This document provides information about an upcoming multi-volume series on genocide edited by Prof. Yair Auron. The series aims to ensure society remains informed about genocides and considers its own responsibility. Volume 1 focuses on theoretical aspects of genocide research. Volume 2 will examine genocide and racism. Volume 3 discusses genocide against Native Americans from 1776-1890. Volume 4 will cover the destruction of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire during WWI. The series takes a moral approach beyond just historical accounts, to journey through issues of responsibility.

1. THE OPEN UNIVERSITY
OF ISRAEL
WE ARE OPEN FOR TRANSLATION
1

2. 2

3. The Open University of Israel, Israel’s leading academic publisher, has published over 1500 textbooks in all major disciplines. Written by
leading scholars and experts from the Open University and from all other Israeli universities, these books are known for their outstanding
academic quality, and are used by students and faculty in Israel’s colleges and universities.
This catalog presents the Open University’s latest publications, a collection of true gems and treasures. We are pleased to offer our books on
Middle East history, religions (Islam and Early Christianity) Biblical studies (Genesis), Jewish history, religion and culture, Israeli politics and
art, genocide studies and social sciences. Unique in scope and length, our books can easily be adopted as textbooks for students, and also
be of interest to scholars and the general public.
The Open University welcomes collaboration and joint projects with publishers interested in pooling together world knowledge, culture
and heritage to produce high-quality, aesthetic, state-of-the-art publications of broad interest.
Contact Details
Mrs. Nava Segal
Rights and Permissions Manager
navase@openu.ac.il
The Open University of Israel
1 University Road, P.O. Box 808,
Raanana 43107, Israel
Tel. 972-9-7781811, Fax 972-9-7780664
http://www-e.openu.ac.il/ 3

4. Adia Mendelson-Maoz, Nurith Gertz*
Amos Oz and A.B. Yehoshua are both world seminal importance of their writings -- in literary
renowned Israeli novelists, who single-handedly circles, within Israeli society and on the national
influenced a new generation of writers, virtually and international stage.
changing the shape and contour of Israeli literature. Volume 1 (2010, 163 pp.)
Part 1: Change of generations in Israeli literature
Up until Amos Oz’s publication of his first stories in Part 2: Moshe Shamir’s He Walked in the Fields
the quarterly Keshet at the end of the 1950’s, Israeli
literature was largely designed to promote and Volume 2 Amos Oz (2010, 278 pp.)
encourage a Socialist-Zionist agenda. Amos Oz’s Part 1: Where the Jackals Howl
portrayal of real life struggles on Kibbutz, shattered Part 2: My Michael
this ‘magic mirror’ and helped to pave the way for Part 3: “Late Love”
a new generation of Israeli writers whose agendas Part 4: “Unto Death”
and writing styles radically differ from those writers Volume 3 A.B. Yehoshua (2010, 264 pp.)
during the early days of the Israeli state. Part 1: “The Yatir Evening Express”
Part 2: “Facing the Forests”
It was not only characters and the portrayal of Part 3: “The Continuing Silence of a Poet” and
“One of the things I wanted
ideals where Oz and Yehoshua chose to deviate “Early in the Summer of 1970”
to introduce in The Same Sea
from their predecessors, there were also stylistic Part 4: The Lover
beyond transcending the
and literary differences. Excerpts from a wide
conflict, is the fact that deep
range of the authors’ writings provide readers with
down below all our secrets are
opportunities to delve deeply into both writers * Adia Mendelson-Maoz is a member of the Department of
the same.” Literature, Language and the Arts at the Open University of Israel.
mindsets and learn from their skillful writing styles. Amos Oz
* Nurith Gertz is professor emeritus of the Department of
Literature, Language and the Arts at the Open University of Israel.
This three volume series places Oz and Yehoshua She is an expert on Israeli cinema and literature and the author
4 in a cultural-social-historical context, enabling
readers to gain a profound understanding of the
of Myths in Israeli Culture: Captives of a Dream (Vallentine Mitchell,
2000) and co-author of Palestinian Cinema: Landscape, trauma and
memory (Edinburgh University Press, 2008).

