Author Description

In Battles of the Bible the authors Chaim Herzog, former President of the State of Israel, and Mordechai Gichon, Emeritus Professor of Archaeology at Tel Aviv University, present a comprehensive work on the wars of ancient Israel. Both authors have seen extensive military service in much the same areas as featured in the biblical accounts. The Bible's military accounts, told in vivid detail, cover a vast period, from the invasion of Canaan by the Israelites under Joshua's command, through the conquest of the kingdom by David and Solomon and the split of the kingdom into Judah and Israel, to the Maccabees' successful rebellion against Seleucid domination. The reliability of these accounts is supported by their technical accuracy and by descriptions of topographic conditions peculiar to specific battlefields. They bear comparison with military campaigns well after the biblical era, and provide strategic and tactical lessons of value even today. They are also an essential key to understanding the events of the time, when the struggle for independence and survival overshadowed all other aspects of daily life. National identity and security remains a vital issue in the region today, and many of the places that figure in the biblical accounts still retain their military importance.