Daily Life in Biblical Times
The author, Dr. Liora Ravid, is a native of Israel and earned her doctorate in biblical studies. Thebook is divided into six parts, each covering topics in biblical culture, including family structure, the place of women, sexual violence, inheritance, and the historicity of the Bible. The author explains in the introduction that the intention of the book is to describe biblical stories within their cultural and historical context. Within the six parts are twenty-six chapters, each devoted to explaining details related to the topic in each part, with emphasis on the patriarchs and their experiences of family,marriage, conflict and tradition. The book concludes with a selected bibliography that covers a wide range of sources. What is unique about the book is its scholarly explanation of biblical concepts in laymans terms making the text of the book appropriate for any adult or young adult reader. This book is appropriate for any librarys non-fiction collection. --Arthur G. Quinn, St. Vincent de Paul Seminary, Boynton Beach, FLIf Liora Ravids book receives the attention I believe it deserves, it will transform the Bible for many readers from a vaguely-understood, often misunderstood, set of documents to one in which the world s best-known stories are better appreciated in their original context.Author Liora Ravid helps us to understand the submissive role that women who lived during biblical times were required to play.Ravid reminds us that feminism, women s rights, egalitarianism and other such movements born in the 20th century were as foreign to the imagination of biblical women as were rocket ships, nuclear weapons, and Comic Con.There are many other biblical insights and surprises throughout Ravids well-researched and well-written book.Although some of the biblical family practices may be deemed ugly by modern Western standards, they still exist in other parts of the world. The book may even help us to better understand the culture clash between democratic western societies and tribal societies whose practices are close to those of our biblical ancestors. --Donald H. Harrison, San Diego Jewish WorldIf Liora Ravids book receives the attention I believe it deserves, it will transform the Bible for many readers from a vaguely-understood, often misunderstood, set of documents to one in which the world s best-known stories are better appreciated in their original context.Author Liora Ravid helps us to understand the submissive role that women who lived during biblical times were required to play.Ravid reminds us that feminism, women s rights, egalitarianism and other such movements born in the 20th century were as foreign to the imagination of biblical women as were rocket ships, nuclear weapons, and Comic Con.There are many other biblical insights and surprises throughout Ravids well-researched and well-written book.Although some of the biblical family practices may be deemed ugly by modern Western standards, they still exist in other parts of the world. The book may even help us to better understand the culture clash between democratic western societies and tribal societies whose practices are close to those of our biblical ancestors. --Donald H. Harrison, San Diego Jewish World