![]() ![]() #Tablet of destinies seriesIt may end up the first part of a series exploring other time periods in Biblical history (if I get around to writing them). It could also be a personal story of someone coming to understand the world in which they live. It can be an intriguing speculation on the events of circa 2000 BCE, or an exploration of the first stirrings of Judeo-Christian faith. It can be a fast-paced tale of exploration and adventure. So you can approach this novel in whatever way you want. These are timeless questions, which every reader will recognize. He is trying to find his place in them and figure out how best to have a positive impact on the world. Nahor is on the fringes of the great events going on around him. While writing the novel, I also stumbled upon another, more personal, significance in its protagonist, Nahor. I think you will appreciate the opportunities for adventure it provided as well. But I think you will at least understand why this time period, and the questions it raises, are so powerful. Whether you are a scholar or not, believer or not, I expect some disagreement on the ways I’ve filled in the historical record. It is based on extensive research I conducted (which I discuss in the historical postscript), as well as a healthy dose of conjecture. I attempted to answer these questions by writing this novel. ![]() What role did the people of the Old Testament play in these mighty civilizations? How did the beliefs that would turn into Judaism (and later Christianity and Islam) interact with the religions of the ancient Near East? Was there tension, understanding, or both? How did Biblical worship develop? What does it mean that there were so many tales of a great flood? That leaves almost three thousand years of civilization to be covered by the first few chapters of Genesis. If we take the Bible seriously as a historical document, it really only deals with the first millennium BCE (Before Common Era) and beginning of the second. I’ve also been intrigued by Biblical history. What must it have been like to be part of these grand transformations? Did people realize the momentous times they were a part of? What did they think of the great civilizations that had already come and gone by the time they were alive? These cultures laid the foundation for our political structures, society and religion. By the time the Roman republic was founded, the ancient Near East (what we now call the Middle East) had already experienced thousands of years of civilization among the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians. I am a professor of modern Middle East politics, but I’ve always been fascinated by its early history. This book was professionally typeset on Reedsyįor Caroline, Joanna and Beatrice Preface It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.Ĭover art by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (design by Lynn Andreozzi) No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. ![]()
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