5. Volume 1 (Forthcoming)
Part 1: The Arab-Palestinian community as a
national minority in Israel (Ilana Kaufman)
Editors: Ilana Kaufman, Mustafa Kabha* Part 2: The Arab-Palestinian community during the
British Mandate (Mustafa Kabha)
Part 3: In the shadow of military rule: The first twenty
years (Sara Ozacky-Lazar, Yair Baumel)
Since the establishment of the State of Israel, there Volume 2 (Forthcoming)
has been an ongoing struggle between the Jewish Part 1: The ethnic mosaic (Ilana Kaufman)
society and Arab society living together, ostensibly Part 2: The Palestinian family in Israel (Khawla Abu-
under one roof. This struggle -- ideological, political, Baker)
territorial and societal -- finds expression in nearly Part 3: Gender and relations between the sexes in
every aspect of Arab-Israeli life, and like the Arab- Palestinian cociety (Amalia Sa’ar)
Israeli society itself, has undergone change over
time. Arab society has not lived in isolation, but Volume 3 (2010, 415 pp.)
rather has been impacted by its neighboring Jewish Part 1: One man one vote: Parties and elections
society, as well as external Arab states, globalization, (Benyamin Neuberger)
and its own internal issues and changes. Part 2: Leadership: Transformation and transition
(Reuven Aharoni)
A multidisciplinary team of scholars worked Part 3: The media: From printed to online press
together to produce this detailed, well- (Mustafa Kabha)
documented four volume series. The series tracks
the multi-faceted aspects of Arab society in Israel, Volume 4 (Forthcoming)
viewing its evolution, development and struggles “I vote, therefore I am.” Part 1: The Arab-Palestinian education system
by examining a wide range of issues: family and Slogan used by Communist youth in (Ismael Abu Sa’ad)
gender relations, becoming a minority after being Haifa during 2009 election campaign Part 2: Territorial relations: Demographic aspects
a majority, ethnicity, legal claims, etc. and social change (Rassem Khamaisy)
Gaining a deeper historical understanding of the * Ilana Kaufman is a scholar of Arab-Palestinians, civil society and political participation in Israel at the Open University
and author of Arab National Communism in the Jewish State (University Press of Florida, 1997).
evolution of Israeli-Arab society, may provide new
5
insight for political resolutions to the ongoing * Mustafa Kabha is a senior lecturer at the Open University and a researcher in the areas of modern Middle Eastern
history, the history of the Palestinian national movement, and Arab mass media. He is the author of numerous
conflict. books and articles in Arabic, English and Hebrew.

6. Haggai Erlich*, Steven Kaplan, Hagar Salamon
Ethiopia is one of the world’s most ancient
civilizations. A monarchy for most of its history,
the Ethiopian dynasty traces its roots to the 2nd
century BCE. The uniqueness of Ethiopia is that it
constitutes a culture which built up a political system,
a state and even an empire that lasted some two
millennia. It managed to withstand the strongest
forces in history -- the Islamic empire and European
imperialism -- and still retain its sovereignty.
Its geographic location in the Horn of Africa, history
of political stability, cultural and religious tolerance
alongside its nationalistic tendency to also identify
with the Middle Eastern countries as much as
with African countries, led to Ethiopia becoming a
crossroads, meeting place for the three monotheistic
religions. It was here that Christianity, Judaism and “[Ethiopia] One of the
Islam first met and learned to live together. strangest, most wonderful
phenomena in history.”
Ethiopia’s image as a multi-cultural country replete Arnold Toynbee
* Haggai Erlich is professor emeritus of Middle Eastern and African
with contradictions holds true today. Its secret for History at Tel Aviv University and head of Middle East and African
Studies at the Open University of Israel. He is author of numerous
maintaining its independence and sovereignty may books, among them The Cross and the River – Ethiopia, Egypt and
hold some answers for modern day society. the Nile (Lynne Rienner, 2002) and co-editor of The Nile – Histories,
6
Cultures, Myths (Lynne Rienner, 2000). His latest book is Islam &
Christianity in the Horn of Africa: Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan (Lynne
2003, 384 pp. Rienner, 2010).

7. Moshe Negbi*
Does Israeli media promote its own agenda? Do a two-way mirror, examining the impact of mass
personal beliefs of Israeli journalists cloud their media -- radio, television, printed press and the new
journalistic integrity? Does Israeli press play an media -- in Israeli society.
influential role in government policy? Is there
balanced coverage on issues of national interest? In Forthcoming
light of the state’s ongoing wars, does Israeli media
have to abide by different ethical standards?
No doubt, Israeli media is on the front lines both
literally and figuratively. One of Israel’s leading legal
commentators and analysts, who regularly appears
on Israel Radio and national television’s Channel
One network, Moshe Negbi’s new book, Freedom of
the Journalist and Freedom of the Press maps the life “What is the purpose of allowing
line of mass media in Israel since the establishment freedom of speech and press?
of the state to today. The book offers an in-depth Why should a government
perspective of the legal and ethical issues that that regards its own actions as
proper and justified expose itself
Israel’s mass media must confront in times of peace
to criticism?
and in times of war, and considers the mine field of Obviously, that same
legal, security, political, religious and cultural issues government would not conceive
so endemic to the country’s unique geopolitical of allowing the use of firearms
situation. against it, and all would agree
that ideas are mightier than any
This book is more than a description of the
institutional aspects of mass media. It also acts as
gun.”
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
* Moshe Negbi is a leading Israeli legal analyst and legal
commentator for the Israel Broadcasting Authority. 7

