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The History of Ancient Israel
This is the story of Jewish civilization from its beginnings to the destruction of Jerusalem & its Temple in AD 70. The book deals with Israel's relations with the empires which shaped its development & with the changing internal structure of the Jewish state. Part of the tale is told by excavations, which reveal many aspects of the material culture & everyday life of those times. However, the major source is the Hebrew Bible, the Christian scripture, which is an unparalleled, massively varied compendium that includes much of the world's earliest historical writing & has inspired the literature, art & ethics of half the world.
327 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
35 people are currently reading
185 people want to read
About the author
Michael Grant
166 books160 followersMichael Grant was an English classisist, numismatist, and author of numerous popular books on ancient history. His 1956 translation of Tacitus’s Annals of Imperial Rome remains a standard of the work. He once described himself as "one of the very few freelances in the field of ancient history: a rare phenomenon". As a popularizer, his hallmarks were his prolific output and his unwillingness to oversimplify or talk down to his readership.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 27, 2021
This absorbing book brings to light the roots of Western faith and morality, and the people who first developed them.
Grant, a Cambridge-educated scholar and prolific author on ancient history, produced a gracefully written chronological survey of Israel from its earliest origins until its destruction by the Romans in 70 AD, a span of roughly two thousand years. Grant gives special attention to religious literature, noting that the originality of the Israelites was “literary rather than artistic.” He touches more briefly on economic developments, such as the use of new metals and the growth of trade routes.
His detailed history draws fluently from the two available source materials – the Old Testament of the Bible and archaeology – to describe how the Hebrews gradually defined themselves in relation to others and to God. The narrative’s complexity is increased by Grant’s decision to introduce books of the Bible at the probable time of their writing rather than during the period to which they refer. But his interpretations of these sources are usually convincing.
Amid the complexity of this story, three themes recur.
One is the relationship between Israelites (who became Jews) and their close neighbors. The previously nomadic Israelite settlers often lived at peace, and even intermarried with the pastoral Canaanites, while adopting their settled way of life in villages and towns. Some also followed foreign rites of nature worship, for which they were vehemently condemned by the Biblical prophets.
From Moses and Joshua onward, the Israelites’ dilemma was “whether to be receptive to the ways of foreigners, including those in [their] midst, or to reject them with total exclusiveness.” Successive Israelite kings veered back and forth between these practices.
The second theme is divisions among the Israelites themselves. Although usually not spilling into violent conflict, this discord increased their vulnerability to foreign domination. The most damaging instance started in 926 BC when Israel split into two states, Judah in the south and “Israel” in the north, following disputes about Jerusalem’s tax and forced labor exactions. The two remained separate until they were each conquered – Israel by Assyria (722 BC) and Judah by Babylonia (587) – among the most tragic and painful episodes in Jewish history. Israel did not regain its independence and unity until 166 BC.
The book’s third theme is the fraught relationship between the Israelites and God. What other people, what other religion has recorded outspoken, heartfelt pleas of dozens of prophets to respect God’s commandments and warnings about individual responsibility? What other literature has so closely united religion, law, and morality as the Jews’ sacred Torah? The passionate verses of Isaiah and other prophets about faith, repentance, redemption, and forgiveness ring powerfully to this day.
Grant’s text raises many questions, including some it does not answer. Why, for example, did Greeks in Alexandria carry out the first ever pogrom against Jews (38 AD)? Grant mentions that this followed “four centuries of anti-Semitic propaganda”, but does not delve into the origins of this ominous hatred.
Although Grant wrote for a general audience, he was not one to pause and ruminate on such big questions as “What does it mean to be Jewish?” However, his detailed narrative offers insight on many subjects: above all, on the intense preoccupation of Jews with their God-given responsibilities, and their enduring faith that “I am the Lord, and there is no other.” (Isaiah 45:5)
Grant, a Cambridge-educated scholar and prolific author on ancient history, produced a gracefully written chronological survey of Israel from its earliest origins until its destruction by the Romans in 70 AD, a span of roughly two thousand years. Grant gives special attention to religious literature, noting that the originality of the Israelites was “literary rather than artistic.” He touches more briefly on economic developments, such as the use of new metals and the growth of trade routes.
