The Hyksos Enigma Volume Ii

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The Hyksos Enigma, Volume II

Author : Ernest Bumann
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9783447115049
Total Pages : 372 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (15 download)

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Book Synopsis The Hyksos Enigma, Volume II by : Ernest Bumann

Download or read book The Hyksos Enigma, Volume II written by Ernest Bumann and published by . This book was released on 2021-03-17 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the end of the Early Bronze Age, people were clearly on the move, settlements were abandoned and the reasons for this phenomenon, either political, economic, ecological or social in nature, are partly still mysterious. Although differentiated regional clusters are in many cases still not easy to pinpoint, it becomes clear that the "Greater Levantine Area" was, despite all differences, embedded into networks of interregional connectivity most likely sustained by trade relations. At Tell el-Dabʻa/Avaris, a major harbour town and trade centre in the Middle Bronze Age, it is not astonishing that diverse foreign contacts to different regions throughout the Levant can be established in the material culture. Concerning the origin of the inhabitants of Avaris, the current research seems to point to a provenance, at least of the elite, the "decision makers", to northernmost Syria and northern Mesopotamia as shown by comparable religious and funerary concepts. This volume comprises the collected papers of two workshops organised by the ERC Advanced Grant: "The Enigma of the Hyksos" under the direction of Manfred Bietak during the ASOR Conference held in Boston in November 2017 and the ICAANE Conference held in Munich in April 2018. They specifically aimed to gain a better understanding of the Western Asiatic populations settling in the eastern Delta of Egypt from the late Middle Kingdom to the early New Kingdom. Of particular interest are their exact origins and ways of migration that can be explored by means of different comparative cultural studies as well as bio-archaeological approaches.

The Enigma of the Hyksos

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (114 download)

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Book Synopsis The Enigma of the Hyksos by :

Download or read book The Enigma of the Hyksos written by and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

The Enigma of the Hyksos: Transforming Egypt into the new kingdom : the impact of the Hyskos and Egyptian-Near Eastern relations

Author : Manfred Bietak
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (113 download)

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Book Synopsis The Enigma of the Hyksos: Transforming Egypt into the new kingdom : the impact of the Hyskos and Egyptian-Near Eastern relations by : Manfred Bietak

Download or read book The Enigma of the Hyksos: Transforming Egypt into the new kingdom : the impact of the Hyskos and Egyptian-Near Eastern relations written by Manfred Bietak and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the end of the Early Bronze Age, people were clearly on the move, settlements were abandoned and the reasons for this phenomenon, either political, economic, ecological or social in nature, are partly still mysterious. Although differentiated regional clusters are in many cases still not easy to pinpoint, it becomes clear that the "Greater Levantine Area" was, despite all differences, embedded into networks of interregional connectivity most likely sustained by trade relations. At Tell el-Dabʻa/Avaris, a major harbour town and trade centre in the Middle Bronze Age, it is not astonishing that diverse foreign contacts to different regions throughout the Levant can be established in the material culture. Concerning the origin of the inhabitants of Avaris, the current research seems to point to a provenance, at least of the elite, the "decision makers", to northernmost Syria and northern Mesopotamia as shown by comparable religious and funerary concepts. This volume comprises the collected papers of two workshops organised by the ERC Advanced Grant: "The Enigma of the Hyksos" under the direction of Manfred Bietak during the ASOR Conference held in Boston in November 2017 and the ICAANE Conference held in Munich in April 2018. They specifically aimed to gain a better understanding of the Western Asiatic populations settling in the eastern Delta of Egypt from the late Middle Kingdom to the early New Kingdom. Of particular interest are their exact origins and ways of migration that can be explored by means of different comparative cultural studies as well as bio-archaeological approaches.

The Enigma of the Hyksos Vol. II

Author : Anna-Latifa Mourad
Publisher : Harrassowitz
ISBN 13 : 9783447115902
Total Pages : 460 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (159 download)

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Book Synopsis The Enigma of the Hyksos Vol. II by : Anna-Latifa Mourad