8. Uriel Rappaport*
For a period of some two hundred years -- from culturally, communally or religiously as those who
the Babylonian exile following the destruction of were sent into exile. The Persian period left an
the First Temple (586 BCE) until 330-334 BCE when indelible imprimatur on their lives, traces of which
the Greeks conquered the eastern empire -- the are evident today.
Jews lived under the Persian empire, the last of the
ancient empires. Prof. Uriel Rappaport’s research of this period
provides some fascinating insights into the dynamics
What makes this period so fascinating in terms that helped to shape the Jewish nation.
of Jewish history is that this was the first time
in history that the Jewish nation was no longer 2004, 256 pp.
an independent sovereignty and was forced to
administer its own lives from various, dispersed
political centers. The most important of these
centers were Babylonia and Judea.
The Jewish nation’s dispersal within the Persian
empire influenced their cultural, religious and “The first year of Cyrus’
communal lives. The Babylonian Talmud was written monarchy, King Cyrus
during this time, Aramaic, the Persian empire’s commanded: The House of G’d
spoken tongue was incorporated into Jewish life, in Jerusalem will be rebuilt...
a number of the nation’s greatest prophets held and all the vessels of gold and
center stage, and the concept of ‘Return to Zion’ silver that Nebuchadnezzer
was born. removed from Jerusalem and
were transported to Babylonia
8
* Uriel Rappaport is professor emeritus of Jewish History at the
The Jewish people who returned to rebuild their will be returned...” University of Haifa. He is co-editor of Dead Sea Scrolls: Forty Years
Temple in Jerusalem, were not the same ones, (Ezra: 6; 3-5) of Research (Eisenbrauns, 1992).

9. The Jewish Community in Palestine between the World Wars
Aviva Halamish*
Many have referred to Israel as a modern-day Volume 1 (2004, 360 pages)
miracle. At the outbreak of the first world war, there Part 1: Historiography and historical background
were 60,000 Jews living in the Jewish “Yishuv”. They Part 2: The Palestine triangle in the 1920s: British,
were a heterogeneous group, most living in dire Jews and Arabs, 1917-1929
circumstances in various communities throughout Part 3: A volunteer society: Institutions, political
the land. The land was desolate and ruled by a dying, parties and organizations
largely ambivalent empire. There were no national Part 4: Foundations of the national home:
institutions, and virtually no political or national Immigration, economy and settlement in
leadership. Then within a period of two decades, the 1920s
now under the rule of a new, sometimes antagonistic Volume 2 (2004, 274 pages)
empire, the population grew by nine-fold, national Part 1: Consensus and conflict in the 1920s
institutions were established and a political-national Part 2: From crisis to growth: 1929-1932
leadership arose. Part 3: The Palestine triangle in the 1930s: British,
Jews and Arabs, 1931-1939
At the center of this three volume series, Prof. Aviva
Halamish, a noted historian and recipient of the Volume 3 (Forthcoming)
prestigious 2010 Yitzhak Ben Zvi Award for historical Part 1: Creating a critical mass: immigration and
“In the 1920’s, aliyah and
research, offers an indepth examination of how a tiny settlement during the 1930s
settlement increased the
group of people, an almost invisible minority, laid the Part 2: Consensus and conflict in the 1930s
demographic weight and the
foundations for the establishment of a State, with Part 3: A race against time: The Yishuv on the eve of
territorial presence of the
few resources and little international support. The World War II
Yishuv (i.e. Jewish), but this
series examines not only what happened within the * Aviva Halamish is a professor of History at the Open University
change was in numbers rather of Israel. She is the author of numerous articles and several
confines of the Jewish Yishuv, but also the influences
than in substance... [this was a books, among them The Exodus Affair: Holocaust Survivors and
9
from outside, which played a crucial role in the state the Struggle for Palestine (Syracuse University Press and Vallentine
time] when the foundations of Mitchell, 1998) and a biography (in Hebrew) of Meir Yaari (Am
in the making.
the national home were laid.” Oved / Ofakim Series, 2009).

10. Editor: Yair Auron*
Prof. Yair Auron’s Genocide series is a monumental Volume 1 Reflections on the Inconceivable:
work motivated by the great need to ensure that Theoretical Aspects of Genocide
society remains neither apathetic nor ignorant about Research (Yair Auron, 2006, 183 pp.)
genocides and considers its own responsibility for Volume 2 Genocide and Racism (Yair Auron,
the cause and the solution. The Genocide series is Isaac Lubelski (Eds.), Forthcoming)
more than an historical accounting. It is a journey
through a moral minefield. Volume 3 Genocide in the “Land of the Free”:
The Indians of North America 1776-
Interestingly, the word Genocide (based on Greek 1890 (Arnon Gutfeld, 2006, 230 pp.)
and Latin words) was coined after World War II by Volume 4 Conflictual Encounter: The Destruction
Raphael Lemkin, a Polish Jew whose family was of the Indian Peoples of Spanish
killed in the Holocaust and later found refuge in the America (Eitan Ginsberg, 2009, 280
United States. Lemkin used the word to describe pp.)
the extermination of the Jews by the Nazis, but Volume 5 The Armenian Genocide: Forgetting
in the broader sense the word is used to describe and Denial (Yair Auron, 2007, 183 pp.)
mass killings of any people, motivated by religious
or nationalistic reasons. “To ask questions, to think Volume 6 Hurban: The Annihilation of the Jews
about, to consider what could by Nazi Germany (Ariel Horowitz,
have been done to prevent 2010, 183 pp.)
The Genocide series, a unique, outstanding multi-
genocide or at least to limit it
disiplinary effort by various Israeli scholars, and to ask where I am in this Volume 7 Nazi Germany and the Gypsies (Gilad
psychologists and historians covers a broad range picture when the genocide is Margalit, 2006, 165 pp.)
of time periods -- from Biblical times to modern day taking place...so that I will not Volume 8 Rwanda 1994: Genocide in the
times, over an equally broad range of continents -- be among those who remained “Land of Thousand Hills” (Benyamin
10
Europe (Armenia), Africa (Rwanda), Southeast Asia
(Cambodia), and the Americas.
silent.” Neuberger, 2005, 208 pp.)

