Aramaic A History of the First World Language Holger Gzella
THE WORLD OF THE BIBLE
Translated by Benjamin D. Suchard
Holger Gzella is professor of Old Testament at the University of Munich, Germany. He previously served as professor of Hebrew and Aramaic at Leiden University.
In this volume—the first complete history of Aramaic from its origins to the present day—Holger Gzella provides an accessible overview of the language perhaps most well known for being spoken by Jesus of Nazareth. Gzella, one of the world’s foremost Aramaicists, begins with the earliest evidence of Aramaic in inscriptions from the beginning of the first millennium BCE, then traces its emergence as the first world language when it became the administrative tongue of the great ancient Near Eastern empires. He also pays due diligence to the sacred role of Aramaic within Judaism, its place in the Islamic world, and its contact with other regional languages, before concluding with a glimpse into modern uses of Aramaic. Although Aramaic never had a unified political or cultural context in which to gain traction, it nevertheless flourished in the Middle East for an extensive period, allowing for widespread cultural exchange between diverse groups of people. In tracing the historical thread of the Aramaic language, readers can also gain a stronger understanding of the rise and fall of civilizations, religions, and cultures in that region over the course of three millennia. Aramaic: A History of the First World Language is visually supplemented by maps, charts, and other images for an immersive reading experience, providing scholars and casual readers alike with an engaging overview of one of the most consequential world languages in history. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2. The Oldest Aramaic and Its Cultural Context 3. Aramaic as a World Language 4. Aramaic in the Bible and Early Judaism 5. Aramaic between the Classical and Parthian Worlds 6. Syriac and the End of Paganism
7. The Second Sacred Language: Aramaic in Rabbinic Judaism 8. Not Just Jews and Christians: Samaritans, Mandeans, and Others 9. Aramaic in Arabia and the Islamic World 10. Modern Aramaic from a Historical Perspective
978-0-8028-7748-2 | Hardcover | 380 pages | $70.00 US | $94.99 CAN | £55.99 UK | Available May 2021
Has Archaeology Buried the Bible? William G. Dever In the last several decades, archaeological evidence has dramatically illuminated ancient Israel. However, instead of proving the truth of the Bible—as an earlier generation had confidently predicted—the new discoveries have forced us to revise much of what was thought to be biblical truth, provoking an urgent question: If the biblical stories are not always true historically, what, if anything, is still salvageable of the Bible’s ethical and moral values? Has Archaeology Buried the Bible? simplifies these complex issues and summarizes the new, archaeologically attested ancient Israel, period by period (ca. 1200–600 BCE). But it also explores in detail how a modern, critical reader of the Bible can still find relevant truths by which to live. “This book is both vintage Dever and refreshingly innovative. Dever’s strongly argued positions on the relationship between the Hebrew Bible and archaeological materials are presented in lucid and riveting language, accessible to all. In addition, Dever shows how biblical accounts—even problematic ones—are not devoid of meaning but rather are rich with the potential to provide lessons for contemporary life.” — CAROL MEYERS Duke University
William G. Dever is professor emeritus of Near Eastern archaeology and anthropology at the University of Arizona in Tucson. He has served as director of the Nelson Glueck School of Biblical Archaeology in Jerusalem, as director of the W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem, and as a visiting professor at universities around the world. He has also spent thirty years conducting archaeological excavations in the Near East, resulting in a large body of award-winning fieldwork.
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Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
“Bill Dever is one of the leading archaeologists of the Southern Levant in the last two generations, influencing the course of scholarship for more than fifty years. Has Archaeology Buried the Bible? critically synthesizes biblical history with modern archaeology, offering a detailed and compelling reconstruction of how things really were, as well as a stimulating assessment of the value of this history to modern readership. The book reviews both the biblical history of ancient Israel—from the period of the patriarchs, through the exodus and settlement in Canaan, to the period of the monarchy—as well as various aspects of Israelite religion, and examines them through the lens of archaeology and modern scholarship. It is a must-read for anyone interested in biblical history and in understanding its relevance in the modern world.” — AVRAHAM FAUST Bar-Ilan University
978-0-8028-7763-5 | Jacketed Hardcover |168 pages | $25.99 US | $34.99 CAN | £20.99 UK | Available
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