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The Bible Unearthed Publisher: Free Press Unknown Binding – January 1, 2002

by Israel Finkelstein Neil Asher Silberman (Author)

4.6 994 ratings

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In this groundbreaking work that sets apart fact and legend, authors Finkelstein and Silberman use significant archeological discoveries to provide historical information about biblical Israel and its neighbors.In this iconoclastic and provocative work, leading scholars Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman draw on recent archaeological research to present a dramatically revised portrait of ancient Israel and its neighbors. They argue that crucial evidence (or a telling lack of evidence) at digs in Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon suggests that many of the most famous stories in the Bible—the wanderings of the patriarchs, the Exodus from Egypt, Joshua’s conquest of Canaan, and David and Solomon’s vast empire—reflect the world of the later authors rather than actual historical facts. Challenging the fundamentalist readings of the scriptures and marshaling the latest archaeological evidence to support its new vision of ancient Israel, The Bible Unearthed offers a fascinating and controversial perspective on when and why the Bible was written and why it possesses such great spiritual and emotional power today.

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ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004OO1DQI
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Touchstone (January 1, 2002)
Language ‏ : ‎ English

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4.6 994 ratings

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Israel Finkelstein
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Neil Asher Silberman
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I was born in Boston and trained in Archaeology in Jerusalem, and I've spent most of my career writing and thinking about the power of historical myth. The characters of the past are always part of the present whether they are King Arthur, George Washington, or David and Solomon. After completing a series of books about the history of Archaeology in the Middle East, I teamed up with my good friend and colleague Israel Finkelstein to see what we could accomplish in the re-construction of modern views of biblical history and the ancient societies in which the Hebrew scriptures arose. And still later, I turned to fiction writing, crafting an over-the-top comic novel of time travel from a TV studio in Manhattan to a medieval castle called Camelot, with another lifelong friend and video pioneer, Michael Rosenblum. I hope that both my non-fiction books about the politics of archaeology and my novels persuade you to reconsider how our conventional (and often badly mistaken) visions of the past subtly yet powerfully influence our modern understanding of the present and future in every region of the world.
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Bravo Mr. Finkelstein & Mr. Silberman

Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2015

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The introduction alone is worth the price of the book. I don't know which of the two of them did the actual writing it but the introduction is a masterpiece of literary genius. He is not only a gifted writer but the duos spot on scholarly knowledge of the historical facts of the Pentateuch give the two of them instant credibility in my book. They have such a gift for the dramatic while presenting absolute facts that I had to go back and rephrase a few of my Pentateuch annotations on my Kindle. Wow!

At times I thought I was reading an action novel. When not acting as a novel the introduction acts as a thoroughly researched commentary. Being an in-depth devoted daily reader and amateur student of the Bible I was surprised that my eyes were opened to a new understanding of a few Pentateuch verses where I'd missed some of the deeper meanings. Shame on me but bless the two of you for your enlightenment. And I'd just spent last week rereading & annotating Genesis, reading not only the Mathew Henry Commentary but the ESV Commentary as well plus all of the ESV footnotes.

Moving on to the body of the work is where their true excellence shines. This is where the rubber meets the road and the reader is able to see for themselves how factual a case the authors have to present. Are they biblical and archaeological scholars or are they kooks. The last thing I'm interested in reading is some "conspiracy theory" about my beloved Bible. I have to say that the case they make (several cases actually) is difficult to digest (as in upsetting to my stomach) and sometimes it was difficult for me continue reading. But, they did their due diligence as well as their homework.

Along the way, these were some of the same questions I was asking myself, without having a single shred of evidence; only an intuition. God strike me down if I'm committing blasphemy but what I've learned here was that others committed blasphemy; not I. In the end, I will not question God's true Word and hopefully I've only been slightly detoured off the path by righteous-minded scribes. Only YHWH יהוה knows.

Finkelstein and Silberman are two brave souls to tackle such a sensitive and explosive subject. But, modern archaeology slowly but surely has been uncovering problems with the Bible's true Word of God account and Bible fact. It now seems likely that in some places we may be actually reading, God forbid, the Word of man. This has nothing to do with this not being God's Book but only has to do with a few well-intentioned or not-so-well intentioned scribes who chose to forsake their sacred duty and change the facts to suit their misguided personal agenda.

The Bible in all it's Glory is still a marvelous work by our beloved Lord and if you practice the Words contained within, it will succeed in bringing you to the Faith.

Five stars for a first rate job. Congratulations and God bless.

6 people found this helpful

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"The Bible Unearthed" by Israel Finklestein and Neil Asher Silberman ...

Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2016

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"The Bible Unearthed" by Israel Finklestein and Neil Asher Silberman was exactly what I wanted.

I initially wanted to read a book about the ancient history of the people of the Bible. I specifically wanted a book goes over everything regarding the origins of its sacred texts with relation to political, social, economic, and religious developments throughout history. I was also interested in the historicity of their stories, and (most importantly) in learning why the Bible says the things it does from a nonreligious point of view. At first, I bought "A History of God" by Karen Armstrong, but her book did not answer most of my questions. Specifically, it did provide some but insufficient archaeological basis for its claims, and while it did go into metaphorical meanings of some of the biblical stories, it did not sufficiently explain why these stories existed beyond the basic statement, "people were simply just trying to find meaning to their lives". I wanted to know how the development of the Bible ties into secular history, and how the beliefs of the people of Israel evolved throughout time in relation to real world events.

That's when I found this book, "The Bible Unearthed" by Israel Finklestein and Neil Asher Silberman. This was everything that I was looking for. It demonstrated using lots of archaeological evidence that many stories in the Bible do not tell events how history suggested they occurred, while other stories proved to fit perfectly in archaeology. It explained that some stories, such as the wandering of the patriarchs, the Exodus from Egypt, the Conquest of Canaan, and the United Monarchy under David and Solomon may not have happened and rather may be based on stories indigenous to the people of Israel. It explains how the original Israelites were actually Canaanites themselves, only becoming strict monotheists when a new "Yahweh Alone" movement arose after the invasion of the northern Kingdom of Israel by the Assyrian Empire. This movement became significantly intertwined with the territorial ambitions of King Josiah after the decline of the Assyrian domination of northern Israel. This is the environment that produced the Bible, a book meant to unify the histories of the northern people of Israel with that of the histories of the southern Kingdom of Judah. When the goals and predictions that were made were not achieved, priests, prophets, and religious scholars sought to redefine the theological meaning of past events creating the Bible in its final form. This book supports all of these conclusions with textual analysis, archaeological finds and physical evidence. Though not all scholars might not agree with ALL the conclusions the book makes, the authors definitely qualified their statements with compelling evidence.

As a nonreligious person myself, with a very religious upbringing, this was the book I have been searching for. It answered so many questions and was engaging at the same time. To a religious person, this book should still be very fascinating, because the authors by no means diminish the literary meaning and rather amplify the Bible's historical beauty. However, if someone is dogmatic in their religious beliefs and is searching for evidence supporting a literal interpretation of Biblical history, this is not the book for them. It will not set well with Biblical Literalists and Fundamentalists, though I still encourage people, even with these beliefs, to read this book to expose themselves to other interpretations that are out there..

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pondererRC

Biblical archaeology brought up to date

Reviewed in Canada on February 15, 2023

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The authors of this book, Finkelstein from the University of Tel Aviv and Silberman from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, have presented some of the current best thinking on the meaning of archaeological research for Old Testament studies. Some of the conclusions will be challenged by very conservative readers, but the evidence is clearly presented in a very readable format.

NickD

Très intéressant

Reviewed in France on April 20, 2023

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Remarquable travail de recueil et d'analyse des données archéologiques par un grand spécialiste de l'antiquité moyenne-orientale. Met très bien en perspective l'histoire de la région.

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Mark W.

A new slant on old ideas

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 20, 2022

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An interesting book that gives some interesting and fresh ideas on some old thorny issues. Balanced and pragmatic this book will give historians and theologians quite a bit to think about. A very worthwhile read for anyone interested in Ancient Middle Eastern history and The Old Testament. You might not agree entirely with what is written or you may have a different perspective but this book will either confirm or cause you to reassess your views. And, from that point of view, its a compelling read.

4 people found this helpful

E.S.M.

Uma excelente introdução para entender a bíblia.

Reviewed in Brazil on July 11, 2018

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Este livro não é para a mente religiosa-cega. É um livro para quem quer conhecer a Bíblia do ponto de vista arqueológico, escrito por dois dos grandes arqueólogos israelenses. Vale a pena cada frase. O livro em sim é uma impressão barata, que ficam amareladas as paginas em um ano de uso, mas seu conteúdo é excelente para quem quiser conhecer as descobertas que reafirma ou contradizem a Bíblia.

4 people found this helpful

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José Macaya

Arduo pero muy interesante

Reviewed in Spain on June 28, 2019

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Respaldo arqueológico inexistente para muchos pasajes importantes de la Biblia

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