the most concise and helpful that I have read about Palestine, as well as a thorough review of the archaeological surveys which have taken place from the 19th century to the present time (the first edition of the book was written in 1987). There is a useful table of excavations carried out in Israel since 1948, as well as summaries on the techniques of excavation, chronology, terminology, publications, ideology and interpretation.

There were many things I liked about the structure of the book, the most important being that each of its chapters covered a specific era of time starting with the first agricultural communities from 8500-4300BCE, and continuing with separate chapters on the communities of the Chalcolithic period (4300-3300BCE), the emergence of cities in the early Bronze age (3000-2300BCE), the period of sparse population between the Early and Middle Bronze ages (2300-2000BCE), the development of the Canaanite city states from 2000-1550BCE, and the Late Bronze Age when the area came under Egyptian domination. The remaining 5 chapters cover the period of Israelite domination, the Judges, the United Monarchy, the Divided Monarchy, with closing chapters on Israelite material culture and a brief final review of Israel's neighbours. There is also an appendix briefly describing recent discoveries to when the book was published in 1992

Each chapter is well provided with maps, photographs, tables, and diagrams, with explanatory notes at the end of each chapter rather than one big section at the back. I found the diagrams particularly helpful because they have generally been kept simple enough so that one can understand the basic concept of what is being explained. On many occasions I found these more useful than the photographs which are every good in themselves.

I agree that the book was somewhat dry in places, but, nevertheless, it retained my interest throughout and I often found myself saying "I didn't know that". There were some chapters which caught my interest more than others such Chapters 5 and 6, which cover the period of the Middle Bronze Age from about 2300-1500BCE, which happens to be the period that is coterminous with the Akkadian and Old Babylonian dynasties of Iraq. I also thought that the chapter 7 "In the shadow of Egyptian Domination" and chapter 8 "The Days of the Judges" were particularly informative, with the latter having a full description on the settlements, pottery, architecture, artifacts, and culture of the Philistines and other Sea Peoples, which can be compared and contrasted with an equally detailed description for that of the Israelite tribes in the period of the Judges. In this chapter as in all for the later chapters Dr Mazar provides an historical outline which is careful delineated from the "facts on the ground".

I found that the best way to read this book is to read it a chapter at a time, and then taking some time to reflect on what I had read, or perhaps reread certain parts. That was necessary because it is in great detail, and I found my eyes "glazing over" at times, which for me is always a sign that I am probably going to miss something important. I will certainly find it a useful reference for the other books on Canaan and Israel which I have on my reading list, and recommend it highly to anyone who is interested in reconciling the archaeological record of the biblical period with that of written historical accounts.

Rating:
Summary: An Indispensible Resource
Review: I have to agree with the other two reviews of this book. It's not reading for pleasure, but it is packed with balanced information, tables and photographs. If you're interested in what has been unearthed in Palestine and what it might mean, you need to check this out.

Rating:
Summary: An Indispensible Resource
Review: I have to agree with the other two reviews of this book. It's not reading for pleasure, but it is packed with balanced information, tables and photographs. If you're interested in what has been unearthed in Palestine and what it might mean, you need to check this out.

Rating:
Summary: And Well Illustrated, To Boot
Review: If you're looking for a book dealing with specific archaeological issues relating to the Bible, or that applies archaeological insights to biblical passages (like an archaeologist's version of _The New Manners and Customs of Bible Times_), this is not it. In a few passages, Mazar does discuss the biblical narrative, but not that many.

Instead, this is a detailed overview of and introduction to the archaeology of the land of the Bible, starting well before biblical events begin in any recognizable geography (i.e., Abraham) and ending in the sixth century (i.e., the book covers most of the Old Testament period). The book provides great context for the biblical narrative -- the application, you provide yourself.

In addition to being a very readable account of a potentially very dry subject, Mazar's book is profusely illustrated with maps, diagrams and black and white photographs. The footnotes are profuse and detailed, giving you ample avenue to any follow up research you desire.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent overview and introduction
Review: Mazar's work is noteworthy for its breath rather than its depth. Mazar reviews a huge period of history, breaking it down into several eras and further dividing the analysis based on several categories. In each subject Mazar examines the relevant material and the prevalent theories that surround it. While the author's point of view on many of these theories is made clear in the book itself, enough information is given so that any reader can go off to research these questions for themselves.

Some have attacked Mazar on political grounds. Such charges are baseless and made by those with axes to grind who are more interested in their particular points of view rather than what we can learn from the archaeological record.

While it is true that any of Mazar's subtopics of a particular period could be a book in itself, none are given short shrift. Enough detail is given to give the reader a basic understanding. What makes the book exceptional is how these pieces fit together, giving the reader an understanding of the broader whole. If you are interested in this subject, Mazar is an excellent place to start.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent overview and introduction
Review: Mazar's work is noteworthy for its breath rather than its depth. Mazar reviews a huge period of history, breaking it down into several eras and further dividing the analysis based on several categories. In each subject Mazar examines the relevant material and the prevalent theories that surround it. While the author's point of view on many of these theories is made clear in the book itself, enough information is given so that any reader can go off to research these questions for themselves.

Some have attacked Mazar on political grounds. Such charges are baseless and made by those with axes to grind who are more interested in their particular points of view rather than what we can learn from the archaeological record.

While it is true that any of Mazar's subtopics of a particular period could be a book in itself, none are given short shrift. Enough detail is given to give the reader a basic understanding. What makes the book exceptional is how these pieces fit together, giving the reader an understanding of the broader whole. If you are interested in this subject, Mazar is an excellent place to start.

Rating:
Summary: Still the best survey of biblical archaeology
Review: This survey of biblical archaeology, thought written almost 10 years ago, still stands as the most comprehensive, lucidly written summary of the archaeology of Palestine/Israel during the Bronze and Iron Ages (the biblical Period). Though not updated with all the latest finds and discussions (and in particular about the historicity of the earlier Israelite monarchal period), it still provides the best introduction and overview of this very popular topic.