11. Volume 9 Tibet 1950-2000: Destroying a Civilization (Lydia Aran,
2007, 192 pp.)
Volume 10 Political and Ethnic Cleansings in the Soviet Union,
1918-1953 (Alek Epstein, 2007, 238 pp.)
Volume 11 “So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee”
- The Holocaust and Genocide as Wrought by Human
Beings (Israel Charny, Forthcoming)
Volume 12 So that I wouldn’t be among the Silent (Yair Auron,
2010, pp. 287)
* Yair Auron is a professor in the Department of Sociology, Political Science and
Communication at the Open University of Israel. A specialist on Holocaust and Genocide
studies, he is the author of The Banality of Indefference: Zionism and the Armenian
Genocide (Transaction, 2000) and The Banality of Denial: Israel and the Armenian Genocide
(Transaction, 2003).
“When we heard, for the first time that our friends had been
gradually slaughtered, a great cry rose among us. Then a hundred
had been slaughtered. But when 1000 had been slaughtered, and
the slaughter had not ceased, silence reigned...”
Bertolt Brecht
11

12. Shulamit Elizur*
On the Iberian peninsula, on Spanish soil, over a Volume 1 (2004, 288 pp.)
period of 200 years -- from the 10th to the 12th Part 1: The literary, historical and social background
centuries, under Muslim rule rose a prolific, lyrically of Hebrew poetry in Spain
rich, and diverse community of Hebrew poets. Part 2: Methodological introduction
This three volume series provides the reader with Volume 2 (2004, 524 pp.)
a comprehensive, detailed analysis of the Jewish Part 1: Conventions in the Hebrew poetry of Spain:
community of poets, many learned Rabbis, who were Entertainment poems
guided by their deep religious conviction and were Part 2: Types and conventions in the Hebrew poetry
similarly influenced by their Muslim counterparts. of Spain: Philosophical and moral poems
Part 3: Types and conventions in the Hebrew poetry
It was a time when Hebrew poetry and song of Spain: Praise and friendship poems
flourished, producing hundreds of enchanting, Part 4: Personal poems
deeply moving works, many of which are still
chanted or read today. Volume 3 (2004, 534 pp.)
Part 1: Prose elements
Readers will be touched by the mysticism and beauty “One after another humankind Part 2: The rhetoric of poetry: Tone, syntax and
of the works, as much as they will gain a deeper will be diluted lexicon, picturesque language
understanding of the layers of meaning beneath Little by little they will perish, Part 3: Biblical allusion and integration
the simple words. until all is gone Part 4: Composition
Cease, one journey after
Death approaches, until there
is the grave”
Moshe Ibn Ezra
12 * Shulamit Elizur is a Professor of Hebrew Literature at the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem.

13. Editor: Raphael Nir*
The History of the Hebrew Language traces and Volume 1 Introduction (Menachem Zevi Kadari,
explicates the evolution of the Hebrew language. 2003, 170 pp.)
This unique eight volume series offers an extensive Volume 2 Biblical Language (Rivka Yarkoni, 2003,
review of a language that served as the basis for 171 pp.)
dialogue between G’d and Moses and inspired
exquisite literature, intricate commentaries on Volume 3 Hebrew of the Second Temple Period
Biblical passages and prayer. It is the only language (Elisha Qimron, 2003, 243 pp.)
in the annals of history which has been extant for Volume 4 Language of the Sages (Shimon Sharvit,
two millennia. 2003, 275 pp.)
The Medieval Period: These 4 volumes survey a
Each section in the series covers a particular period period of about seventeen centuries during which
of time, and has been written by language experts the Hebrew language served only for literary and
of that time period. The extensive appendices liturgical purposes, and was not used for everyday
provide valuable insights for those interested in communication.
understanding the Hebrew language’s unique ability
to evolve, adapt and expand. “And G’d said let their be light, Volume 5 Language of Hebrew Liturgical Hymns
and there was light...He called (Joseph Yahalom, 2003, 183 pp.)
An ideal study compendium for students, scholars, the light day and the darkness Volume 6 Language of the Translators (Gad Ben-
linguists, and anyone who would love to learn more night” Ami Zarfati, 2003, 215 pp.)
about Hebrew. (Genesis1: 3, 5)
Volume 7 Language of the Hebrew Poetry of Spain
(Ephraim Chazan, 2003, 188 pp.)
The Biblical Period: The first four volumes deal
with Biblical and Mishnaic Hebrew. They discuss Volume 8 Rabbinic Hebrew (Zvi Betzer, 2001, 181
various linguistic aspects: lexical, morphological pp.)
13
and syntactic. * Raphael Nir is professor emeritus in the Department of
Communication and Journalism at the Hebrew University of
Jerusalem.

