Eric M. Meyers

In this important study, two active field archaeologists, one Jewish and the other Christian, combine in an attempt to draw an accurate picture of rabbinic Judaism and Christian origins in Roman Palestine on the basis of both historical literature and archaeological findings. Their work includes important material previously accessible only in other languages, including modern Hebrew. Writing for students and others concerned to arrive at a balanced understanding of Palestine in the first century AD, the authors are concerned to establish a general picture rather than to argue for particular hypotheses; above all, they document by archaeology and epigraphy the great diversity there was in early Palestinian ,Judaism and early Christianity. They also make out a case for far more contact between,Jewish and Christian communities than has ordinarily been assumed possible. After examining the cultural setting of Galilee and the question of regionalism, together with the context of early Christianity and Palestinian Judaism in Jerusalem, Nazareth and Capernaum. they look in detail at the languages of Roman Palestine, Jewish burial practice and views of afterlife, evidences of-Christianity in Palestine and synagogues, art and the world of the sages. There are maps, drawings and diagrams of synagogues, and a final chapter discusses the place of Palestine in Jewish and Christian theology

The Cambridge Companion to the Bible, 2nd edition provides in-depth data and analysis of the production and reception of the canonical writings of the Hebrew Bible and New Testament, and also of the apocryphal works produced by Jewish and Christian writers. Unique among single-volume introductions, this book focuses on the ever-changing social and cultural contexts in which the biblical authors and their original readers lived. The authors of the first edition were chosen for their internationally recognized expertise in their respective fields: the history and literature of Israel; postbiblical Judaism; biblical archaeology; and the origins and early literature of Christianity. In this second edition, all chapters have been updated and thoroughly revised,under the direction of a new volume editor, Bruce D. Chilton. More than 22 new maps, 90 new photographs and a full-color section help illustrate the book.

This personal and professional memoir recounts the author's formative years and the family influences that propelled him forward. The experience of anti-Semitism in grammar school and college played a major role. The centrality of music and family were especially influential. His partnership with Carol Meyers allowed him to have a successful career in academic archaeology and in teaching at Duke University. Other endeavors, however, kept him grounded and focused on everyday matters: singing, golf, social activism, teaching, and writing. But it was teaching most of all that imbued his life with special meaning as both student and teacher confronted the riches of the past in a search for a better future.

A major settlement in the Roman and Byzantine periods, with its earliest inhabitants stretching back to at least the Persian period, Sepphoris has been intensively excavated by several teams, including Duke University in the 1980s and 1990s. This volume brings to a close a series of three reports detailing the findings of these excavations. Sepphoris III is organized into three parts: the first part provides a general overview of the Duke project and the chronology of the site, followed by detailed stratigraphic discussions of all of the excavated areas as well as a series of pottery plates supplementing the pottery presentation in Sepphoris II. The second part covers various aspects of the numerous stepped pools that were discovered on the western summit of the site. The third part offers comprehensive presentations of all the major artifact types recovered during excavation, with a list of all excavated loci and a section of color photos. Richly illustrated with hundreds of photos, drawings, and plans, this important publication is essential for specialists in the archaeology of early Judaism and Christianity in the Holy Land.

The site of Nabratein is situated on a remote promontory in an extensive pine forest northeast of Safed. This report is the sixth and final volume of the Meiron Excavation Project. The discovery in 1981 of the pediment of a Holy Ark from the Nabratein synagogue coincided with the release of the film Raiders of the Lost Ark. That coincidence brought much unanticipated press coverage to the expedition and its senior staff, even though we insisted that the discovery of perhaps the earliest synagogue ark was not to be identified with the recovery of the biblical Ark of the Covenant. Although the media attention was totally unexpected, we all did our best to respond to the occasion with honesty and a bit of whimsy. Such coverage of the Nabratein excavation resulted in making many more people interested in archaeology, even if it didn’t solve a biblical mystery. Now we hope that this full publication of the results of our work at the site will afford it a lasting place in the annals of the archaeology of Israel.”—from the Preface

Haggai and Zechariah 1–8, Volume 25B in the acclaimed Anchor Bible part of the Scripture known as the Minor Prophets, were written during a critical period in Israel’s history, the momentous return of the Jews from Babylonian exile. Following the conquest of Babylon by the Persian Empire, the Israelites sought to reestablish their ethnic and religious legacy in Judah. This was a time of profound turmoil and uncertainty, and Haggai and Zechariah provided a crucial measure of support and inspiration. They rallied Israel’s energies and exhorted their fellow countrymen to heed the word of God. Under their guidance the Jews restored the Temple at Jerusalem, which had been destroyed by the armies of Nebuchadnezzar. Together the two prophets guided Israel through an important transitional epoch, and reconciled the influences of Persia’s dominion with the sacred traditions of the Hebrew people. In this illuminating new translation and commentary, Carol and Eric Meyers consider the Book of Haggai and the first eight chapters of the Book of Zechariah in a linguistic, social, and historical context. They underscore the literary artistry, the political acumen, and the prophetic authority of these fascinating volumes that proved so vital to the survival of Israel and the preservation of the Jewish faith.

This commentary and new translation of Zechariah 9-14 continues the appraoch adopted in the authors' 1987 Anchor Bible volume (25B) on Haggai and Zechariah 1-8. Authors Carol and Eric Meyers are perhaps uniquely qualified for this work because of their backgrounds in biblical archaeology and the social sciences. Employing the highest standards of pilological, literary, and historical research, they shed light on many enigmatic passages and offer an entirely new perspective on the history of Israel and its religion in the Persian period. Whereas many scholars have viewed this point in the history of Israel as a time of deterioration of the beliefs and practices of biblical religion, the Meyerses paint a picture of an innovative and vibrant community struggling to maintain its identity within a rapidly changing world dominated by the mighty Greeks and Persians. In the face of this the author of Zechariah 9-14 makes extensive and transformative use of earlier biblical writings and of the sayings of previous prophets, and articulates a radically new view of Israel's future. The Meyerses are the first modern commentators to see in these ancient texts the central role played by the Greco-Persian Wars in shaping the postexilic Restoration Community of Israel and its views of an expansive and glorious future. And althought Zechariah 9-14 is often regarded as the swan song of biblical prophecy, the Meyerses clearly demonstrate that the new modes of prophetic discourse found within this text helped biblical religion to meet one of the greatest challenges in its long history.