Susan Ackerman

An Accidental Archaeologist

History & Biography

“An engaging account of the remarkably rich and full life of an important American archaeologist, noteworthy especially for the perspectives Meyers brings to bear not only on his signature archaeological fieldwork—excavations in Israel of Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine synagogue sites—but also on key aspects of the history and character of the modern Israeli state and of modern American Jewry.”

Did God Have a Wife?

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“In Did God Have a Wife? Bill Dever presents a multidimensional portrait of ancient Israelite religion with his characteristic eloquence and panache. Most significantly, through his detailed examination of archaeological materials, Dever reveals crucial facets of what he calls 'folk religion,' or the religion of one of ancient Israel's most neglected communities, the everyday people.”

Eve Isn't Evil

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“In Eve Isn’t Evil, Julie Faith Parker puts forward the bold claim—contrary to many interpreters—that the Bible can affirm a feminist worldview, a thesis she explores through studies of Hebrew Bible texts about women, as well as texts from the New Testament and stories from her own life. For many members of biblically based communities of faith who support what Parker describes as ‘liberty and justice for all, including people who identify as female,’ Parker’s interpretations will be welcome and even joyous news.”

Has Archaeology Buried the Bible?

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Bill Dever has long called for a genuine dialogue between biblical studies and archaeology. In this book, he presents both sides of that conversation: the biblical account of ancient Israel’s history, from Genesis through the fall of the Israelite monarchy, considered alongside the archaeological record. The result is an eminently readable synthesis that situates the text of the Bible in its ancient context—with the result, as Dever himself says, of bringing the Bible as well as ancient Israel into a new and brighter light.”

Memory and Covenant

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Barat Ellman has produced an elegantly written and cogently argued study of the phenomenon of memory as it is manifest in the two main traditions of the Pentateuch, the Priestly and the Deuteronomic. Particularly valuable here are the ways in which Priestly and Deuteronomic conceptions of memory are thoroughly distinguished and the careful nuancing of the complex uses of memory—both Israel's and God's—that are found in the Priestly and related Holiness tradition. In this book full of fresh insights, Ellman truly establishes herself as a significant new voice in biblical studies—just the sort of researcher whose work the Fortress Press Emerging Scholar series seeks to promote.”

Poetic Heroes

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Smith offers an impressively in-depth account of warriors and warrior culture as depicted in some of the greatest literary masterpieces of the ancient eastern Mediterranean and the ancient Near East. . . . His analysis teases out of these texts key ideas of what defines warriors in the early biblical world, also describing how ancient ideas about warriors were presented and transmitted in oral and written form. . . . An invaluable reference.”

The Lives of Ordinary People in Ancient Israel

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Bill Dever has done it again -- assembled cutting-edge archaeological data to paint a vibrant picture of the world of ancient Israel. . . . A wonderful resource for students of the Bible and of the biblical world.”