THE WORLD OF THE BIBLE
The Archaeology of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls SECOND EDITION
Aramaic A History of the First World Language
Jodi Magness A Choice Outstanding Academic Title and winner of the Biblical Archaeology Society’s Publication Award for Best Popular Book on Archaeology
Holger Gzella Translated by Benjamin D. Suchard
The George Washington University
“This book is the first historical account available of the Aramaic language that covers all the periods of its development from antiquity to the modern period. It unites in a masterly fashion the field of Aramaic studies, which has become fragmented in recent decades in increasingly specialist fields. The book reflects a deep scholarly knowledge of the primary sources and perceptive insights into linguistic and social history, which are presented in a remarkably accessible style. I enthusiastically recommend it to all who are studying and researching Semitic languages and also, more generally, to anybody who is interested in the history of the Middle East.” — GEOFFREY KHAN
“In this fluent, clearly written book, whose vivid account of the Qumran excavations is no less engaging than a literary thriller, Jodi Magness also succeeds in providing an accurate, updated picture of the archaeological finds and their significance against the backdrop of the Dead Sea Scrolls. A straightforward report of conflicting scholarly interpretations and academic scandals, accompanied by rich bibliographical notes, creates a robust picture of the status quaestionis of the most dramatic twentieth-century archaeological discovery.”
“As someone who grew up in an Aramaic milieu, I can testify to the magical charms and poetic allures of Aramaic. Now, Holger Gzella gives a fascinating history of Aramaic and how it conquered the ancient world not with the strength of armies but with the simplicity of its alphabet, becoming the first world language and surviving in an unbroken record for nearly three millennia. Aramaic served empires, religions, and literature. Now, Gzella gives it its due credit.”
Tel Aviv University
Princeton University
“Now revised and updated, this second edition is even better than the first. Taking twenty years of new data, publications, and interpretations into account, Magness has ensured that her accessible presentation of the archaeology of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls will remain at the forefront of required readings for colleagues, students, and the general public alike for decades to come.”
— ERIC H. CLINE
— VERED NOAM
“The latest and best discussion of Qumran. . . . This book is essential reading for specialists and general readers alike.” — ARCHAEOLOGY “An admirably clear and concise progress report on what is known about this spectacular discovery.” — HARPER’S MAGAZINE Jodi Magness is the Kenan Distinguished Professor for Teaching Excellence in Early Judaism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. From 2017 to 2020, she served as president of the Archaeological Institute of America. She has participated in over twenty different excavations in Israel and Greece, including as codirector of the 1995 excavations in the Roman siegeworks at Masada. Since 2011 she has directed excavations at Huqoq in Israel’s Galilee. 978-0-8028-7908-0 | Paperback | 400 pages | $29.99 US | $39.99 CAN | £23.99 UK Available July 2021
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EERDMANS LANGUAGE RESOURCES
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
www.eerdmans.com
University of Cambridge
— GEORGE A. KIRA Z
“Holger Gzella has succeeded in condensing the three-thousand-year history of Aramaic into one volume, which is both highly informative and yet easily accessible to the educated layman, student, and scholar. This work is a sweeping synthesis of Aramaic’s long, uninterrupted history from the earliest inscriptions at the beginning of the first millennium BCE to modern, spoken Aramaic dialects. Along the way the author highlights the use and development of Aramaic as shaped by demographic, political, and social factors. It is a fascinating tale told in clear and elegant prose of Aramaic in the light of local communities, global empires, and cultural traditions.” — STEVEN E. FASSBERG The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Holger Gzella is professor of Old Testament at the University of Munich, Germany. He previously served as professor of Hebrew and Aramaic at Leiden University. 978-0-8028-7748-2 | Hardcover | 380 pages | $70.00 US | $94.99 CAN | £55.99 UK Available May 2021
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