Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents:

"Introduction to historical geography / Paul Wright -- Regions and routes in the Levant / Carl G. Rasmussen -- Climate and environment of the Levant / Elizabeth Arnold -- Plants and animals of the land of Israel / Daniel Fuchs and Nimrod Marom -- Introduction to Biblical archaeology / Seymour Gitin -- Archaeology of the late Bronze Age / Joe Uziel -- Archaeology of the Iron Age I / Aren M. Maeir -- Archaeology of the Iron Age II / Amihai Mazar -- Archaeology of the Neo-Babylonian and Persian Periods / Constance E. Gane -- Archaeology of the Hellenistic Period / Jordan Ryan -- Introduction to ancient Near Eastern literature / Adam E. Miglio -- Hebrew inscriptions / Judith M. Hadley -- Mesopotamian literature / Dave C. Deuel -- Egyptian literature / Nili Shupak -- Hittite literature / Alice Mouton -- Northwest Semitic inscriptions / Margaret Cohen -- Ugaritic literature / William D. Barker -- Early Jewish literature / Ryan E. Stokes -- Introduction to ancient Near Eastern iconography / Izak Cornelius -- Egyptian iconography / Laura Wright -- Mesopotamian and Anatolian iconography / Daniel Bodi -- Canaanite/Israelite iconography / Brent A. Strawn -- The Ancestral Period / Richard S. Hess -- The Egyptian sojourn and the exodus / David A. Falk -- The Settlement Period / Pekka Pitknen -- The united monarchy / Steven M. Ortiz -- The divided monarchy: Israel / Jens Bruun Kofoed -- The divided monarchy: Judah / Eric L. Welch -- The exile and the exilic communities / Deirdre N. Fulton -- Persian Period / Yehud Ken Ristau -- The Maccabean Revolt and the Hasmonean Kingdom / Joel Willitts -- Akhenaten and the Amarna Period / Mark D. Janzen -- The late Bronze Age collapse and the sea peoples' migrations / Gregory D. Mumford -- Sheshonq's Levantine conquest and Biblical history / Yigal Levin -- The Battle of Qarqar and Assyrian aspirations / Mark Chavalas -- The Mesha inscription and relations with Moab and Edom / Juan Manuel Tebes -- The Tell Dan Inscription, Jehu's Revolt, and Aramaean campaigns in Israel and Judah / K. Laws