Download or read book The Enigma of the Hyksos Vol. II written by Anna-Latifa Mourad and published by Harrassowitz. This book was released on 2021-06 with total page 460 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Egypt's New Kingdom emerged from a period of regionalisation, when local communities had developed according to different trajectories that gave rise to diverse socio-cultural transformations. Dynamic and multifaceted, these processes involved a range of internal and external forces, some of which were influenced by cultural encounters. Indeed, those with the 'rulers of foreign lands', the Hyksos, have been commonly associated with the introduction of a host of ideas and entities into Egypt. However, the validity and extent of the impact of the Hyksos on the New Kingdom remain insufficiently addressed. Anna-Latifa Mourad explores these points of enquiry, but also expands its analysis in line with current theoretical understandings on the complexity of cultural encounters. Her study ascertains whether and how consistent Egyptian-Near Eastern encounters in the Middle Bronze Age influenced New Kingdom society, and culture. By assessing a range of archaeological, artistic, and textual material, it clarifies contexts of encounters as well as interrelated agents and mechanisms, questioning the fate of those ruled by the Hyksos. It elucidates the tangible and intangible effects of contact on historical, socio-political, religious, and technological developments, revealing how, amid the many processes of negotiation and change, elements from the Near East seeped into the dynamic and complex socio-cultural framework of Egypt, as it irreversibly transformed into the New Kingdom.

The Bloomsbury Handbook of Material Religion in the Ancient Near East and Egypt

Author : Nicola Laneri
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1350280836
Total Pages : 527 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (52 download)

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Book Synopsis The Bloomsbury Handbook of Material Religion in the Ancient Near East and Egypt by : Nicola Laneri

Download or read book The Bloomsbury Handbook of Material Religion in the Ancient Near East and Egypt written by Nicola Laneri and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2023-06-29 with total page 527 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With contributions spanning from the Neolithic Age to the Iron Age, this book offers important insights into the religions and ritual practices in ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern communities through the lenses of their material remains. The book begins with a theoretical introduction to the concept of material religion and features editor introductions to each of its six parts, which tackle the following themes: the human body; religious architecture; the written word; sacred images; the spirituality of animals; and the sacred role of the landscape. Illustrated with over 100 images, chapters provide insight into every element of religion and materiality, from the largest building to the smallest amulet. This is a benchmark work for further studies on material religion in the ancient Near East and Egypt.

The Enigma of the Hyksos. Volume III

Author : Silvia Prell
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9783447117067
Total Pages : 284 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (17 download)

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Book Synopsis The Enigma of the Hyksos. Volume III by : Silvia Prell

Download or read book The Enigma of the Hyksos. Volume III written by Silvia Prell and published by . This book was released on 2021-10-19 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Im spaten Mittleren Reich und der 2. Zwischenzeit wurde die Bevolkerung Agyptens mit zwei vormals unbekannten Phanomenen konfrontiert: zum einen mit der Ansiedlung einer nicht unbedeutenden Anzahl von asiatischen Migranten im ostlichen Nildelta und zum anderen der daraus resultierenden Herrschaft zweier ausla?ndischer Dynastien, den Vorgangern der Hyksos (14. Dynastie) und den Hyksos selbst (15. Dynastie), die den Norden des Landes und den Handel mit der Levante ca. 200 Jahre kontrollierten. Nach Agypten waren diese Einwanderer gewiss mit Billigung der agyptischen Krone gekommen, um eine hybride agypto-levantinische Kultur in einem bedeutenden Handelszentrum seiner Zeit, Tell el-Dabca/Avaris, zu erschaffen. Den archaologischen Relikten zufolge, hatten diese Zuwanderer ihre Wurzeln im Nahen Osten, auch wenn ihre genaue geographische Herkunft und ihre kulturelle und "ethnische Identitat" immer noch Gegenstand aktueller Forschung sind. In dieser Publikation, die im Rahmen des ERC Advanced Grants "The Enigma of the Hyksos" unter der Leitung von Manfred Bietak entstanden ist, wird speziell untersucht, inwiefern fremde Bestattungssitten, die in der Mittleren Bronzezeit im Ostdelta Agyptens zu fassen sind (die Beigabe von Waffen, Eseln, Capriden, der Fakt, dass die Bestattungen innerhalb der Siedlung vorgenommen wurden, sowie mo?gliche Gefolgschaftsbestattungen), zur Erhellung der immer noch offenen Frage nach der genauen Herkunft der Zuwanderer beitragen ko?nnen.

The Hyksos

Author : John Van Seters
Publisher : Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1725228041
Total Pages : 240 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (252 download)

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Book Synopsis The Hyksos by : John Van Seters

Download or read book The Hyksos written by John Van Seters and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2010-04-01 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Hyksos, foreign rulers of Egypt in the Second Intermediate Period--from about 1700 to 1550 B.C.--have been a source of continuing debate among archaeologists and historians. Mr. Van Seters approaches the problems of their rise to power, their dynasties, the nature of their rule, and their religion from the joint perspectives of archaeology and literary criticism. Archaeological investigation shows the Middle Bronze culture of Syria-Palestine to have had highly developed fortifications, advanced urban life, fine buildings and temples, and a high quality of practical and artistic craftsmanship. Based on a revised date for the long-known The Admonitions of Ipuwer, this study offers a fresh explanation of the Hyksos' rise to power. A new examination of the location of Avaris, their capital, indicates that the previous identification with Tanis must give way to the region near Qantir. The Hyksos were not Hurrians or Indo-Aryans, but Ammurite princes who rose to power in Egypt following the dynastic weaknesses at the end of the Middle Kingdom.

The Enigma of the Hyksos: ASOR Conference Boston 2017 ; ICAANE Conference Munich 2018 - collected papers

Author : Manfred Bietak
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (113 download)

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Book Synopsis The Enigma of the Hyksos: ASOR Conference Boston 2017 ; ICAANE Conference Munich 2018 - collected papers by : Manfred Bietak

Download or read book The Enigma of the Hyksos: ASOR Conference Boston 2017 ; ICAANE Conference Munich 2018 - collected papers written by Manfred Bietak and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the end of the Early Bronze Age, people were clearly on the move, settlements were abandoned and the reasons for this phenomenon, either political, economic, ecological or social in nature, are partly still mysterious. Although differentiated regional clusters are in many cases still not easy to pinpoint, it becomes clear that the "Greater Levantine Area" was, despite all differences, embedded into networks of interregional connectivity most likely sustained by trade relations. At Tell el-Dabʻa/Avaris, a major harbour town and trade centre in the Middle Bronze Age, it is not astonishing that diverse foreign contacts to different regions throughout the Levant can be established in the material culture. Concerning the origin of the inhabitants of Avaris, the current research seems to point to a provenance, at least of the elite, the "decision makers", to northernmost Syria and northern Mesopotamia as shown by comparable religious and funerary concepts. This volume comprises the collected papers of two workshops organised by the ERC Advanced Grant: "The Enigma of the Hyksos" under the direction of Manfred Bietak during the ASOR Conference held in Boston in November 2017 and the ICAANE Conference held in Munich in April 2018. They specifically aimed to gain a better understanding of the Western Asiatic populations settling in the eastern Delta of Egypt from the late Middle Kingdom to the early New Kingdom. Of particular interest are their exact origins and ways of migration that can be explored by means of different comparative cultural studies as well as bio-archaeological approaches.

Rise of the Hyksos

Author : Anna-Latifa Mourad
Publisher : Archaeopress Publishing Ltd
ISBN 13 : 1784911348
Total Pages : 500 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (849 download)

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Book Synopsis Rise of the Hyksos by : Anna-Latifa Mourad

Download or read book Rise of the Hyksos written by Anna-Latifa Mourad and published by Archaeopress Publishing Ltd. This book was released on 2015-10-31 with total page 500 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Manetho's obscure reference to a race of invaders has been a constant source of debate and controversy. This book assesses the rise to power of the Hyksos, exploring the preliminary stages that enabled them to gain control over a portion of Egyptian territory and thus to merit a small mention in Manetho's history.

Blake & Mortimer - Volume 2 - The Mystery of the Great Pyramid (Part 1)

Author : P. Jacobs
Publisher : Cinebook
ISBN 13 : 1849189382
Total Pages : 58 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (491 download)

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Book Synopsis Blake & Mortimer - Volume 2 - The Mystery of the Great Pyramid (Part 1) by : P. Jacobs

Download or read book Blake & Mortimer - Volume 2 - The Mystery of the Great Pyramid (Part 1) written by P. Jacobs and published by Cinebook. This book was released on 2010-03-26T00:00:00+01:00 with total page 58 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Professor Philip Mortimer has decided to spend his holidays in Cairo with his trusty servant, Nasir. There he plans to meet his old friend, Professor Ahmed Rassim Bey, who offers him the fantastic opportunity of satisfying his passion for Egyptology. Professor Bey has invited him to take part in deciphering his latest discoveries—in this case, some papyrus coming from mummies of the Ptolemaic age. Mortimer and Bey soon realize that one of the fragments deals with the “Chamber of Horus,” a fabled crypt that could contain priceless treasures...