14. Nurith Gertz*
Early Zionist ideology, intent on establishing a ‘other’s’ rights and integrate them within the
national homeland for the Jewish people, was tapestry of Israeli society.
equally intent on redefining what characteristics a
‘real’ Israeli was to possess. The cinema and literature 2004, 213 pp.
from the early to mid 20th century used to portray Am Oved / The Open University of Israel
the new ‘Israeli’, dispensed with any characteristics
that were easily identified with European Jewry --
what they considered the Diaspora. These films and
novels casted Holocaust survivors as ‘the other’ or
‘the alien’ in the new State of Israel. This definition
pitted the survivors along with other Diaspora Jews,
soon joined by women and Arabs on the one side vs.
the ‘true’ Israeli-Hebrew “Sabra” man on the other.
Upon the stages of the theater, within the pages
of literature, and in the cinema houses across the
country, peoples, living under one roof within the “I have never read a book
confines of the state, were either identified as “us” whereby the literary elegance
or “them.” encounters the personal truth,
in such moving, unforgettable
The consequences were manifold, playing off one totality. This is a book that
group against another, launching a race among must not be missed.” * Nurith Gertz is professor emeritus of the Department of
sectors of society to prefer one alien group over Shimon Peres Literature, Language and the Arts at the Open University of Israel.
another, suppressing and/or reshaping Holocaust She is an expert on Israeli cinema and literature and the author
14
of Myths in Israeli Culture: Captives of a Dream (Vallentine Mitchell,
survivors memories, and eventually creating a 2000) and co-author of Palestinian Cinema: Landscape, trauma and
situation where people learned to recognize the memory (Edinburgh University Press, 2008).

15. Editor: Daphna Ephrat*
While today’s bookshelves may be overflowing with Volume 2 (Nehemia Levtzion, Daniela Talmon-
newly published, or reprinted editions of books Heller, Daphna Ephrat, 1998, 208 pp.)
on Islam, this series of four volumes is one of the Part 1: The development of Islamic law
only efforts to cover the entire history of Islam -- Part 2: Theological debates and their political
from its birth in the 7th century until modern-day impact
fundamentalism. Also, while most other publications Part 3: Islamic mysticism
may deal with the rise, development and spread
of Islam in specific countries, few provide such Volume 3 (Nehemia Levtzion, Daniela Talmon-
an extensive and comprehensive look at Islam Heller, Daphna Ephrat, 1998, 252 pp.)
throughout the world and by country to country as Part 1: The Ulama and secular rulers in the late
does this series. Middle Ages
Part 2: The institutionalization of Islam: Law,
Furthermore, most other publications divide Islam education and mysticism
into two distinct periods: classical Islam which Part 3: The expansion of Islam into Asia and Africa
developed in the 11th century and modern day Volume 4 (2008, 300 pp.)
Islam which evolved in the 19th and 20th centuries. “Islam crystallized as a religion Part 1: Islamic revivalist and reform movements in
However, this publication also places great emphasis which secluded itself from the the 18th century (Atallah Copty)
on the golden era of Islam in the Middle Ages, when pre-Islamic system on the one Part 2: Modernism and secularism: Islamic response
much of Islamic science, art and literature developed. hand, and from the Judeo- to the Western challenge (Daphna Ephrat)
Christian system on the other Part 3: Islamic fundamentalism (Meir Hatina)
Volume 1 (Nehemia Levtzion, Daniela Talmon- hand, and within this process
Heller, Daphna Ephrat, 1998, 272 pages) of disengagement there is a * Daphna Ephrat, a professor of History at the Open University, is an
expert on medieval Muslim societies. She is the author of A Learned
Part 1: The birth of a religion kind of crystallization.” Society in a Period of Transition: The Sunni ‘Ulama’ of Eleventh-Century
Baghdad (SUNY, 2000) and Spiritual Wayfarers, Leaders in Piety:
Part 2: Sects in Islam
15
Sufis and the Dissemination of Islam in Medieval Palestine (Harvard
Part 3: From Arabization to Islamization University Press, 2008).

16. Eliezer Ben-Rafael, Lior Ben-Chaim*
Who can be defined as a Jew? A question that has
been asked throughout the ages, and continues to
be asked and never ceases to spark conflict.
Is there a difference in how secular Jews from
Argentina define themselves in comparison to their
peers in France? What is the underlying meaning
of the Hebrew word for Diaspora and ‘Immigrant’?
And does that impact on how other Jews regard
Israeli Jews and themselves? What does it mean
to have been identified as a Jew from the former
Soviet Union? How does American Jewry define
and distinguish itself? What defines an Israeli Jew?
Jewish Identities in an Era of Multiple Modernities
examines the evolution of the collective identity
of the Jewish people and the manner in which “Is it possible to still talk
it expresses itself from country to country, and about Jews as a single entity
considering their multiple * Eliezer Ben-Rafael is professor emeritus of Sociology at Tel-Aviv
community to community. The differences and University. He has published on ethnicity and language in Israel,
similarities among Jews around the world, and Jewish identities?” the transformation of the kibbutz, Jewish identities and aspects of
contemporary globalization. He is co-author of Ethnicity, Religion
in Israel, are explored and examined, focusing and Class in Israel (Cambridge University Press, 2007) and co-
sociologically on today’s multiple modernities and editor of World Religions and Multiculturalism: A Dialectic Relation
(Brill, 2010).
multiple cultures.
* Lior Ben-Chaim, a sociologist at Tel-Aviv University, studies
16
various aspects of Jewish identities and multiple modernities in
2006, 376 pp. Israel.

