The Rise and Fall of the Ancient Israelite States

(Hardback)

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By subjecting biblical writings to a political analysis, Sicker constructs a plausible political history of the ancient Israelite states that dealt with virtually every issue faced by governments throughout subsequent history. As he makes clear, the way they dealt with those issues, successfully or otherwise, is highly instructive and relevant to today's analysis of geopolitical issues. Our knowledge of the political history of ancient Israel is almost exclusively dependent on the information that may be gleaned from biblical writings, which reflect a historiosophical perspective very different from that employed in modern historical writing. Nonetheless and despite all the problems encountered in dealing with the biblical texts, the history of the ancient Israelite states that can be derived from them has much to offer a student of politics. Instead of the critical literary analysis common to contemporary biblical studies, Sicker constructs a plausible political history of the ancient Israelite states that takes into consideration the geopolitical realities that directly conditioned much of that history as well as the religious dimensions of Israelite political culture that played a critical role in it. He demonstrates that the ancient Israelite states were confronted by virtually every political dilemma, domestic and international, encountered by states and governments throughout the subsequent history of the world. The way they dealt with the issues, successfully or otherwise, is highly instructive and relevant to the complex issues faced by states and governments today.

Reviews

[P]rovides fascinating insights into the coups, the political and marital alliances, and the international politics of ancient Israel. Sicker hopes that his work will offer readers a perspective on the history of the ancient Israelite states that will help them find a way through "the literary fog that has long enveloped the subject."-Jewish Book World
By subjecting the biblical writings to a political anaysis, instead of the critical literary analysis common to contemporary biblical studies, Martin Sicker constructs a plausible political history of the ancient Israelite states that takes into consideration the geopolitical realities that directly conditioned much of that history as well as the religious dimentions of Israelite political culture that played a critical role in it..-SHOFAR
"Provides fascinating insights into the coups, the political and marital alliances, and the international politics of ancient Israel. Sicker hopes that his work will offer readers a perspective on the history of the ancient Israelite states that will help them find a way through "the literary fog that has long enveloped the subject.""-Jewish Book World
"[P]rovides fascinating insights into the coups, the political and marital alliances, and the international politics of ancient Israel. Sicker hopes that his work will offer readers a perspective on the history of the ancient Israelite states that will help them find a way through "the literary fog that has long enveloped the subject.""-Jewish Book World
"By subjecting the biblical writings to a political anaysis, instead of the critical literary analysis common to contemporary biblical studies, Martin Sicker constructs a plausible political history of the ancient Israelite states that takes into consideration the geopolitical realities that directly conditioned much of that history as well as the religious dimentions of Israelite political culture that played a critical role in it.."-SHOFAR

Author Bio

MARTIN SICKER is a private consultant and lecturer who has served as a senior executive in the U.S. government and has taught at American University and The George Washington University. Dr. Sicker has written extensively in the field of political science and international affairs. He is the author of 22 earlier books, including The Pre-Islamic Middle East (Praeger, 2000) and Between Rome and Jerusalem: 300 Years of Roman-Judaean Relations (Praeger, 2001).