His detailed history draws fluently from the two available source materials – the Old Testament of the Bible and archaeology – to describe how the Hebrews gradually defined themselves in relation to others and to God. The narrative’s complexity is increased by Grant’s decision to introduce books of the Bible at the probable time of their writing rather than during the period to which they refer. But his interpretations of these sources are usually convincing.
Amid the complexity of this story, three themes recur.
One is the relationship between Israelites (who became Jews) and their close neighbors. The previously nomadic Israelite settlers often lived at peace, and even intermarried with the pastoral Canaanites, while adopting their settled way of life in villages and towns. Some also followed foreign rites of nature worship, for which they were vehemently condemned by the Biblical prophets.
From Moses and Joshua onward, the Israelites’ dilemma was “whether to be receptive to the ways of foreigners, including those in [their] midst, or to reject them with total exclusiveness.” Successive Israelite kings veered back and forth between these practices.
The second theme is divisions among the Israelites themselves. Although usually not spilling into violent conflict, this discord increased their vulnerability to foreign domination. The most damaging instance started in 926 BC when Israel split into two states, Judah in the south and “Israel” in the north, following disputes about Jerusalem’s tax and forced labor exactions. The two remained separate until they were each conquered – Israel by Assyria (722 BC) and Judah by Babylonia (587) – among the most tragic and painful episodes in Jewish history. Israel did not regain its independence and unity until 166 BC.
The book’s third theme is the fraught relationship between the Israelites and God. What other people, what other religion has recorded outspoken, heartfelt pleas of dozens of prophets to respect God’s commandments and warnings about individual responsibility? What other literature has so closely united religion, law, and morality as the Jews’ sacred Torah? The passionate verses of Isaiah and other prophets about faith, repentance, redemption, and forgiveness ring powerfully to this day.
Grant’s text raises many questions, including some it does not answer. Why, for example, did Greeks in Alexandria carry out the first ever pogrom against Jews (38 AD)? Grant mentions that this followed “four centuries of anti-Semitic propaganda”, but does not delve into the origins of this ominous hatred.
Although Grant wrote for a general audience, he was not one to pause and ruminate on such big questions as “What does it mean to be Jewish?” However, his detailed narrative offers insight on many subjects: above all, on the intense preoccupation of Jews with their God-given responsibilities, and their enduring faith that “I am the Lord, and there is no other.” (Isaiah 45:5)
September 21, 2014
Had I known this was the History of Biblical Israel, I would never had bought this book. It too often takes mythological lore and ancient tales as historical facts, with little objective and comparable validation. It ends up not being an history book, but a subjective Old Testament review.
August 6, 2014
Typical straightforward Grant history. Easy to read, no apparent axe to hone. Well documented which is his norm. (Unlike most of the reviews I saw)
June 19, 2024
a bit too thick for a fast read.....good info for research.
July 6, 2025
Review to come, so impressive.
August 1, 2025
This is a massive work comprising several time passages regarding Israel. My intention towards this book was to know a little more about the ancient land of Canaan and its relationship/cultural influence regarding the lands of middle east. It is a recommended book for those to seek more understanding circa the complex and deep cultural and religious background of Israel.
June 10, 2013
As usual, Michael Grant, an historian, has taken up a topic from antiquity with a few written sources, summarized them and supplemented them with other data and his own judgment. In this case it's the story of the Jewish nation and its origins as described primarily in the Hebrew Scriptures and as qualified by archaeological evidences and occasional references in other literatures.
Overall the book is rather dry, but, for me, an appreciated review of texts not read for many years. Grant makes no extraordinary claims. If anything he tends to support the textual evidence unless other evidences or common sense make them insupportable.
Overall the book is rather dry, but, for me, an appreciated review of texts not read for many years. Grant makes no extraordinary claims. If anything he tends to support the textual evidence unless other evidences or common sense make them insupportable.
February 27, 2009
Intersting, but a slow read. This is a textbook type read, as opposed to a more novelized book.
March 13, 2021
A good textbook for preachers and students of the Old Testament. Very helpful.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews