The Christian Monks Who Saved Jewish History

By Malka Simkovich

Many Jews view the Second Temple period as a “filler” period that bridges the biblical period and the rabbinic period. Some figures who appear in the latest strata of the Hebrew Bible, Ezra and Nehemiah are viewed by many of these Jews as proto-rabbis who forged the way into the rabbinic period.

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The Grammar of Messianism

By Matthew V. Novenson

Messianism is one of those classic topics in Jewish studies that suffers not for lack of attention but rather for confusion surrounding the concept itself. My new book The Grammar of Messianism: An Ancient Jewish Political Idiom and Its Users picks up where the classic studies of ancient Jewish messianism leave off.

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Rebuilding Eden in the Land of Eridu

By Marco Ramazzotti

The site of Eridu had a special place in the Mesopotamian tradition. In Babylonian literature the relevance of Eridu was always more religious than political. For example, in the Sumerian King List the gods first handed kingship down to Eridu. In Babylonian mythology Eridu was founded by the god Enki/Ea, who warned Zuisudra, the Sumerian Noah, about the flood.

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The Exodus in Archaeology and Text

By Richard Elliott Friedman

For too long Biblical studies was made up of Bible scholars who weren’t trained in archaeology or historical method. And then for too long we leaned on archaeologists who weren’t trained in biblical texts, their history, language, and authorship. Father of Biblical Archaeology William F. Albright’s ideal was that eventually the two would work together.

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The Ancient Near East Today features contributions from diverse academics, a forum featuring debates of current developments from the field, and links to news and resources. The ANE Today covers the entire Near East, and each issue presents discussions ranging from the state of biblical archaeology to archaeology after the Arab Spring.

Take a look at the contents of this e-book!

• The Pharaoh’s Magic – Imagery and Diplomacy in the Late Bronze Age
• The Exodus in Archaeology and Text
• Rebuilding Eden in the Land of Eridu
• The Grammar of Messianism
• The Christian Monks Who Saved Jewish History

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