Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Niels Peter Lemche <npl AT teol.ku.dk>]

> Perhaps for those dilettantes amongst us, like me, who are unaware of the
> "standard literature" you could provide us with some suitable (beginners)
> references. As a computng scientist by training I've no expertise in the
> dating issues. My reason for subscribing to this list is Bible Hebrew and
> wasn't aware that dating problems were germain to that study. It would
> help,
> of course, if like Rohl's book, the references you suggest are in English
> as
> I only understand Swedish and BSL.
> 
> Regards, Trevor
> 
        I would suggest that if you can lay your hand on Jack Sasson (ed),
Civilizations of the Ancient Near East I-IV (New York: Scribners, 1995), you
will find a lot of help. It is written with the non-specialist as well as
the specialist in mind, and includes a lot of literature in its
bibliographies. Vol. II opens with an article about chronology: Issues and
Problems by Fred Cryer, and includes overviews of the history of Egypt
(William Murnane), Mesopotamia (Dominique Charpin), Syria and Palestine
(N.P. Lemche), and Asia Minor (J. G. Macqueen). If not in BSL, at least in
American English--some of it. The best history available on the ancient Near
East is Mario Liverani, Antico Oriente, Bari 1988, but it has only been
translated into Spanish. Many people will also want to mention Amelie Kuhrt,
The Ancient Near East I-II (London: Routledge, 1995). She includes
paragraphs on chronology and its problems.

        NPL