Decoding the Osirian Myth

Author : Panagiota Sarischouli
Publisher : Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN 13 : 311143513X
Total Pages : 554 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (114 download)

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Book Synopsis Decoding the Osirian Myth by : Panagiota Sarischouli

Download or read book Decoding the Osirian Myth written by Panagiota Sarischouli and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2024-09-23 with total page 554 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The earliest written references to the Osirian myth-complex appeared already in the Pyramid Text spells (c. 2400–2300 BCE). The most complete exposition of this ancient Egyptian myth is, however, found in the Greek treatise On Isis and Osiris, in which the 2nd-century CE Platonist Plutarch utilises Egyptian mythology to advocate his philosophical ideas concerning the divine and the nature of the cosmos. This book aims at “decoding” Plutarch’s narrative of the Osirian myth, linking his claims to the existing Egyptian and Greek parallels. It thus analyses a multitude of mythic and religious traditions from a transcultural perspective, exploring the relation of the Pharaonic features of the Osirian divinities to the features they had acquired in Ptolemaic and Roman times, interpreting the Egyptian myth within the overall framework of parallel mythologies from other cultures, and examining whether the brief mythic stories (historiolae) recited in Late Egyptian ritual texts can be deployed to enrich the context of certain obscure episodes in Plutarch’s account of the myth. The book will be of great interest not only to scholars and students of Plutarch and later Middle Platonism, but also to Egyptologists. Due to its thematic variety and scope, this publication will also appeal to a wider array of readers (specialists and non-specialists alike) interested in religious syncretism, interreligious connections, and the challenge of multiculturalism from Hellenistic times until Late Antiquity.

The Middle Kingdom of Ancient Egypt

Author : Wolfram Grajetzki
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1350455555
Total Pages : 265 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (54 download)

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Book Synopsis The Middle Kingdom of Ancient Egypt by : Wolfram Grajetzki

Download or read book The Middle Kingdom of Ancient Egypt written by Wolfram Grajetzki and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2024-05-16 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For the ancient Egyptians, the Middle Kingdom (c. 2000-1700 BC) was a classical period of art, history and literature. The Twelfth Dynasty was one of the strongest ever to rule on the banks of the Nile: some of its kings were later worshipped as local gods, and were made famous by classical Greek authors. Yet Egyptologists tend not to look beyond the extraordinary royal sculpture and literary masterpieces of the time. Although the picture is fragmentary, as with any archaeological record, the last two hundred years of exploration and excavation have revealed much of the splendour of the period. This book examines the evidence for the culture, history and society of both central and provincial Egypt at the time, revealing the wealth of the entire country. In this second edition, Wolfram Grajetzki incorporates recent discoveries, discussions and publications which have emerged over the intervening fifteen years, including new excavation reports for the mastabas at Lisht and excavations at Abydos. Too often overshadowed by the better-preserved architecture of other periods, Middle Kingdom Egypt emerges for the reader as a fascinating age in its own right.

“And in Length of Days Understanding” (Job 12:12)

Author : Erez Ben-Yosef
Publisher : Springer Nature
ISBN 13 : 3031273303
Total Pages : 1956 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (312 download)

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Book Synopsis “And in Length of Days Understanding” (Job 12:12) by : Erez Ben-Yosef

Download or read book “And in Length of Days Understanding” (Job 12:12) written by Erez Ben-Yosef and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-08-01 with total page 1956 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This two-volume book presents cutting-edge archaeological research, primarily as practiced in the Eastern Mediterranean region. These volumes’ key foci are inspired by the work of Thomas E. Levy. Volume 1 provides an in-depth look at new archaeological research in the southern Levant (primarily in modern Israel and Jordan) inspired by Levy’s commitment to understanding social, political, and economic processes in a long-term or “deep time” perspective. Volume 2 focuses on new research in several key areas of 21st century anthropological archaeology and archaeological science. Volume 1 is organized around two major themes: 1) the later prehistory of the southern Levant, or the Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and Bronze Age, and 2) new research in biblical archaeology, or the historical archaeology of the Iron Age. Each section contains a combination of new perspectives on key debates and studies introducing new research questions and directions. Volume 2 is organized around five major themes: 1) the archaeology of the Faynan copper ore district of southern Jordan, a key region for archaeometallurgical research in West Asia where Levy conducted field research for over a decade, 2) new research in archaeometallurgy beyond the Faynan region, 3) marine and maritime archaeology, focusing on issues of trade and environmental change, 4) cyber-archaeology, an important 21st century field Levy conceived as “the marriage of archaeology, engineering, computer science, and the natural sciences,” and 5) key issues in anthropological archaeological theory. In addition to presenting the reader with an up-to-date view of research in each of these areas, the volume also has chapters exploring the connections between these themes, e.g. the maritime trade of metals and cyber-/digital archaeological approaches to metallurgy. The work contains contributions from both up-and-coming early career researchers and key established figures in their fields. This book is an essential reference for archaeologists and scholars in related disciplines working in the southern Levant and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Ancient Israel in Egypt

