Carol L. Meyers

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.

Four respected scholars of the Hebrew Bible and early Judaism provide a clear portrait of the family in ancient Israel. Important theological and ethical implications are made for the family today.The Family, Culture, and Religion series offers informed and responsible analyses of the state of the American family from a religious perspective and provides practical assistance for the family's revitalization.