Reviews for Historian and the Bible: Essays in Honour of Lester L. Grabbe

The average rating for Historian and the Bible: Essays in Honour of Lester L. Grabbe based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2008-05-14 00:00:00 Peter Barrows I picked this because of some historical references in a book of fiction and I wanted to learn more about the start of the state of Israel. This book gives an overview of some of the efforts that led to the UN resolution, among other things, that founded the country. It also covers some of the early history and fighting both externally with neighboring Arab states, and some of the internal politics between the parties. I skimmed the last couple chapters that I was a little more familiar with, which focused on the numerous attempts and failures at achieving peace.

Review # 2 was written on 2009-11-28 00:00:00 Matt Hew Upon encountering this passage from Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's 1993 speech I was quite nearly moved to tears: "We are destined to live together, on the same soil in the same land. We, the soldiers who have returned from battle stained with blood, we who have seen our relatives and friends killed before our eyes, we who have attended their funerals and cannot look into the eyes of parents and orphans, we who have come from a land where parents bury their children, we who have fought against you, the Palestinians - we say to you today in a loud and clear voice: Enough of blood and tears. Enough. We harbour no hatred towards you. We have no desire for revenge. We, like you, are people who want to build a home, plant a tree, love, live side by side with you - in dignity, in empathy, a human beings, as free men. We are today giving peace a chance and saying to you: Enough. Let's pray that a day will come when we all will say: Farewell to arms." This is a brilliant survey of Israeli history. I thoroughly enjoy reading it.