Economics and Empire in the Ancient Near East - (Center and Library for the Bible and Social Justice) by Matthew J M Coomber (Paperback)

About the Book

"Over the past few decades biblical economics has developed into an important subfield of biblical studies. Through examining the economic realities that lay behind Hebrew biblical texts and archaeological findings, biblical economics has led to greater understandings of the cultures and experiences of ancient Hebrew communities, the legal and religious texts they produced, and of how those texts may or may not relate to the experiences of communities who continue to receive them, today. Economics and Empire in the Ancient Near East has brought together ten scholars of biblical economics and one economic anthropologist to create a repository of what is understood about the economic realities of Southwest Asia in the late second and first millennia BCE. In addition to furthering the research and teaching interests of biblical scholars, this volume has also been created for the benefit of economic historians, anthropologists, and sociologists." --

Book Synopsis

Over the past few decades biblical economics has developed into an important subfield of biblical studies. Through examining the economic realities that lay behind Hebrew biblical texts and archaeological findings, biblical economics has led to greater understandings of the cultures and experiences of ancient Hebrew communities, the legal and religious texts they produced, and of how those texts may or may not relate to the experiences of communities who continue to receive them, today. Economics and Empire in the Ancient Near East has brought together ten scholars of biblical economics and one economic anthropologist to create a repository of what is understood about the economic realities of Southwest Asia in the late second and first millennia BCE. In addition to furthering the research and teaching interests of biblical scholars, this volume has also been created for the benefit of economic historians, anthropologists, and sociologists.

Review Quotes

"A first-rate volume examining how the empires of Southwest Asia exerted their power and influence on the economics of ancient Israel. Highly recommended for both students and scholars of the Bible and its history."
--Gale A. Yee, Episcopal Divinity School, emerita

"The opening dedication to Norman Gottwald is appropriate as this volume is an outstanding tribute to his own intellectual legacy, as taken up by each contributor. Collectively, these articles present a balanced and diverse perspective on the phenomenon of empire as a totalizing force in the ancient world."
--Roger S. Nam, Candler School of Theology

"This volume brings together substantial articles by scholars who have critically explored the economic dimension of biblical texts and the historical contexts they reflect and address. The articles cover several of the aspects that are necessary as the basis for a comprehensive critical exploration of 'biblical economics' that has been missing in 'biblical' scholarship and interpretation. . . . These articles form the basis for ever more comprehensive and precise understanding of political-economic-religious contexts that biblical texts address."
--Richard A. Horsley, author of You Shall Not Bow Down and Serve Them: The Political Economic Projects of Jesus and Paul

About the Author

Matthew J. M. Coomber is professor of biblical studies and theology at St. Ambrose University and an Episcopal priest. His publications include Re-Reading the Prophets through Corporate Globalization (2010; paperback ed., Cascade, 2022) and Bible and Justice (2011). He is coeditor of Fortress Commentary on the Bible: The Old Testament and Apocrypha (2014) and editor of the Center and Library for the Bible and Social Justice Guide to Bible and Economics (Cascade).