Between Past and Present: Archaeology, Ideology, and Nationalism in the Modern Middle East [Paperback]

Neil Silberman (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Eyeballing the ruins of Masada and Troy and puzzling over the identity of the Hyksos invaders of ancient Egypt, archeologist Silberman explores how interpretations of archeological discoveries are often shaped by nationalistic feelings, and political and ethnic rivalries. "Written with modesty and charm, this is an outspoken analysis of the politicization of archeology," judged PW.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 285 pages
• Publisher: Anchor (October 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385416105
• ISBN-13: 978-0385416108
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,277,568 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in Boston and trained in Archaeology in Jerusalem, and I've spent most of my career writing and thinking about the politics and contemporary meanings of archaeological discoveries. 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. We hope that our theories stimulate thinking and reflection about the origins of the Judeo-Christian tradition. No less important, they offer an example of the kind of far-reaching archaeological transformation of our conventional view of the past that is now affecting modern understandings of nearly every historical period, in nearly every region of the world.