An unorthodox biography of a place--the legendary, mythical Jericho--combines lyricism with archaeological evidence to depict the site of ancient cultures fought over by Natufians and troglodytes, Canaanites and Judeans, Christians, Muslims, and Jews. 20,000 first printing. $20,000 ad/promo.
| ||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
While bureau chief for the Baltimore Sun in Jerusalem for five years during the turmoil of the Palestinian intifada, Ruby rented a little house from a friend in Jericho for occasional getaways. The city he found was a dusty, crumbling place where, in temperatures of over 100 degrees, it "looked heat-stroked and in deep slee.... Nothing seemed capable of movement." Instead of biblical castles, he encountered enclaves of stucco houses, weedy yards, sheep idling in roadways-an "overheated basement of the world." After digging into accounts of 19th-century British colonists, he was led deeper into the history of the place: archeological discoveries; migrations of Muslims, Christians, Judeans, Canaanites; battles; floods; rebuildings-all of it, in his view, a significant backdrop to the present upheavals in the lives of his neighbors, which he weaves into his illuminating account.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Modern Perspective of an Ancient City,
By Donald A. McAfee (Richmond, VA USA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Jericho: Dreams, Ruins, Phantoms (Hardcover)
Robert Ruby describes himself as a journalist, not as an historian. Indeed, as Foreign Editor for the Baltimore Sun, and on assignment to the Middle East for many years, Ruby has the modern perspective of the journalist. But do not be mislead, for this is a well researched and scholarly view without the dry, chronolgical recounting of facts and figures of perhaps the oldest settlement in the western hemisphere. His view is not tunneled through the microscope or telescope, but is instead, panoramic. To the left he sees uncovered tools from a PPNA (Pre Pottery Neolithic A) culture, in the middle, Joshua's improbable battle, and to the right an ugly crude fort being turned over to the Palestinian authority by Israel. He paints a rich and colored picture of a colorless and desolate land, and of the trials of intrepid 19th century explorers and cartographers sponsored by the PEF (Palestine Exploration Fund). His language is lyrical, even melancholy, but he endeavors to view and describe without prejudice, and wishful thinking - There are 35 pages that document his resources, but he clearly loves this land populated by "one people after another".Anyone with the least bit of interest in the Holy land, current affairs, Biblical tales, or the longevity of humanity, will find the book an enjoyable and informative read.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
