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Ancient Israel: An Enthralling Guide to Jewish Kingdoms and the Israelites
The ancient Israelites introduced one of the first monotheistic religions in the world. And it is still practiced today!
The ancient Israelites emerged from Mount Sinai onto the hilly plains of Canaan and established a civilization that endured for hundreds of years.
Even when the Israelites fell to incursions from foreign invaders and were subjected to torture and exile, they held fast to their belief system. They emerged from the Babylonian captivity as the people of Yehud. With the aid of Cyrus the Great and the Achaemenid Empire, they rebuilt their sacred temple and got back on their feet.
However, the Greeks and the Romans presented unique challenges to the Judeans. The Hellenization period threatened the foundation of Judaism and the commitment of the Jews to their faith due to forced conversions and the practice of Jewish customs being punishable by death. Regardless, the Jews persevered, and their faith and their steadfastness hold great significance today.
This book offers a deep dive into the history of the ancient Israelites and how they rose from nomadic tribes to establish a kingdom and a unique identity in Judea.
By reading this book, you will discover the
The ancient Israelites emerged from Mount Sinai onto the hilly plains of Canaan and established a civilization that endured for hundreds of years.
Even when the Israelites fell to incursions from foreign invaders and were subjected to torture and exile, they held fast to their belief system. They emerged from the Babylonian captivity as the people of Yehud. With the aid of Cyrus the Great and the Achaemenid Empire, they rebuilt their sacred temple and got back on their feet.
However, the Greeks and the Romans presented unique challenges to the Judeans. The Hellenization period threatened the foundation of Judaism and the commitment of the Jews to their faith due to forced conversions and the practice of Jewish customs being punishable by death. Regardless, the Jews persevered, and their faith and their steadfastness hold great significance today.
This book offers a deep dive into the history of the ancient Israelites and how they rose from nomadic tribes to establish a kingdom and a unique identity in Judea.
By reading this book, you will discover the
- GenresHistory
114 pages, Hardcover
Published August 14, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 6, 2024
This book does an excellent job of tracing the history of ancient Israel. It is written in clear language and includes many source references!
However, as a Christian, I became uncomfortable with the perspective of the secular historical view taken in this book. I do generally believe it is healthy for people of faith to hear the views of non-believers so that the foundations of our own faith can be tested. But what specifically embarrassed me was the topic of Henotheism in chapter 2. The author explains that while both Judaism and Christianity profess to be monotheistic, they rarely were in practice. The actions that were recorded in history, according to the author, gave the highest honor to Yahweh, but also honored other gods. Asherah was venerated by many Jews; likewise, the "Heavenly Mother" (Queen of Heaven) and the Saints were venerated by many Christians. I was grateful that at least the author understood that these faiths were intended to be monotheistic, but in a world of polytheism, the influence of henotheism crept in. So, this claim did embarrass me, but I cannot deny the evidence given which brought the author to this conclusion. May it serve as a reminder that our words are cheap if not followed by our actions. As they say, we may be the only Jesus that some ever see.
Do not let the previous paragraph deter you from reading this book. Even though it sometimes describes The Bible as mythology, it does give many Biblical references that correspond to archaeological discoveries. One point made that I found particularly interesting was this:
It explained that "in the biblical narrative, the name "Israel" was given to Jacob, who wrestled with God. The term comes from yisra ("to struggle with") and el ("god"). I had not known this until reading the book, so it impressed me!
There is a special bonus given with this book. The reader is encouraged to click a link to download a PDF document that summarizes the book! I appreciated this bonus for easy future reference!
However, as a Christian, I became uncomfortable with the perspective of the secular historical view taken in this book. I do generally believe it is healthy for people of faith to hear the views of non-believers so that the foundations of our own faith can be tested. But what specifically embarrassed me was the topic of Henotheism in chapter 2. The author explains that while both Judaism and Christianity profess to be monotheistic, they rarely were in practice. The actions that were recorded in history, according to the author, gave the highest honor to Yahweh, but also honored other gods. Asherah was venerated by many Jews; likewise, the "Heavenly Mother" (Queen of Heaven) and the Saints were venerated by many Christians. I was grateful that at least the author understood that these faiths were intended to be monotheistic, but in a world of polytheism, the influence of henotheism crept in. So, this claim did embarrass me, but I cannot deny the evidence given which brought the author to this conclusion. May it serve as a reminder that our words are cheap if not followed by our actions. As they say, we may be the only Jesus that some ever see.
Do not let the previous paragraph deter you from reading this book. Even though it sometimes describes The Bible as mythology, it does give many Biblical references that correspond to archaeological discoveries. One point made that I found particularly interesting was this:
It explained that "in the biblical narrative, the name "Israel" was given to Jacob, who wrestled with God. The term comes from yisra ("to struggle with") and el ("god"). I had not known this until reading the book, so it impressed me!
There is a special bonus given with this book. The reader is encouraged to click a link to download a PDF document that summarizes the book! I appreciated this bonus for easy future reference!
May 29, 2024
It gives you a brief overview of the ancient Israel story, including the Herod and Hellenistic periods. It also explains how the Kingdom of Israel was shaped, as well as the Kingdom of Judea. Additionally, it describes how the Torah was modified with respect to Greek mythology and Persian culture.
August 21, 2023
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. I found it interesting to learn about ancient Israel and how they evolved.
March 28, 2024
A little too vague of a survey with a much wider scope than just Ancient Israel, as the title would suggest.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews