Palestine in The Books Store

• Presents a passionate look at what Israel's accusers and detractors are saying about this war-torn country.
• Dershowitz accuses those who attack Israel of international bigotry and backs up his argument with hard facts.
• Widely respected as a civil libertarian, legal educator, and defense attorney extraordinaire, Alan Dershowitz has also been a passionate though not uncritical supporter of Israel.

In volume 1, discover how Herod the Great came to be king of the Jews during the time of Julius Caesar, how he ruled and what he accomplished. You will hear the story of his larger-than-life personality and how family conflict poisoned his reign. Discover the means by which Herod eliminated his enemies, including members of his own family, and how his successors' corruption and ineptitude brought on growing anarchy and religious tension. Peer into the mind of nationalist fanatics bent on destroying themselves and their nation for the sake of their beliefs. Hear how famous persons like Cleopatra, Mark Antony, Pontius Pilate, Augustus, Nero, Vesapasian and Josephus himself played their parts in this fascinating history.

Volume 1 begins with the origins of the House of Herod in the middle of the first century B.C. and carries us to the opening battles of the Jewish revolt and the arrival of Vespasian in Judaea. Although we encourage listeners to hear the entire work from the beginning in order to form a more complete understanding, those who are only interested in the revolt itself may skip to Chapter 9 in volume 1.

Running time: 10 hours for Volume 1.

Contents of Volume II: The spectacularly violent Jewish revolt of A.D. 66 is in full swing as volume 2 opens, and we begin our story with the horrific siege of Jotapata and the capture of Josephus. Listeners receive a rousing, eyewitness account of Roman arms in action as Vespasian presses relentlessly onward to Jerusalem. As the Roman war machine closes in on Jerusalem, the fanatic zealots inside the city are involved in tearing each other apart and savaging the citizens trapped inside. With doom approaching from afar and civil war convulsing the city from within, the once grand metropolis of Jerusalem begins to disintegrate. Vespasian is proclaimed emperor upon Nero's death, and turns over command of the army to his brilliant son, Titus, who encircles Jerusalem and places it under siege. Unable to escape the city and preyed upon by the enraged fanatics from within, the pitiful citizens can only watch helplessly as the horrible specter of famine begins to envelope Jerusale! m and spread into every household. The horrors of siege warfare are driven home as we hear some of the most impassioned descriptions of man's folly ever put on paper. Learn how the magnificent Great Temple was burned and obliterated, and discover the fate of Jerusalem itself. And finally, hear the account of the incredible siege of Masada, one of the last major events of the war.

President Carter, who was able to negotiate peace between Israel and Egypt, has remained deeply involved in Middle East affairs since leaving the White House. He has stayed in touch with the major players from all sides in the conflict and has made numerous trips to the Holy Land, most recently as an observer in the Palestinian elections of 2005 and 2006.

In this book President Carter shares his intimate knowledge of the history of the Middle East and his personal experiences with the principal actors, and he addresses sensitive political issues many American officials avoid. Pulling no punches, Carter prescribes steps that must be taken for the two states to share the Holy Land without a system of apartheid or the constant fear of terrorism.

The general parameters of a long-term, two-state agreement are well known, the president writes. There will be no substantive and permanent peace for any peoples in this troubled region as long as Israel is violating key U.N. resolutions, official American policy, and the international "road map" for peace by occupying Arab lands and oppressing the Palestinians. Except for mutually agreeable negotiated modifications, Israel's official pre-1967 borders must be honored. As were all previous administrations since the founding of Israel, U.S. government leaders must be in the forefront of achieving this long-delayed goal of a just agreement that both sides can honor.

Social World of Ancient Israel takes a unique look at the most prominent social institutions of the world of early Israel and the period of the monarchy, and then shows how properly understanding these social institutions is essential for sound biblical interpretation. Immersing the reader into five major areas of daily life in antiquity—politics, economics, diplomacy, law, and education—Matthews and Benjamin explore the ways in which knowing how "players" function in these institutions, such as "father/mother," "prophet/wise one," "host/stranger," can shape our understanding of earliest Israel. Perhaps most significantly, the book gently exposes the inefficiency of past anthropological models for interpreting the relationships, attitudes and social conventions of earliest Israel. Its corrective insights will enable scholar and student alike to plot new approaches for studying the Hebrew Bible and the ancient people of Israel.