Table of Contents

Preface Acknowledgements 1. Palestine in the Late Bronze Age (14th - 13th Centuries) Part One: A Normal History 2. The Transition (12th Century) 3. The New Society (c. 1150-1050) 4. The Formative Process (c. 1050-930) 5. The Kingdom of Israel (c. 930 -740) 6. The Kingdom of Judah (c. 930-720) 7. The Impact of the Assyrian Empire (c. 740-640) 8. Pause between Two Empires (c. 640-610) 9. The Impact of the Babylonian Empire (c.610-585) Intermezzo 10. The Axial Age 11. The Diaspora 12. The Abandoned Landscape Part Two: An Invented History 13. Returnees and 'Remainees': The Invention of the Patriarchs 14. Returnees and Aliens: The Invention of the Conquest 15. A Nation without a King: The Invention of the Judges 16. The Royal Option: The Invention of the United Monarchy 17. The Priestly Option: The Invention of the Solomonic Temple 18. Self-Identification: The Invention of the Law Epilogue 19. Local History and Universal Values Bibliography

About the Author

Mario Liverani teaches the History of the Ancient Near East at the University of Rome 'La Sapienz'. He is Lincei Academic and honorary member of the American Oriental Society. He is the coordinator of the archaeological expedition in the Acacus (Libyan Sahara). He has published Ancient Orient (1991), which has been translated into Spanish by Critica, War and Diplomacy in the Ancient Orient (1994), Uruk: The First City (1998), translated into English by University of Chicago Press, and Myth and Politics in Ancient Near Eastern Historiography (2004, Equinox).

Reviews

"There have been many histories of ancient Israel, but this one, from one of the world's greatest ancient historians, is nothing less than a tour de force. Of course, no one will agree with all of Liverani's arguments and conclusions. But no one, I venture to predict, will come away from reading him without being challenged, indeed exhilarated by the depth of his insights and the breadth of his vision." Peter Machinist, Hancock Professor of Hebrew and Other Oriental Languages, Harvard University "Liverani's intentions in offering an account of the biblical transformation of Israel's past 'from trivial event to significant re-elaboration' are to be commended. His book is an appropriate and exciting alternative to the biblical narrative." Times Literary Supplement, June 23, 2006