Synopses & Reviews
The Lives of Ordinary People tells the untold story of how the vast majority of Israelites the people who are usually overlooked in typical histories of ancient Israel lived during the eighth century b.c.e. William G. Dever applies the latest archaeological evidence and his own considerable expertise to answer the question What was it really like to live in Israel's divided kingdom? Writing as an archaeologist who is also a secular humanist, Dever relies primarily on archaeological data rather than the Hebrew Bible for his source material. He uncovers and analyzes rich archaeological troves that provide vital clues about how most people lived. Illustrated by photos, maps, charts, site plans, and specially commissioned drawings, Dever's work brings vividly to life a world too long buried beneath dusty texts and stony landscapes.
Synopsis
In this book Wiliam Dever addresses the question that must guide every good historian of ancient Israel: What was life really like in those days?
He presents his answers in a book that is far from a run-of-the-mill history of Israel. Writing as an expert archaeologist who is also a secular humanist, Dever relies on archaeological data, over and above the Hebrew Bible, for primary source material. He focuses on the lives of ordinary people in the eighth century B.C.E. not kings, priests, or prophets people who left behind rich troves of archaeological information but who are practically invisible in typical histories of ancient Israel. Illustrated by photos, maps, charts, site plans, and specially commissioned drawings, Dever?'s work brings vividly to life a world too long buried beneath dusty texts and stony landscapes.