17. Raphael Jospe*
The Middle Ages was a time when Jewish philosophy Volume 1 Jewish Philosophy in the Middle Ages:
took shape and flourished. It was a time when the Foundations (2005, 575 pp.)
Jewish people’s greatest thinkers, dispersed among Part 1: What is Jewish philosophy?
the nations, embarked on a journey of discovery, Part 2: Sa’adiah Ga’on and the Kalam
influencing and being influenced by their non- Part 3: Jewish Neo-Platonism: Isaac Israeli and
Jewish contemporaries and cultures. More than Solomon ibn-Gabirol
a millennia has passed, yet, the writings of these Part 4: Bahya ibn-Paquda
great thinkers continue to serve as ‘enlightened’
road maps for the encounters of the Jewish nation Volume 2 Jewish Philosophy in the Middle Ages:
with the world around them. Transitions (2006, 482 pp.)
Part 1: Philosophical exegesis of the Bible:
These three volumes examine the earliest Jewish Abraham ibn-Ezra
philosophers both within the context of their Part 2: Judah Ha-Levi and critique of philosophy
multilingual, Muslim, and Christian environments, Part 3: The transition to Aristotelianism: Abraham
and among themselves. Readers will delve ibn-Daud
into Christian and Islamic philosophy to better Volume 3 Jewish Philosophy in the Middle Ages:
understand how Jewish philosophy evolved. “Knowledge has two faces, truth Maimonides (2006, 503 pp.)
and falsehood, true knowledge Part 1: Maimonides: Principles of Judaism
is when one knows the thing as Part 2: Guide of the Perplexed – God
it is, square is square, minimal is Part 3: Guide of the Perplexed – The world and the
minimal, black is black, white is human being
white, reality is reality, missing
* Raphael Jospe, a specialist in medieval Jewish philosophy, is missing. False knowledge is
teaches in the Department of Jewish Philosophy at Bar Ilan knowledge of a thing that is not
University, and also in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem-
as it is...”
17
International School. He is the author or editor of several books,
among them Jewish Philosophy (2 volumes, Rowman & Littlefield, Beliefs and Opinions, Rabbi Sa’adiah
2008) and Jewish Philosophy in the Middle Ages (Academic, 2009). Gaon

18. Editor: Ora Limor*
What binds Christianity and Judaism? What divides Volume 1 Jacob and Esau (Ora Limor, 1993, 125 pp.)
them? How did their interrelationships play out in
Western Europe? Are these two beliefs compatible? Volume 2 (1993, 378 pp.)
Part 1: Majority and minority (Amnon Raz-
Since the birth of Christianity some two millennia Krakotzkin, Ora Limor)
ago, Jews and Christians have been intertwined Part 2: Similarity and difference (Ora Limor)
with each other, in one way or another. At first, the Part 3: Jews before the Christian courts of justice:
Jews were a majority in Israel, but this lasted but a the Jewish oath (Joseph Ziegler)
few decades. Volume 3 The Jewish-Christian Debate (Ora Limor,
1993, 256 pp.)
With the rapid spread of Christianity and the
loss of Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel, Volume 4 (1997, 432 pp.)
the pendulum swung and the Jews became the Part 1: Hebraica veritas (Amnon Raz-Krakotzkin,
minority. Nevertheless, for hundreds of years, the Ora Limor)
Jews and Christians lived alongside one another Part 2: Faith and reason (Joseph Ziegler)
interacting in nearly every aspect of their lives. Part 3: Images of the past (Ora Limor, Israel Yuval)
“Esau is the older brother, the
Their respective credos, religious beliefs, evil one... He was deprived of Volume 5 (1998, 440 pp.)
philosophies, value systems, political, social and his first born status in order Part 1: The blood libel (Ora Limor)
cultural necessities drove their encounters in to fulfill the divine plan, for Part 2: The Conversos (Yosef Kaplan)
varying directions. This series of five volumes traces Esau did not deserve to be the Part 3: Jews and Christians during the reformation
the relationship between Jews and Christians ‹chosen› one in the eyes of (Amos Hofman)
in Western Europe during the Middle Ages and the Lord. In Jewish literature, * Ora Limor is a Professor of History at the Open University of
Renaissance -- a period of 700 years. Esau...represents Christianity. Israel. She has written numerous articles in scholarly journals and
18
is co-editor of Contra Iudaeos: Ancient Medieval Polemics between
In Christian literature, he Christians and Jews (Texts and Studies in Medieval and Early Modern
represents the Jews.” Judaism) (J.C.B. Mohr, 1996)

