RT Book T1 Ancient Israel's neighbors T2 Essentials of biblical studies T2 Oxford scholarship online A1 Doak, Brian LA English PP New York PB Oxford University Press YR 2020 UL https://www.ixtheo.de/Record/1724772449 AB The purpose of this book is to tell the story of Israel's nearest neighbors - not only discovering what the Bible has to say about them but also what we can know from archaeology, ancient inscriptions, and other sources. The Bible itself presents these neighbors in nuanced and conflicting ways; sometimes they are friends, and sometimes they are enemies, spoken of as though they must die in order for Israel to live. This book explores both the biblical portrayal of the smaller groups surrounding Israel and what people can know about these groups through their own literature, archaeology, and other sources. By uncovering the identity of the Philistines as settlers along the coast at the same time that early Israel carved out their place in the land, for example, one can better understand the social turmoil and political maneuvering that lies just beneath the surface of the biblical narrative. NO Also issued in print: 2020. - Includes bibliographical references and index. - Description based on online resource; title from home page (viewed on June 4, 2020) SN 9780190690632 K1 Bible ; Old Testament ; History of Biblical events K1 Iron age ; Middle East K1 Bronze age ; Middle East K1 Jews ; History ; To 586 B.C K1 Middle East ; History ; To 622 DO 10.1093/oso/9780190690595.001.0001