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Zusatztext "This book is an impressive! comprehensive! up-to-date review of the ancient Near Eastern world from its prehistoric origins to Alexander's conquest of the Persian empire. Highly reliable as a work of scholarship! it will also have great appeal to the non-specialist reader! in its down-to-earth language and its detective-like approach in addressing many of the unsolved problems of Near Eastern scholarship. Based on extensive use of both written and archaeological sources! it presents a lively and vigorous treatment of the ancient Near East! of great value to students! and of considerable appeal to readers with a general interest in the peoples of the ancient world."- Trevor Bryce! University of Queensland! Australia"[This] text is a comprehensive introduction into the history of both the Ancient Near East and Ancient Egypt from the end of the Last Ice Age (ca. 12!500 BCE) until the conquests of Alexander the Great (333-323 BCE) ... the authors can be applauded for creating a holistic account of developments in the Ancient Near East by taking into account cultures and civilizations often neglected! or only mentioned in passing! in other textbooks ... The coverage in the book ranges from earlier cultures only known from archaeological sources! like those of the Indus and Oxus! to later kingdoms and peoples such as Urartu! the Phoenicians! Phrygians! and Lydians. In the same vein! the separate chapter on the history of ancient Israel and Judah is a welcome addition! also because it doubles as an introduction to the usefulness of the Bible for historical research. The section on prehistory is well informed and up-to-date and together with the chapters on the first millennium it belongs to the best parts of the book. Finally! each chapter has relevant and interesting 'Debating the Evidence' sections where the authors touch on controversial or highly debated issues! such as the Indus script or the Late Bronze Age collapse."- Rients de Boer! Free University of Amsterdam! The Netherlands! Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2018 Informationen zum Autor William H. Stiebing Jr. is Seraphia Leyda Professor of History! Emeritus! at the University of New Orleans! USA.Susan N. Helft is an adjunct lecturer at Rutgers University Newark and Bryn Mawr College! USA. Zusammenfassung Organized by the periods, kingdoms, and empires generally used in ancient Near Eastern political history, Ancient Near Eastern History and Culture interlaces social and cultural history with a political narrative. Charts, figures, maps, and historical documents introduce the reader to the material world of the ancient Near East, including Egypt. The emphasis on historical debates and areas of uncertainty helps students understand how historians use evidence to create interpretations and that several different interpretations of history are possible. New features in this edition include: Reorganization of the chapters on the early periods, with discussions incorporating the latest archaeological finds. New "Debating the Evidence" sections discussing current controversial issues in Near Eastern history. These sections make it easy for students and teachers to find and use the portions of the text devoted to scholarly arguments about various aspects of ancient Near Eastern history. A new chapter, "Ancient Israel and Judah," has been added to cover more completely the crucial issues of ancient Israelite history and religion. More emphasis has been placed on the role and contributions of women in the ancient Near East. The most important change is the addition of co-author Susan N. Helft, a specialist in the art and archaeology of the ancient Near East, who has applied her considerable knowledge, insight, research, and editing skills throughout the book. This new edition of Ancient Near Eastern History and Culture...
