The Ancient Near East: An Essential Guide

by John L. McLaughlin

The cultures of the great empires of the ancient Near East from Egypt to Mesopotamia influenced Israel's religion, literature, and laws because of Israel's geographic location and political position situation. Anyone who wishes to understand the Old Testament texts and the history of ancient Israel must become familiar with the history, literature, and society of the surrounding kingdoms that at times controlled the region. Brief in presentation yet broad in scope, Ancient Near East will introduce students to the information and ideas essential to understanding the texts of the Old Testament while clarifying difficult issues concerning the relationship between Israel and its neighbors. 


Abingdon Essential Guides fulfill the need for brief, substantive, yet highly accessible introductions to the core disciplines in biblical, theological, and religious studies.

The only way humans can know God’s Word is through human words that arise in human cultures. Without  knowledge of ancient cultures, no words about God can be understood deeply. Without  knowledge of ancient cultures, biblical interpretation can be distorted, mistaken, or even wrong. John McLaughlin has written a wonderful book in clear English that describes literary works and cultural worlds of major civilizations in antiquity that have bearing on the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible. He explains basic concepts, terminology, and texts to help students, scholars, and even perhaps preachers who want to understand God’s word expressed through human words.
--Kathleen M. O’Connor, William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament, emeriti, Columbia Theological Seminary
In this work, John McLaughlin offers a special invitation to readers of the Bible to comprehend biblical writings in a fresh way by showing how they relate to the literatures of ancient Middle Eastern empires and peoples.  Chapter-by-chapter, this book gives a tour of the ancient lands and their texts, showing the rich and deep parallels that they share with the Bible. The chapters walk readers through Mesopotamia and Egypt, through the Hittite and Persian empires, to Greece and finally to Israel’s immediate neighbors. Without needing any background, readers will be able to enjoy new discoveries about Israel and its Scriptures. 
--Mark S. Smith, Skirball Professor of Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Studies, New York University

Genres: History

168 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2012

Reviews

[S2 Mc · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting for the refresher on who was when and from where in the Levant and Mesopotamia. His secular-bound view that all Biblical culture and gods were borrowed or due to influence from pre-existing cultures, that much of the Bible (First Testament) is mythical, and that none of what is esteemed by the secular scholars could have, d'oah, been handed down from Adam, Seth, etc., is tiresome.

And Isaac and Esau were not brothers. Isaac was Esau and Jacob's father. (Page 122)

[Zach Waldis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is essential (it's in the title) for anyone interested in understanding the Old Testament better, or for anybody who wants a quick tour through the ancient world. I have a history of the ancient near east on my shelf and it was too much for me, so this really hits the spot. Highly recommended.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good guide to the major civilizations ,their impact and interrelationships. it covered all the civilizations one would expect, touched on how they impacted the biblical authors, and left open lots of room for further study. Not terribly easy to read but definitely a solid intro

[Jaques Cilliers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting and informative, giving a clear perspective on ancient history as it relates to Israel.

Well worth a read.

[Stephen Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good conciseintroduction to the regions and peoples of the Ancient Near East. However, sometimes it reads like a collection of essays with no overarching argument or narrative.