Israel Books

This is a good article which is comprised of two excerpts from Haim Harari's book, "A View From the Eye of the Storm." My preference would be to get the whole book, but the article is good in its own right. The focus of the article is on Israel's small size, the root of the trouble being that the entire Muslim region itself is dysfunctional, and the nature of suicide killing.

Brother Koenig makes it easier to understand what is going on and why. His research is mind-boggling, but very welcome to those who seek to know what God is saying to His Church. Bravo!!

as always, Max Lucado writes another insightful, thought-provoking book, this time with teens in mind....thanks Max

Sara Roy provides an irrefutable dissection of why the Oslo "peace" process failed and actually made things worse not only in Gaza where she has special expertise, but in the 1967 Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories in general. What is particularly important about Roy's book is the fact that she reminds the reader of what the role of the intellectual is and must be - i.e., rooted in critical thought and humanism - the historical quest of moral philosophy. That is her personal context. She also insists on historical factual context for her analysis. Decrying those who describe Oslo's failure ahistorically as though there were no pre-conditons or issues and no facts on the ground which the terms of Oslo could employ to worsen conditions, Roy's work puts in stark relief the sham that was Oslo. Her conclusions stem from her meticulous research, not from any ideological paradigm.

This book is not only important for scholars of the Israel/Palestine conflict, but it is also the best book for university courses on the conflict. Students will gain a clear understanding of the issues involved in the conflict and why the structure and terms of Oslo were doomed to failure. They will also gain the dual context she presents for dissecting the present situation and "peace" efforts, valuable in and of itself.

This collection of Roy's essays chronicling the period from the 1967 Israeli occupation of Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem has stood the test of time. She offers the readers a unique chronicle of the human, social and political economy results from the terms of Oslo. This should be on anyone's reading list who is concerned about the tragedy of the Israel/Palestine conflict for both Israeli Jews and Palestinians.
Dr. Elaine C. Hagopian, Professor Emerita of Sociology, Simmons College, Boston.

This is a concise (102 pages) excerpt of the writings of Josephus about the Jewish War in AD 70 against Titus of Rome. It depicts what happened in Jerusalem about 40 years after the time of Jesus.

Every now and then, you pick up a book to read for whatever reason, and find something in it so valuable you wish everyone would read it. I was curious to read some Josephus because there had been so many references to his (extra-biblical) writings in my Bible classes at Biola. This slim volume was the only thing my bookstore had of his work, so I bought it.

The horrors of war and the folly of man's pride are so vividly depicted in this book...it has such an immediate feel and modern style to it that you don't feel the usual disconnect of the centuries that have passed. Josephus paints the visuals for your mind and you experience the tragedy of this sad tale along with him. The violence is very intense and heartbreaking. This story is completely relevant today, and bears proof that mankind has not changed.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in Roman, Jewish, or Biblical history. It is easy to read and understand, but does contain graphic, war-related violence. There is only one short paragraph as an explanatory note so you may want to seek more background information elsewhere. The length makes it great for a quick, fulfilling read.

I thought that this was an incredible story of a Russian agent Zeev Avni who penetrated the Mossad.

His story read like a novel with the advantage that it was true.

I found it stunning how easy it was to catch him. The Russians never coached him what to say maybe because to the Russians a caught spy had little value anyway so why bother. Still that costed them a valuable spy.

Later I found it fascinating the way his outlook changed because of Khrushchev's speech against Stalin. I found it interesting the way he changed away from a communism. I see a likeness between his change from communism in jail and Arthur Koestler's who also in jail turned against communism.

I do wish the book would have covered more what Zeev Avni's actually did both in WW2 in a Soviet espionage in Switzerland and later in the Mossad. Either would make a great sequel although I suspect the secrets he told the Russians are still marked not to be released in Israel.

This is one of Skousen's best books that he ever wrote. The story of the six day war between Israel and the Arabs is an epic event in world history. And this book details everything, all the events from Day One to how the war ended on Day Six. He also discusses the political fallout from Egypt's Nasser, who vehemently supported and started this war in the first place. Skousen also goes through a lot of Jewish history, so this book also provides this if this is also what you're looking for. AN EXCELLENT BOOK!

This book was written in the same year as the six day war and is an excellent treatise on the subject. It includes a short history of Israel from ancient times up through the war. It clearly documents the failures of the UN, the origin of the Palestinians, the myth of the irreconcilability of Arabs and Jews, etc. It is a must read for anyone who wants to understand the tensions that affect the Middle East today.

Author: Isabel Hill Elder

This is a book of biographical sketches of the more famous women of Israel. The author believes the women of the Bible have not received the honor and recognition they deserve and she has attempted, in this historical study, to help the reader of the Bible to realize that the women of both the Old and New Testaments were characters worthy of our highest esteem.

Mrs. Elder portrays her characters with feelings and thoughts much like our own and paints a vivid picture of the manners and customs of those times.

Back in the earliest of biblical times the woman was the equal of man in every respect. She had an independence, in patriarchal times, surpassing even today, and was entrusted with the adminstration of her husband's property as well as her own.

The women of heathen nations were the first to lose this independence which was retained by the women of Israel until the captivities. With the return of the captives from Babylon to Palestine a marked change is obvious and family life was never the same again. The women of both Houses of Israel had become degraded to the level of the women of their captors, and a woman was viewed by her husband as a mere chattel and his slave.

The author shows how women began to regain their previous status with the appearance of Christ and his positive attitude toward them as he encouraged them to speak by addressing them and conversing with them in public. Although the journey back to the level of equality, formerly enjoyed by those earliest women of the Bible, has been slow and arduous, it has finally ended, today, with her ancient independence restored.

In this special work the author reveals little known aspects of these wonderful 'foremothers'...from Sarah to Claudia... and, in so doing, has not only made a significant contribution to our knowledge, but has rejected, by positive statement, the negative criticisms which have unfortunately been so long extant.
Paperback
168 pages

An in depth look at four biblical women ( Judith, Susanna, Esther, and Ruth) and the biblical witness. The author celebrates the under-represented but bold interventions of women on behalf of God for Israel and for the world.