Preface Acknowledgements 1. Palestine in the Late Bronze Age (14th - 13th Centuries) Part One: A Normal History 2. The Transition (12th Century) 3. The New Society (c. 1150-1050) 4. The Formative Process (c. 1050-930) 5. The Kingdom of Israel (c. 930 -740) 6. The Kingdom of Judah (c. 930-720) 7. The Impact of the Assyrian Empire (c. 740-640) 8. Pause between Two Empires (c. 640-610) 9. The Impact of the Babylonian Empire (c.610-585) Intermezzo 10. The Axial Age 11. The Diaspora 12. The Abandoned Landscape Part Two: An Invented History 13. Returnees and 'Remainees': The Invention of the Patriarchs 14. Returnees and Aliens: The Invention of the Conquest 15. A Nation without a King: The Invention of the Judges 16. The Royal Option: The Invention of the United Monarchy 17. The Priestly Option: The Invention of the Solomonic Temple 18. Self-Identification: The Invention of the Law Epilogue 19. Local History and Universal Values Bibliography