Dr. Robert Cargill - The Cities That Built the Bible

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An engaging journey into the Bible and archaeology from a new perspective: instead of starting with kings, prophets, or texts, the author starts with ancient cities in which so much was bornall the while combined with a lively personal account that puts flesh and bones on the tale.

Richard Elliott Friedman, Th.D., author of The Bible with Sources Revealed

Cargill offers a riotous gazetteer, one filled with astute observations about the literal and figurative building materials that biblical authors minedand sometimes had foisted upon themfrom key cities of the ancient world. Readers will happily accompany their learned tour guide as they reconsider Near Eastern influence on the Bible and perceive its text from new perspectives.

David Vanderhooft, Ph.D., associate professor of Hebrew Bible in the Department of Theology at Boston College

Cargill is a lucid and expert tour guide, taking us from city to city to explain how and why the Bible is an extraordinary product of its material and urban contexts. The people, places, and peculiarities of ancient West Asia come alive in this exhilarating tour of the biblical past.

Francesca Stavrakopoulou, D.Phil., professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Religion at the University of Exeter

In a compelling narrative that sparkles with life, Cargill takes his readers on a thrilling tour through the cities that built the Bible. The expert guide leaves his readers longing for more. A wonderful way to deepen your knowledge of the biblical writings, their historical context, and the ancient world.

Mark Goodacre, D.Phil., professor of New Testament in the Department of Religious Studies at Duke University

With heartfelt sincerity and timely humor, Cargill possesses the historical knowledge, command of biblical languages, and archaeological expertise necessary to successfully communicate the tale of the Bibles beginnings with a passion that highlights his love for the biblical world.

Oded Lipschits, Ph.D., professor of Jewish history and director of the Sonia and Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology at Tel Aviv University

Cargill explores the urban settings that influenced and shaped some of the Bibles most profound people and events. He uses archaeology, literature, and personal experience to help readers contextualize the biblical Mediterranean and gain a firm hold on the topography of the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the spread of Christianity. By tying the literature to the geography, Cargill has provided a fascinating, dynamic map for readers to navigate with.

Sarah E. Bond, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Classics at the University of Iowa

Woven through from start to finish with insightful scholarship, humor, and the warmth of Cargills personal experience. He will take you places you couldnt otherwise gounder the ground, into a cistern, across a border, and into closely guarded archivesto see things youd never otherwise see, which in turn will allow you to see the Bible itself in new ways.

James F. McGrath, Ph.D., Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature at Butler University

After three decades of books that discuss how the Bible came into being, we have something new! Rather than focusing on textual or compositional history, Cargill explains, interprets, and amplifies the social settings that gave rise to the sacred books of the Hebrew Bible and the Greek New Testament. This book, written in an accessible and engaging style, is critical as a supplemental textbook for undergraduates and as background reading for all students of the Bible. Highly recommended.

Andrew G. Vaughn, Ph.D., executive director, American Schools of Oriental Research

The most original and entertaining approach to telling the story of the Bible that Ive seen. This is both a delight to read and reliable in its scholarship. Anyone who wants to know how recent archaeological discoveries have revolutionized our understanding of the Bible should read this book.

William Schniedewind, Ph.D., Kershaw Chair of Ancient Eastern Mediterranean Studies at UCLA and author of How the Bible Became a Book

Every effort has been made to obtain permissions for images, maps, and pieces quoted, used, or adapted in this work. If any required acknowledgements have been omitted, or any rights overlooked, it is unintentional. Please notify the publishers of any omission, and it will be rectified in future editions. The credits on page 337 constitute a continuation of this copyright page.

Unless otherwise noted, all biblical quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, Division of Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.

THE CITIES THAT BUILT THE BIBLE. Copyright 2016 by Robert Cargill. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

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FIRST EDITION

Layout by Laura Lind Design

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.

ISBN 9780062366740

EPub Edition February 2016 ISBN 9780062366757

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Map of the eastern Mediterranean and Ancient Near East. Image courtesy Google Earth, Data SIO, NOAA, U.S. Navy, NGA, GEBCO, Image Landsat.

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