Cities of the Biblical World (review)

Abstract

Hebrew Studies 39 (1998) 199 Reviews naries, not trusting cognates listed in the various dictionaries without further research, etc.). Appendix A discusses four examples of the proper use of Arabic in Biblical Hebrew lexicography. One of the best illustrations is E. L. Greenstein's rejection of an erroneous proposal by H. L. Ginsberg for Biblical Hebrew I}o~eb "ignite" (pp. 103-104). Appendix B is a superfluous chart listing the usual correspondences between Arabic and Hebrew consonants. This sort of infonnation could have been omitted, since it can be found in numerous other works, such as Moscati et al.'s comparative Semitic grammar (S. Moscati, A. Spitaler, E. Ullendorff, W. von Soden, An Introduction to the Comparative Grammar of the Semitic Languages, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz Verlag, 1964). This book is cited in the author's bibliography (p. 112). The volume's bibliography is fairly extensive, listing the important works criticized or used by the author in his study (pp. 109-113). The Hebriiisches und Aramiiisches Lexicon zum Alten Testament was authored by L. Koehler and W. Baumgartner (not M. Koehler, which is also listed erroneously on p. 26, n. 12). Hans Wehr's Arabic dictionary (the English translation) should mention the name of its editor, the late J. Milton Cowan (p. 113). Helmut Gatje's (1927-1986) Grundriss der arabischen Philologie 2 was published by Reichert in Wiesbaden and not Harrassowitz (ibid.). The lesson of this book is clear enough: to exercise caution in comparative linguistics, and I believe it is a valuable reminder for a sane and reasonable comparative linguistics as well. Anyone interested in comparative Semitic linguistics, and especially in its methodology, will profit from a careful scrutiny of this work. Alan S. Kaye California State University Fullerton, CA 92634 akaye@fullerton.edu CITIES OF THE BIBLICAL WORLD. By LaMoine F. DeVries. Pp. xviii + 398. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1997. Cloth. Why was this book written? The author says it "is an introductory text...to introduce students of the Bible to the archaeology, geography, and history of several important sites of the OT and NT worlds" (p. xv, Preface ). This is DeVries' justification for citing one-volume reference works extensively at the end of each chapter, arguing that they are more accessi- Hebrew Studies 39 (1998) 200 Reviews ble to the intended readers than more detailed studies (p. xvi). Herein lie both the strength and weakness of the volume. Clearly the treatment is designed to appeal to a conservative religious audience (of the volumes listed in the abbreviations, eleven of the twentytwo are from conservative publishers). Biblical references are sometimes cited without reference to problems of date, literary source, or contentious interpretive problems. Sub-titles are provided for each site treatment intended to highlight some aspect of the site's character or history (p. xv). The structure of the book is in two parts, Old Testament and New Testament cities, subdivided in each case into seven units (geographic regions ) and sixty chapters (one site per chapter in alphabetic sequence by city name). Each unit is introduced with a general chapter on the topography and significance of the region; each chapter is closed with the numerous one-volume reference works mentioned above and some additional special studies. Final publications of archaeological work on the sites are noticeably absent. References include the recently published multi-volume dictionaries, such as the Anchor Bible Dictionary, and encyclopedias(The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land and The Oxford Encyclopedia ofArchaeology in the Near East). The treatment in each case follows the same format from the name and location of the site, to its history and topography, excavations performed, major fmds, the religion practiced by its inhabitants, its role in biblical history, and any major literary references or textual discoveries pertaining to the site. Biblical citations include references to the site's role in any biblical lives, from Abraham through the prophets in the Old Testament, and from Jesus through Paul in the New. Auxiliary information on the regions covers Mesopotamia, Aram/Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and the Roman World. All are supplemented by photos and maps. Indices are provided for place names and biblical citations with some few ancient source references...