The Bible and the Ancient Near East (Revised Edition) [Paperback]

Cyrus H. Gordon (Author), Gary A. Rendsburg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 17, 1998

This up-to-date revision of a classic work draws on the latest archaeological and linguistic research to fill in the historical realities behind the great stories of the Bible.

This account of the historical context for the Hebrew Bible explores the diverse origins of such stories as the creation and the flood in the cultures of the ancient Near East. The authors show the striking parallels in the foundational stories told in the Egyptian, Persian, Greek, and Hebrew cultures of the time.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This work is a fourth, and most welcome, updated edition of Gordon's Introduction to Old Testament Times (1953). (Gordon was professor of ancient Near Eastern Studies at Brandeis and New York University; coauthor Rendsburg is professor of Near Eastern Studies at Cornell.) Like all the earlier editions, this latest aims to help readers situate the Bible in its ancient historical context. It includes much new information gleaned especially from the Ebla archives, discovered in the 1970s. While it is erudite and dense with information, the work is nevertheless readable and easily understood and will appeal to students and interested lay readers. Scholars might wish for fuller footnotes, but this is a small criticism in a text intended for a wide public. Recommended for both academic and public libraries.?James F. DeRoche, Alexandria, Va.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Cyrus R. Gordon is professor emeritus of Mediterranean studies at Brandeis University.

Gary A. Rendsburg is professor of Near Eastern studies at Cornell University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; Revised Edition edition (February 17, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393316890
• ISBN-13: 978-0393316896
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #338,371 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening, incredible, breath-taking, May 11, 2004

By 

Jane Lebak "tabris02" (sunny New England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Bible and the Ancient Near East (Revised Edition) (Paperback)

I had the privilege of taking two courses with Dr. Rendsburg, and my biggest regret about college is not taking more. This book complements the courses I took (although it wasn't our textbook) and it's been a joy reading about everything discussed in class.

Dr. Rendsburg and Dr. Gordon's approach will not satisfy those who want a literal approach to the Biblical text. For anyone who wants the Biblical stories placed in a historical context, however, this work will do exactly that. By matching elements of the Biblical text to ancient near eastern documents and history, the Biblical stories are placed into the greater context of their times, which I find extremely enlightening. Find out why dream interpretation occurs in Daniel and Joseph and nowhere else; learn how the patriarchs' family structure fits exactly into the legal construction of the family and land inheritance as described in texts from Ugarit; follow the understanding of the God of Israel from the chief god among many to the only God.

The authors treat the Bible with great respect, searching out the historical facts, illuminating where epic tradition colors the text, and relating the growth of Judaism to the political, social, and literary climate of the times in which it was written. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a greater appreciation of either the Bible or the ancient world.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great guide to a land far away and a time long ago, March 4, 2001

By 

Perry Willis (Tucson, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Bible and the Ancient Near East (Revised Edition) (Paperback)

This book tells the story of a small people battered on both sides by larger powers, forever threatened with extinction, but always rising to the challenge of survival. It is also the story of the origin of a large part of our current culture. The authors are well informed and share their vast knowledge of this place and period in a highly accessible way. This is not the story of Cecile B. Demile's Bible - it is something far better. It's the story of what actually happened, as best we can know it. The most interesting thing for me was to read of the gradual evolution of the Hebrew faith from monolatry (there are many gods but one supreme God), to monotheism (there is only one god), and of how the changes in fortune of this ancient society created the religious ideas from which Christianity evolved. If you want to understand the world we live in today then you will need to understand the world they lived in then, and this book is an excellent guide.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read Book for Both Christians and Bible critics, January 3, 2006

By 

Seminary Dropout "Marty" (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bible and the Ancient Near East (Revised Edition) (Paperback)

This book is a classic, first published in 1953, but fortunately it continues to be updated, up to 1997 (4th ed).
The authors succinctly cover a huge expanse of time and geography while putting it all in perspective and context so that you learn not only about the Bible but about world history in general. The authors respect not only the Biblical text, but all the ancient texts (see footnote on p. 117), unlike "higher critics" who seem to assume all the ancient writers (especially Bible authors) were either pathological liars or bumbling fools. Some reviewers (see below) have criticized the book for taking the Bible too seriously, while some Christians may feel it doesn't take the Bible (e.g., Bible chronologies) seriously enough. Overall, though, it seems pretty well balanced - an excellent, scholarly look at Old Testament times from all angles!
My only complaint is that, given the enormous amount of time, ancient texts, people, places, and archaeology covered by the book, it can't be longer. That, nonetheless, is what makes it an excellent book for readers who don't want too much detail. Hopefully, the publishers will continue to revise and expand this book in the future.