Anunnaki

The Bible Unearthed (Finklestein & Silberman)

I`m an atheist and only interested in the facts. Is this book worth reading?
It`s been sitting on my bookshelf for a while and I finally have some time to read it. Should I pick another book instead?

Thanks

Marduk

I've got it to, also haven't gotten around to it. It was discussed here awhile ago. From that thread I'd say it's worth reading, It was also reviewed here at II, check the book reviews.

sentinel00

It is controversial, that's for sure. I enjoyed reading it.

Apikorus

I think Finkelstein and Silbermann's book is quite good. I found Dever's book, "What Did the Biblical Writers Know and When Did they Know It?" to provide a more sensible assessment of the archaeological evidence (once you get past the opening anti-minimalist rant, which goes on for 100 pages).

I don't buy Finkelstein's downdating of the gates at Hazor, Gezer, and Megiddo to the 9th century. As Baruch Halpern has trenchantly observed (see "David's Secret Demons", which is not for the neophyte), the argument that the Omride dynasty was the first Israelite government to wield any real power and undertake significant building programs is difficult to swallow based not only on the evidence from the Bible (principally 1 Kings on Solomon), but from the Assyrian records themselves. Shalmaneser III's annals confirm that at Qarqar the Israelite force was the largest of those opposing Assyria, with 2000 chariots and 10,000 men under king Ahav. If at Qarqar in 853 BCE Israel was able to project such power (even if the figures are somewhat inflated), it seems difficult to accept Finkelstein's thesis that everything basically began with Ahav's father Omri.

Still, I heartily recommend "The Bible Unearthed".

Vorkosigan

Originally posted by Apikorus:
If at Qarqar in 853 BCE Israel was able to project such power (even if the figures are somewhat inflated), it seems difficult to accept Finkelstein's thesis that everything basically began with Ahav's father Omri.

Still, I heartily recommend "The Bible Unearthed".

Me too. I really enjoyed it. If you want something more radical than that, you might also like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0465006493/internetinfidelsA/" target="_blank">The Mythic Past: Biblical Archaeology and the Myth of Israel</a> which goes, I think, farther than Finkelstein does.

Michael

Apikorus

Well, Michael, I've got to disagree with you there. I found "The Mythic Past" to be riddled with weak arguments. I've discussed my criticisms of it in some small detail here months ago. Among the minimalists, the Sheffield crowd is generally taken much more seriously than the gang in Copenhagen, and for good reason.