Fifty major cities of the Bible : from Dan to Beersheba / John C.H. Laughlin.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Laughlin, John C. H. (John Charles Hugh), 1942-

Series:

Routledge key guides

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bible. Old Testament.

Antiquities.

Cities and towns, Ancient.

Israel--Antiquities.

Israel.

Middle East--Antiquities.

Middle East.

Cities and towns, Ancient--Israel.

Cities and towns, Ancient--Middle East.

Bible. Old Testament--Antiquities.

Bible.

Middle East--Civilization--To 622.

Civilization.

Excavations (Archaeology)--Israel.

Excavations (Archaeology).

Physical Description:

xviii, 246 pages : illustrations, maps, plans ; 23 cm.

Other Title:

50 major cities of the Bible

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Routledge, 2006.

Summary:

From the ruins of the ancient seaside city of Acco, to the small but archaeologically important town of Yokue`am, Fifty Major Cities of the Bible provides readers with a comprehensive guide to the ancient cities that played a vital role in the world from which the Bible originated.

Included are not only well-known cities such as Jerusalem and Jericho, but also lesser-known towns like Aroer, Beth-Zur and Gibeah, which have all provided their own valuable contributions to the way in which we now understand the biblical world. Includes: the biblical context of each city or town, a summary of its known archaeological history, non-biblical references to the site, photographs and illustrations, a concise bibliography for further reading.

Also provided is a handy reference map to the major archaeological sites in Israel, as well as chronological tables for easy reference.

Concise, informative and highly accessible, Fifty Major Cities of the Bible is a superb overview of the cities and towns that made up the biblical world, and an essential resource for students and enthusiasts.

Contents:

Acco: city with a view 9

Achziv: the city of cemeteries 14

`Ai (et-Tell): if et-Tell is "`Ai," the conquest of Joshua isn't 16

Aphek (Ras el-Ain): the city of palaces 20

Arad: from ancient Canaanite city to Judean "temple" 25

Aroer (in Judah): where did David really go? 30

Ashdod: home of the "Ashdoda" 33

Ashkelon: home of the Middle Bronze Age silver claf and a Persian dog cemetery 37

Azekah: where the fire went out 43

Beersheba: an Iron Age II Judean town "museum" 46

Bethel (Tell Beitin): no golden calf: yet 52

Bethlehem: was Jesus really born here? 55

BethSaida: from the lost and found department: an Iron Age city reappears 59

Beth-Shean: why is there a "cigar-shaped" coffin in this place? 62

Beth-Shemesh: of mice and (Philistine) men 68

Beth-Zur: a forgotten outpost of Judah? 73

Caesarea Maritima: Herod's city by the sea 76

Caesarea Philippi (Banias): the magnificent palace of Agrippa II 81

Capernaum: of fishermen and gold coins 88

Chorazin: did the curse really work? 96

Damascus: a very old city where Paul almost got himself killed 99

Dan (Tel): Massebot and "high places": the gods of Dan 103

Ekron/Tel Miqne: Philistine capital of the olive oil industry 111

Far'ah, Tell el- (North) - biblical Tirzah?: is there a wall of "separation"? 116

Far'ah, Tell el- (South): an important city, but probably not Sharuhen 120

Gath (Tell es-Safi): "tell it not in Gath" 123

Gezer: did Solomon build a city gate here? 127

Gibeah (Tell el-Ful?): concubines beware! 132

Gibeon (el-Jib): a huge water well and a deadly "game" 135

Halif, Tell (Rimmon?): where exactly are we? 139

Hazor: the mightiest Canaanite city of them all 142

Hebron: of myths and legends: who's buried here? 147

Herodian Jericho: why did Herod the Great have to show off so much? 150

Heshbon (Tell Hesban): a "lover's eyes" 153

Jericho (Tell es-Sultan): a big nail in the coffin of a "militaristic conquest" 156

Jerusalem: whatever happened to "David" and "Solomon"? 163

Jezreel (Tel): was Omri just boasting? 172

Lachish: at least the Assyrians were impressed 176

Megiddo: front-row seat for watching the end of the world 182

Mizpah (Tell en-Nasbeh?): what's an "ebenezer"? 188

Nazareth: a peasant village: hometown of Jesus 192

Ramat Rachel (Beth-Haccherem): why prophets sometimes hated kings 195

Samaria: the pride of the Omrides 198

Shechem: what do all these trees and stones mean? 203

Shiloh: the place of priests 210

Ta'anach: home of the cultic prize 214

Tell Beit Mirsim: what's in a name? 219

Tiberias: the jewel beside the Sea of Galilee 223

Timnah (Tel Batash): a lion, a wife, and a riddle 226

Yokne'am (Tell Qeimum): you don't have to be famous to be important 231

Appendix A The Philistines 235

Appendix B A note on chronology 243

Appendix C Chronology for kings of Israel and Judah 245.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0415223148

0415223156

OCLC:

60414568

Publisher Number:

9780415223140 (hbk.)

9780415223157 (pbk.)