Historical Dictionary of Ancient Israel

Of the many ancient civilizations we are aware of, few are smaller than the ancient Kingdom of Israel. Small both in geographical area and population, it was barely noticed by the major civilizations of the time in Egypt, Mesopotamia and elsewhere, which either ignored or crushed it. Yet, several millennia later, Israel is the civilization we remember most acutely, which we know - or think we know - the most about, and which has even been revised after a manner. Alas, what we know - or think we know - about Israel comes partly from the Old Testament and partly from fragmentary and sometimes distorted bits of historical evidence.
For these very reasons, because Ancient Israel means so much to us and because we actually know so little for sure, this Dictionary is particularly important. It examines the usual sources in the Old Testament and surveys the findings of more recent archaeological research to help us determine just what happened and when, a far from simple task. It includes entries on most of the persons, places, and events which are generally considered, and shows more broadly what the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah were like and what role they played in the ancient world, but it also defines them as closely as possible according to the latest data. While the results may differ from traditional views, they are essential correctives.

Niels Peter Lemche is Professor of theology at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He is the author of ten books and founder and editor of the Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament. Dr. Lemche has received many grants and was head of the Copenhagen Dead Sea Scrolls Initiative until 1999.

Chapter 1 Editor's Foreword
Chapter 2 Reader's Notes
Chapter 3 Preface: How to Read the Old Testament Historically - How to Read This Dictionary
Chapter 4 Chronology
Chapter 5 Abbreviations
Chapter 6 THE DICTIONARY
Chapter 7 Bibliography
Chapter 8 About the Author