Introduction 7 Chronology of the Events of the Bible and the Ancient Near East 8 Map of Israel in Old and New Testament Times 10 What Is the Bible? 12 Creation 14 The Flood 16 Nations and Languages 18 Languages of the Bible 20 Mesopotamia 22 The Patriarchs: the Biblical Evidence 24 Archaeological Evidence for the Patriarchs 26 Egypt 28 Joseph 30 Moses 32 The Ten Plagues 34 The Exodus 36 The Giving of the Law 38 The Tabernacle 40 The Conquest of Transjordan 42 The Conquest of Canaan: Jericho and Ai 44 The Conquest of Canaan: the Defeat of the Kings 46 Evidence of the Conquest of Canaan 48 The Geography of Canaan 50 The Climate of Canaan 52 The Agriculture of Canaan 54 The Twelve Tribes of Israel 56 The Judges 58 The Philistine Threat 60 The Establishment of the Hebrew Monarchy 62 David's Conquests 64 David's Latter Years 66 Writing 68 Archives and Libraries of the Ancient World 70 Solomon 72 Solomon's Temple 74 Solomon's Trade 76 The Division of the Kingdom 78 The Neighbours of Israel and Judah 80 The Kings of Israel 82 The Hebrew Prophets 84 Assyria: the Threat from the North 86 The Israelites Exiled 88 The Kings of Judah 90 Hezekiah and Sennacherib 92 Jerusalem Delivered 94 Warfare and Fortifications 96 Judah from Manasseh to the Fall of Nineveh 98 Josiah and the Rise of Babylon 100 Judah Exiled 102 The Later Hebrew Prophets 104 The Trade of Tyre 106 Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar 108 The Fall of Babylon and Cyrus's Decree 110 Rebuilding the Temple 112 Xerxes and Esther 114 Ezra and Nehemiah 116 Alexander the Great and the Spread of Hellenism 118 The Ptolemies and Seleucids 120 Antiochus Epiphanes and the Maccabean Wars 122 The Jews in Egypt 124 The Jews in the Second and First Centuries bc 126 The Romans 128 Herod the Great 130 Herod the Great Rebuilds the Temple 132 Amulets and Scrolls 134 Jesus Is Born 136 The Ministry of Christ: First Year 138 The Ministry of Christ: Second Year 140 Jerusalem in New Testament Times 142 The Ministry of Christ: Final Year 144 Jesus' Death and the Empty Tomb 146 The Birth of the Church 148 Travel in the Roman World 150 Paul's First Journey: Cyprus and Asia Minor 152 Paul's Second Journey: Philippi and Thessalonica 154 Paul's Second Journey: Athens and Corinth 156 Paul's Third Journey: Ephesus 158 Paul's Third Journey: from Ephesus to Jerusalem 160 Paul's Journey to Rome 162 The Letters of the New Testament 164 Rome 166 The Fall of Jerusalem 168 The Seven Churches of Asia: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum 170 The Seven Churches of Asia: Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea 172 The Spread of Christianity 174 Glossary 176 Bibliography 177 Index 178 Gazetteer 183 Scripture Reference Index 186 Picture Acknowledgments 188