Avraham Malamaṭ Knihy

The town of Mari is situated on the Euphrates, near the eastern Syrian border. This study compares the 18th century BC Old Babylonian texts from Mari with the Hebrew Scriptures and the early history of Israel. Given the West Semitic or Amorite character of both Mari and the Bible , this comparison may rightly be called imperative.Mari and the Bible contains 22 chapters of essays, both old and new, conveniently assembled here and divided into three 1) Mari and the West, dealing with Mari documents pertaining to Syria and Palestine, as well as the Mediterranean region. 2) Prophecy, dealing with Mari prophetical texts, particularly those recently published as compared to Biblical prophecy. 3) Customs and Society, also including topics such as female royal correspondence, the royal harem, the epithet 'Great King' and king-lists involving the cult of the dead.

The book holds 26 chapters encompassing the history of Israel from its very beginnings up to the destruction of the First Temple of Jerusalem (586 BC). The successive parts are (1) The Dawn of Israel, dealing with the Israelite proto-history, Mari and early Israel as well as the tribal societies and genealogies. (2) Forming a Nation, The Exodus and Conquest of Canaan, the period of the Judges and the charismatic nature of the Judges, the Danite migration. (3) The Rise of the Davidic Dynasty, a political view of the kingdom of David and Solomon, the diplomatic, international marriages of the latter, organs of statecraft in the Israelite monarchy. (4) King Amon and Josiah and their final fate, twilight of Judah and the destruction of Jerusalem. (5) This part is dedicated to historical episodes in the Former Prophets and in the Prophetical Books. Several excursi follow. This publication has also been published in paperback, please click here for details.