Nabonidus and Belshazzar: A Study of the Closing Events of the Neo-Babylonian Empire

Raymond Philip Dougherty

juill. 2008 · Wipf and Stock Publishers

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The remains of ancient societies often require decades to unearth, but much longer to interpret and understand. The methods of archaeology have progressed dramatically in recent years. Archaeologists have continuously refined their tools, methods, and techniques. Today archaeology is characterized by pottery identification, classification, and cataloging; disciplined excavation of "squares"; use of sophisticated electronics, such as GPS, infrared, and computer-aided design; and the integration of multiple methodologies, such as epigraphy, art history, physical anthropology, paleobotany, and climatology.
The interpretation of ancient Near Eastern history and cultures has also progressed. An increasing number of documents has been unearthed. The vast document collections from Tel el-Amarna, Nippur, Mari, Nuzi, Ebla, Ugarit, and the Dead Sea caves are just some of the more spectacular examples. These provide an enormous amount of detail about royal administrations, business transactions, land tenure systems, taxes, political propaganda, mythologies, marriage practices, and much more. And things that sometimes seem unique about one culture at first look often fit into larger patterns of relationship when the surrounding cultures are better understood.
The Ancient Near East: Classic Studies (ANECS) reprints classic works that have brought the results of archaeology, textual, and historical investigations to audiences of scholars, students, and the general public. While the discussions continue and the results of earlier investigations are continuously re-examined, these classic works remain of interest and importance.

K. C. HANSON Series Editor

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K. C. Hanson is the author of more than three dozen books, articles, papers, and reviews on religious themes. Previously an assistant professor of religion at California State University at Long Beach and The Episcopal Theological School at Claremont, Hanson's book credits include Proclamation 6: Pentecost 1. Aids for Interpreting the Lessons of the Church Year; Proclamation 4: Pentecost 3. Aids for Interpreting the Lessons of the Church Year; and Palestine in the Time of Jesus: Social Domains and Social Conflicts. The latter was written with Douglas E. Oakman. Hanson has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical Studies from Pacific Christian College. He earned his Master's and Ph.D. in Religion from Claremont Graduate School in 1984. A member of the Catholic Biblical Association, The American Academy of Religion, and the Society of Biblical Literature, Hanson has been an Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies and Theology at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. since 1994.