Author : Daniel Tompsett
Publisher : Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1666741582
Total Pages : 593 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (667 download)

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Book Synopsis Ancient Israel in Egypt by : Daniel Tompsett

Download or read book Ancient Israel in Egypt written by Daniel Tompsett and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2023-02-07 with total page 593 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book looks back over thousands of years to explore the period in Egyptian history when the Bible identifies that Ancient Israel was resident in Egypt. It asks and answers one very simple question: What new things can we learn about this period of history if we treat the Bible as a valid historical document? Whereas this topic is often approached from either the perspective of the Bible or Egyptology, this work genuinely attempts to occupy the ground between the two. It uses Scripture like a torch carried into the deepest recesses of the established historical facts and theories concerning the late Middle Kingdom period, the Second Intermediate period, and the early New Kingdom period in Egyptian history. Along the way, it considers some of the latest discoveries, innovations, and theories from the world of Egyptology and unearths a trove of tangible points of connection. As such, the narrative forms a two-way perspective, where the biblical account illuminates stubbornly opaque moments in Egyptian history and chronology and where the meticulous work of Egyptologists provides appropriate additional background to the Bible. The result is a sharper perspective of an ancient account that has a surprisingly current application for us all.

The Desert Prince

Author : Alisha Sevigny
Publisher : Dundurn
ISBN 13 : 1459744349
Total Pages : 244 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (597 download)

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Book Synopsis The Desert Prince by : Alisha Sevigny

Download or read book The Desert Prince written by Alisha Sevigny and published by Dundurn. This book was released on 2020-09-19 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ancient Egyptian healer and scribe Sesha is ready for another role: spy. Be sure to read Sesha’s first adventure, The Lost Scroll of the Physician. Forced to flee Thebes or face death, Sesha and her friends, Paser and Reb, travel up the Nile and into the desert in search of a hidden oasis. Led by a freed spy, they plan to rescue Pharaoh’s daughter Princess Merat, given to a Hyksos chieftain against her will. Before they can get there, though, they have to battle lurking crocodiles, endless dunes, and blinding sandstorms. When the group finally straggles into the Hyksos camp, they find the rebels preparing for combat. But as Sesha and her friends spend time with the rival tribe, the lines in the sand begin to blur. When she takes on a dangerous secret mission and learns about a prophecy that could change the course of history, Sesha has to decide where her future — and the real danger — lies.

The Archaeology of the Bronze Age Levant

Author : Raphael Greenberg
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1107111463
Total Pages : 433 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (71 download)

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Book Synopsis The Archaeology of the Bronze Age Levant by : Raphael Greenberg

Download or read book The Archaeology of the Bronze Age Levant written by Raphael Greenberg and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2019-11-07 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An up-to-date, systematic depiction of Bronze Age societies of the Levant, their evolution, and their interactions and entanglements with neighboring regions.

The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East

Author : Karen Radner
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0190687592
Total Pages : 977 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (96 download)

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Book Synopsis The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East by : Karen Radner

Download or read book The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East written by Karen Radner and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2022-05-13 with total page 977 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This groundbreaking, five-volume series offers a comprehensive, fully illustrated history of Egypt and Western Asia (the Levant, Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Iran), from the emergence of complex states to the conquest of Alexander the Great. Written by a diverse, international team of leading scholars whose expertise brings to life the people, places, and times of the remote past, the volumes in this series focus firmly on the political and social histories of the states and communities of the ancient Near East. Individual chapters present the key textual and material sources underpinning the historical reconstruction, paying particular attention to the most recent archaeological finds and their impact on our historical understanding of the periods surveyed. The second volume covers broadly the first half of the second millennium BC or in archaeological terms, the Middle Bronze Age. Eleven chapters present the history of the Near East, beginning with the First Intermediate Period and Middle Kingdom Egypt and the Mesopotamian kingdoms of Ur (Third Dynasty), Isin and Larsa. The complex mosaic of competing states that arose between the Eastern Mediterranean, the Anatolian highlands and the Zagros mountains of Iran are all treated, culminating in an examination of the kingdom of Babylon founded by Hammurabi and maintained by his successors. Beyond the narrative history of each region considered, the volume treats a wide range of critical topics, including the absolute chronology; state formation and disintegration; the role of kingship, cult practice and material culture in the creation and maintenance of social hierarchies; and long-distance trade-both terrestrial and maritime-as a vital factor in the creation of social, political and economic networks that bridged deserts, oceans, and mountain ranges, binding together the extraordinarily diverse peoples and polities of Sub-Saharan Africa, the Near East, and Central Asia.