Israel in Transition

Edited by Grabbe (Hebrew Bible and early Judaism, U. of Hull, UK), this volume is the result of an April 2006 conference held at the U. of Hull on the archaeology of ancient Israel/Palestine, focusing on the 400 years between the Late Bronze II era and the Iron IIA era. Topics addressed by the 12 papers collected include the process of Israelite identity building in light of recent finds at Tel Beth-Shemesh, the use of the site of Jezreel for establishing the chronology of ancient Israel, chronological implications of Aegean-style pottery and associated assemblages, using archaeology to write history, Canaanite continuity at Megiddo, south-central Jordan and regional change in material culture, state formation in Iron Age Judah, and evidence from Megiddo and Lachish concerning the date of Philistine settlement in the coastal plains. A companion volume from the Seminar at the European Association of Biblical Studies addressing the same four centuries is planned. Annotation c2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Lester L. Grabbe is Professor of Hebrew Bible and Early Judaism at the University of Hull. He is founder and convenor of the European Seminar in Historical Methodology. A recent book is Ancient Israel: What Do We Know and How Do We Know it?