HEBREW CIVILIZATION AND RELIGION

Bright, John. A History of Israel. 1981. A standard and rather conservative overview of the history of Israel until the end of the biblical era.

Finkelstein, Israel and Neil Asher Silberman. The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of the Sacred Texts. 2001. An important archaeological interpretation that challenges the narrative of the Hebrew Bible and offers a reconsideration of biblical history.

Gottwald, Norman K. The Hebrew Bible: A Socio-Literary Introduction. 1985. Combines a close reading of the Hebrew Bible with the latest archaeological and historical evidence.

Kuhrt, Amelie. The Ancient Near East c. 3000-330 BC, vol.II. 1995. A thorough synthesis of the most recent archaelogcial and historical research.

Mazar, Amihai, Archaeology of the Land of the Bible.1990. This widely used book is a reliable and authoritative synthesis of archaeological and historical materials. An excellent place to begin further reading.

CLASSICAL PERSIA: AN EMPIRE ON THREE CONTINENTS

Boardman, John. Persia and the West: An Archaeological Investigation of the Genesis of Achaemenid Art. 2000. A brilliantly illustrated study that stresses intercultural influences in every aspect of Persian art.

Boyce, Mary. A History of Zoroastrianism. Vol. 2. 1975. This authoritative examination provides a masterful overview of the religion of the Persian empire.

Brosius, Maria. Women in Ancient Persia (559--331 b.c.). 1996. The only book on this subject in English. Based on a thorough examination of ancient sources, it explains the Importance of royal and non-royal women in Persian society.

Cohn, Norman. Cosmos, Chaos, and the World to Come: The Ancient Roots of Apocalyptic Faith. 1993. Expert critical analysis of apocalyptic religions in the West, including Zoroastrianism, ancient Judaism, Christianity, and other faiths.

Curtis, John. Ancient Persia. 1990. A richly illustrated, brief description of the history and art of Persia, based on the holdings of the British Museum.

Kuhrt, AmŽlie. The Ancient Near East, ca. 3000--330 b.c. Vol 2. 1995. This rich and comprehensive bibliography is a remarkably concise and readable account of Persian history with excellent discussion of ancient textual evidence. Many important passages appear in fluent translation.

Wieshšfer, Josef. Ancient Persia from 550 b.c. to a.d. 650. Translated by Azizeh Azodi. 1996. A fresh and comprehensive overview of Persian cultural, social, and political history that relies on Persian evidence more heavily than biased Greek and Roman sources.

GREECE REBUILDS: 1100-479 B.C.E.

Burkert, Walter. The Orientalizing Revolution: Near Eastern Influence on Greek Culture in the Early Archaic Age. Translated by Margaret Pinder and Walter Burkert. 1993. Explains how the Semitic East influenced the development of Greek society in the Archaic age.

Murray, Oswyn. Early Greece. 1983. A brilliant study of all aspects of the emergence of Greek society between the Dark Ages and the end of the Persian Wars.

Osborne, Robin. Greece in the Making, 1200--479 b.c. 1996. An excellent narrative of the development of Greek society with special regard to the archaeological evidence.

THE CLASSICAL AGE OF GREECE: 479-338 B.C.E.

Hornblower, Simon, The Greek World 479-323 BC. 1983. Offers a readable overview of all the regions of the Mediterranean world in which Geek cuulture flourished in the classical age.

Just, Roger. Women in Athenian Law and Life. 1989. Provides an overview of the social context of women in Athens.

Lindberg, David C. The Beginnings of Western Science: The European Scientific Tradition in Philosophical, Religious, and Institutional Context, 600 b.c. to a.d. 1450. 1992. This highly readable study provides an exciting survey of the main developments in Western science.

Martin, Thomas R. Ancient Greece: From Prehistoric to Hellenistic Times.1996. A reliable, highly readable, and up-to-date narrative of Greek history intended for the non-specialist. Contains excellent recommendations for further reading.

Moon, Warren G., ed. Polykleitos, the Doryphoros, and Tradition. 1995. A comprehensive collection of essays about the statue by leading experts.

Price, Simon. Religions of the Ancient Greeks. 1999. A clear and provocative study that explores important questions about Greek religious life.

Stewart, Andrew. Art, Desire, and the Body in Ancient Greece. 1997. A provocative study that examines Greek attitudes toward sexuality and art.

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