Idumea and the Idumeans: An Oriental Ethnos at the Crossroads of Levantine Cultures

The novelty of this book concerns the uniqueness of the topic, its chronological scope and thematic range. Thus far, many publications about Idumeans were very limited in chronological scope and thematic range. They have also relied mainly on materials from their own expertise (ancient history being represented especially by A. Kasher and N. Kokkinos, and archaeology by A. Kloner and I. Stern). In contrast, Michal Marciak in his book presents the first-ever comprehensive treatment of history and culture of Idumea and Idumeans from its beginnings to the early Roman Period. He deals with both literary and documentary evidence and the latest archaeological data. Marciaks conclusions are of relevance to scholars interested in both the ethnic and cultural diversity of ancient Palestine and the Jewish identity in the Second Temple Period.