Daily Life in Biblical Times

While the history of Israel during the period from ca. 1200 to 586 B.C.E.
has been in the forefront of biblical research, little attention has been given
to questions of daily life. Where did the Israelites live? What did people do
for a living? What did they eat and what affected their health? How did the
family function? These and similar questions form the basis for this book. The
book introduces different aspects of daily life. It describes the natural
setting and the people who occupied the land. It deals with the economy, both
rural and urban, emphasizing the main sources of livelihood such as
agriculture, herding, and trade. These topics are discussed in relation to the
family in particular and the social structure in general. Other topics include
urban society, the bureaucracy and the military. Beyond material culture, the
book delves into daily and seasonal cultural, social and religious activities,
art, music, and the place of writing in Israelite society. Drawing on textual
and archaeological evidence, and written with nontechnical language, the book
will be helpful to interested nonspecialist readers as well as graduate
students and faculty in Hebrew Bible.Series: Society of Biblical
Literature Archaeology and Biblical Studies, volume 5.