Jerusalem the Center of the Universe: Its Archaeology and History (1800-100 BCE)

By Israel Finkelstein

Jerusalem is the center of the universe, the hub of the three great monotheistic religions, yet how did a city located on the desert fringe, in the semi-arid southern highlands of Israel with little tillable land achieve such dominance? To provide answers to this enduring riddle, Israel Finkelstein has collected twenty-four of his best articles and essays covering the Middle Bronze Age to the late Hellenistic period. With critical and well-informed care, he analyzes archaeological evidence that often stands in tension with the biblical text. Topics of particular interest include the archaeology of the tenth century BCE; Saul, David, and Solomon in the Bible and archaeology; the first expansion of the city in the ninth century; its full growth in the late eighth to seventh centuries; Jerusalem and Judah under the Assyrian Empire; the days of King Josiah; and transormations in the Persian-Hellenistic era.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1628374993
• ISBN13: 9781628374995
• Release Date: June 2024
• Publisher: SBL Press
• Length: 472 Pages
• Weight: 1.86 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"