19. Nurith Gertz, George Khleifi*
True, the Jews and Palestinians may share the same
2006, 230 pp.
‘landscape,’ but their cinematic voices are radically
Am Oved / The Open University of Israel
diverse.
Rights sold: English: Scotland, UK, Edinburgh University Press.
Searching for the voice and back story of
Palestinian cinema brought together two scholars,
one a Palestinian lecturer from Ramallah University
and the other a Jewish professor from the Open
University. The result is a detailed, thought
provoking look at Palestinian cinema and the
integral role the national movement’s ideology
played in cinematic productions, oftentimes
usurping other messages.
Readers will review how earlier Palestinian
filmmakers -- such as Michel Khlefi, Rashid
Masharawi, Ali Nassar, Elia Suleiman and others
-- were able to express the national movement’s
message through individual personal stories. “We are a nation that history
Readers will also learn about the struggle of has forgotten”
filmmakers creating genre films during and Sayigh, 1998 * Nurith Gertz is professor emeritus of the Department of
Literature, Language and the Arts at the Open University of Israel.
between the Intifadas, known as Roadblock She is an expert on Israeli cinema and literature and the author
movies. The extensive filmography included in “We are a nation that forgot its of Myths in Israeli Culture: Captives of a Dream (Vallentine Mitchell,
2000) and co-author of Palestinian Cinema: Landscape, trauma and
the book is an excellent guide for readers, scholars history” memory (Edinburgh University Press, 2008).
19
or researchers who wish to explore the subject in Emil Habibi, 1969
greater depth. * George Khleifi is a Palestinian scholar and film director.

20. Malka Muchnik*
Language, the principal means of communication Volume 1 (2002, 200 pp.)
in society, is also the engine which drives a society’s Part 1: Language as a social activity
culture. Every language reflects the unique values Part 2: Linguistic diversity: Dialects and sociolects
and way of life of the society for which that language Part 3: Language in circumstantial context: Register
is the mother tongue. Language is also a dynamic
entity, developing and evolving alongside its native Volume 2 (2002, 240 pp.)
society and culture. Part 1: Language and gender
Part 2: Language: Ideology and attitudes
The Hebrew language is no less. But perhaps more, Part 3: Language in mass communication
in some ways. Hebrew is the only ancient language
which is still spoken today. And, while it did fall out Volume 3 (2003, 182 pp.)
of daily usage among the Jewish people dispersed in Part 1: Language norms and language planning
various countries, it continued to be used in prayer Part 2: Language change and development
and learning for more than a millennia.
Volume 4 (2006, 205 pp.)
Tracing the development of the language from a Part 1: Ethnography: Culture and language
socio-linguistic point of view, Dr. Malka Muchnik “Hebrew has no clear Part 2: Cultural differences in oral communication
details the impact of the Hebrew language on boundaries for how to address
modern day society, and modern day society’s individuals, except for perhaps
impact on an ancient language that sought to those holding high government,
re-adapt to the demands of a nascent sate and court or Rabbinic positions...
continues to modernize itself in light of the internet, This phenomenon reflects the
view of the general population
global village and its yearning to be expressive and
and is probably the result of the
part of a pluralistic, democratic society. ideology of the early pioneers
20 who had a great yearning for
equality...”
* Malka Muchnik is a senior lecturer in the Department of Hebrew
and Semitic Languages, Bar Ilan University, Israel.

21. Onn Winckler*
What does the word populations symbolize to politics, inter-Arab relations and Arab relations on
you? For some, populations are merely statistics, the global stage.
numbers of people living in a specific area during a Chapters: Rapid population growth in Arab
specific period of time. Others view populations as countries in the 20th century; The economic
potential targets for marketing goods and services. consequences of high birth rates in Arab countries
What is common between both these points of in the second half of the 20th century; Movement
view is the fact that they view populations as static of labor workers between Arab countries; The
entities. effects of immigration on the large labor exporters:
Egypt, Jordan, Yemen and Syria; Policy regarding
Not the demographer, however. For the reproduction in Arab countries in the second half
demographer, populations are dynamic entities, of the 20th century.
changing every moment. The demographer’s
research focuses on the causes and outcomes of 2008, 365 pp.
these movements and changes, in order to gain
a better understanding of political, national and
economic dynamics.
Onn Winckler’s book, Political Demography in “Only in the second half of the
the Arab States takes a look at the changes in the 1980’s, after the collapse of oil
Arab populations particularly during the latter prices in international markets
half of the 20th century, when the chains of the and the decline for Arab workers
colonial powers were thrown off, and the countries in the oil industry, did Egypt
became independent, sovereign states. These begin to institute reforms in * Onn Winckler, a professor of Middle Eastern History at the
changes, radical in their time, impacted on the the economy and with family University of Haifa, is an expert on demographic and economic
21
planning.” history of the modern Arab world. He is the author of Arab Political
economy, which left its own imprimatur on the Demography: Population Growth, Labor Migration and Natalist
newly established, independent nation’s internal Policies (Sussex Academic Press, 2009).

