The Politics of Israel's Past by Emanuel Pfoh
It is not uncommon that historical images-presented as simply given, self-evident and even indisputable-are employed in political readings of the past and used as a legitimizing tool. For that reason, the authors of this volume, biblical scholars, archaeologists, anthropologists and historians, undertake a deconstruction of modern biblical discourses on the Bible's production and the history of ancient Israel, enabling the exploration of critical approaches to ancient Palestine's past, to the history of the peoples of the region, to the history of the biblical text(s) and, last but not least, to the modern political uses of biblical narratives as legitimizing land ownership and nationalisms. Among the topics treated are the appearance of Judaism and its connection to the production of biblical literature, the politics of archaeological practice in Israel, the role of archaeology in the production of nationalist narratives of the past, the relationship between genetic studies and Jewish nationalism, and the prospects for writing critical histories of ancient Palestine beyond biblical images and religious and political aspirations. Each article illustrates the close relationship between the Bible, archaeology and processes of nation-building in the State of Israel. The Politics of Israel's Past concerns itself both with the ways in which contemporary politics affects the knowledge of the past and with the processes by which constructions of an ancient past legitimate modern political situations.
Emanuel Pfoh is a PhD candidate at the University of Buenos Aires. His main interest and field of research is the historical anthropology of Syria-Palestine in Antiquity.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781907534829 |
| ISBN 10 | 1907534822 |
| Title | The Politics of Israel's Past |
| Author | Emanuel Pfoh |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Sheffield Phoenix Press |
| Year published | 2013-07-15 |
| Number of pages | 270 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |