Library Catalog
On the Shelf at CCBC Libraries
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Stone and Dung, Oil and Spit
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In Stone and Dung, Oil and Spit Jodi Magness unearths ?footprints? buried in both archaeological and literary evidence to shed new light on Jewish daily life in Palestine from the mid-first century b.c.e. to 70 c.e. ? the time and place of Jesus? life and ministry. Magness analyzes recent archaeological discoveries from such sites as Qumran and Masada together with a host of period texts, including the New Testament, the works of Josephus, and rabbinic teachings. Layering all these sources together, she reconstructs in detail a fascinating variety of everyday activities ? dining customs, Sabbath observance, fasting, toilet habits, burial customs, and more.
Call Number: DS112 .M2325 2011 -
The Gifts of the Jews
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NATIONAL BESTSELLER * The author of the runaway bestseller How the Irish Saved Civilization takes us on another "captivating...persuasive as well as entertaining" journey into history (The New York Times), recreating a time when the actions of a small band of people had repercussions that are still felt today. The Gifts of the Jews reveals the critical change that made western civilization possible. Within the matrix of ancient religions and philosophies, life was seen as part of an endless cycle of birth and death; time was like a wheel, spinning ceaselessly. Yet somehow, the ancient Jews began to see time differently. For them, time had a beginning and an end; it was a narrative, whose triumphant conclusion would come in the future. From this insight came a new conception of men and women as individuals with unique destinies--a conception that would inform the Declaration of Independence--and our hopeful belief in progress and the sense that tomorrow can be better than today. As Thomas Cahill narrates this momentous shift, he also explains the real significance of such Biblical figures as Abraham and Sarah, Moses and the Pharaoh, Joshua, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. Full of compelling stories, insights and humor, The Gifts of the Jews is an irresistible exploration of history as fascinating and fun as How the Irish Saved Civilization.
Call Number: BM165 .C25 1999 -
The Jews in the Greek Age
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One of our century's greatest authorities on the ancient world gives us here a vivid account of the Jewish people from the conquest of Palestine by Alexander the Great in 332 BCE to the revolt of the Maccabees. It is a rich story of Jewish social, economic, and intellectual life and of the relations between the Jewish community and the Hellenistic rulers and colonizers of Palestine--a historical narrative told with consummate skill. Elias Bickerman portrays Jewish life in the context of a broader picture of the Near East and traces the interaction between the Jewish and Greek worlds throughout this period. He reconstructs the evidence concerning social and political structures; the economy of Hellenistic Jerusalem and Judea; Greek officials, merchants, and entrepreneurs as well as full-scale Greek colonies in Palestine; the impact of Greek language and culture among Jews and the translation of Jewish Scriptures into Greek; Jewish literature, learning, and law; and the diaspora in the Hellenistic period. He deploys his profound knowledge gracefully, weaving archaeological finds, literary traditions, the political and economic record, and fertile insights into an abundant and lively history. This first full study of the pre-Maccabean interaction between the Greek and Jewish cultures will be welcomed by historians and specialists in Judaic studies. But any reader interested in the ancient Mediterranean world will find it to be filled with pleasures and discoveries.
Call Number: DS121.65 .B53 1988 -
The Great Pyramid
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Nearly 50 stories high, The Great Pyramid was built more than 4,500 years ago, made from over 2,300,00 giant stone blocks and constructed by primitive farmers. Some believe aliens from outer space created it, but the true story of the Great Pyramid is even more fascinating than the speculation. A nation of farmers living on the green edge of a harsh desert had a king who was a god in life and death. Tens of thousands of farmers left their homes each year to chisel hard stone without iron tools and move 10-ton blocks up steep grades without the use of a wheel. Elizabeth Mann captures the marvel that is The Great Pyramid and the people that built it. She tells the story of a world that is strange, distant and yet poignantly human. In the process, The Great Pyramid and the Old Kingdom become more than dusty remnants of an ancient civilization; they come alive. Laura Lo Turco's shimmering paintings are a perfect visual complement to the text, combining reality with a sense of awe and mystery. Photographs of haunting 4,500-year old walls and statues let Ancient Egypt remind the young reader that these people were indeed real. Wonders of the World series The winner of numerous awards, this series is renowned for Elizabeth Mann's ability to convey adventure and excitement while revealing technical information in engaging and easily understood language. The illustrations are lavishly realistic and accurate in detail but do not ignore the human element. Outstanding in the genre, these books are sure to bring even the most indifferent young reader into the worlds of history, geography, and architecture. "One of the ten best non-fiction series for young readers." - Booklist
Publication Date: 1996-09-01
Streaming Video
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The Beginning: Part 1—The Story of the Jews with Simon Schaman episode one of this five-part series, Simon Schama embarks on his journey at the start of Jewish history, 3,000 years ago. He examines how the Jewish faith endures exile, war, and cultural assimilation through the sanctity of the written word. Ancient scrolls and manuscripts preserve the laws of Moses, and the doctrine of Judaism. Distributed by PBS Distribution.
Distributed by PBS Distribution.
Inventions and Innovations
Websites
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Ancient Jewish Sciences This document is part of the book Ancient Jewish Sciences and the History of Knowledge in Second Temple Literature available at the URI http://dlib.nyu.edu/awdl/isaw/ancient-jewish-sciences/. It is published as part of the NYU Library's Ancient World Digital Library and in partnership with the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW).
Online From CCBC Libraries
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Jewish Family in Antiquity
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Publication Date: 2020-01-15 -
In Search of 'Ancient Israel'
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The appearance of In Search of 'Ancient Israel' generated a still-raging controversy about the historical reality of what biblical scholars call 'Ancient Israel'. But its argument not only takes in the problematic relationship between Iron Age Palestinian archaeology and the biblical 'Israel' but also outlines the processes that created the literature of the Hebrew bible-the ideological matrix, the scribal milieu, and the cultural adoption of a national literary archive as religious scripture as part of the process of creating 'Judaisms'. As such, in this volume Philip R. Davies challenges the whole spectrum of scholarly consensus about the origins of 'Israel' and its scriptures, in a manner that is both learned and accessible. For this new edition Davies has provided a new extended introduction, in which he considers how the debate has raged since the book was first published, and in which he repositions this classic work within the present scholarly context.
Publication Date: 2015-11-19 -
Judeans and Jews
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Presenting the Second Temple era as an age of transition between a territorial past and an exilic and religious future, Judeans and Jews sharpens our understanding of this important era.
Publication Date: 2014 -
The A to Z of Ancient Israel
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Publication Date: 2010
Databases
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ProQuest Central This link opens in a new window
Articles on any subject. This is a good place to start.
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World History This link opens in a new window
Articles, essays, and primary sources on the history of the world.