22. Editor: Hanina Ben-Menahem*
What is Jewish Law? It is a modern day moniker for Volume 1 (2006, 784 pp.)
‘halacha’, an ancient system of laws for day-to-day Part 1: Legal formalism in the Jewish law (Hanina
individual and public dealings. This system was Ben Menahem)
developed long before there was any legal or court Part 2: Exigency authority of courts (Hanina Ben
system in the world. And, over the years it has gained Menahem)
in strength, in spite of the fact that technically, this Part 3: Law and equity in Jewish law (Hanina Ben
system of laws could only be adjudicated by the Menahem)
Great Court of Jerusalem, which has not been in Part 4: Legal controversy in Jewish law (Hanina
existence for two millennia. Ben Menahem)
Part 5: Self-help in Jewish law (Shimshon
The laws have their basis in the Talmud and Torah, Ettinger)
and have served as a normative system for some
2,000 years, wherever Jews have lived. Volume 2 (2006, 454 pp.)
Part 1: Market overt (Uri Shtruzman)
Jewish law is not only about ritual religious practices. Part 2: Unjust enrichment (Itamar Warhaftig)
It is also concerned with inter-family relationships, Part 3: Abortion (Daniel Sinclair)
day-to-day business practices, punishment and “A Sanhedrin (Jewish court Part 4: Euthanasia - treating the critically ill
compensation. Within the framework of the comprised of 70 wise men) (Daniel Sinclair)
public forum, Jewish law sets guidelines for the which imposed the death
establishment of courts, enacting tax laws, defining sentence on even one
communal responsibilities and practices, and individual once in 7 years
commercial dealings. was called a death-dealing
* Hanina Ben-Menahem, a professor of Law at the Hebrew University
Sanhedrin.” of Jerusalem, is a scholar of Jewish law and legal theory. He is author
In this two volume series, the authors present an in- Mishnah Masechet Makot of Controversy and Dialogue in Halakhic Sources (The Institute of
22
Jewish Law, Boston University School of Law, 1991) and Judicial
depth analysis of the laws and trace their evolution Deviation in Talmudic Law: Governed by Men, Not by Rules (Haywood
from ancient until modern day times. Academic Publishers, 1991).

23. Shamai Gelander*
What is The Book of Genesis? What is it’s purpose? Volume 1 (2009, 419 pp.)
A scientific description of the stages of the world’s Part 1: The book of Genesis – structure, content
creation? A guidebook for ancient customs? An and composition
interesting tale? Part 2: Biblical and ancient Near Eastern creation
stories
The Book of Genesis is a most unique book among Part 3: Creation stories in Genesis
the five books of the Torah. Genesis, according to Dr. Part 4: Genealogies and the tables of nations
Shamai Gelander, is not written as a history book or Part 5: Literary analysis of the history of nations
a guide for ancient customs. It is also not a scientific and the history of Israel
description of the creation of the world, or of the Part 6: The patriarchs and historical reality
beginnings of mankind or the Jewish forefathers.
The different topics covered in the Book of Genesis, Volume 2 (2009, 492 pp.)
written with a unique literary format, are primarily Part 1: The faith of the patriarchs
designed to offer a system of values for future Part 2: The Abraham cycle
generations as Genesis describes monotheism’s Part 3: The Isaac cycle
confrontation with the ancient world. Part 4: The Jacob cycle
Part 5: The Joseph novella
“And G’d said to Cain, where
Studies in the Book of Genesis offers a new, original Part 6: The art of storytelling in Genesis
is Abel your brother, and he
holistic, systematic framework to help readers answered I don’t know, am I
extract the beauty of this literary work by using my brother’s keeper, and G’d
accepted scientific research tools. answered, what have you done,
the blood of your brother cries
out to me from the ground.”
(Genesis 4:9-10) * Shamai Gelander of the Department of Biblical Studies at the
University of Haifa is the author of The Good Creator: Literature and
Theology in Genesis 1-11 (Scholars Press, 1997).
23

24. Dan Urian*
Israeli society is a mosaic of diverse cultures. Secular
and religious, Jews from western lands and Jews from
Arab lands, new immigrants and veteran citizens. Is
Israeli society a lively mosaic or a raucous melting
pot?
Over a five decade period, Israeli theatre provided
a picture image of the conflicts within this new and
emerging society struggling to create an identity. Yet,
was this an accurate picture or was the stage used
to promote an ideological agenda? And, did Israeli
theatre reflect society’s ills or create stereotypes?
* Dan Urian is a professor of Theatre Arts at Tel-Aviv University. He
Dan Urian’s research of modern Israeli theatre’s is the author of several books, among them, The Arab in Israeli
evolution, and his analysis of leading productions for Drama and Theatre (Routledge, 1997) and The Judaic Nature of
Israeli Theatre (Routledge, 2000), and co-editor of In Search of
each decade, offers a fascinating in depth portrait of Identity: Jewish Aspects in Israeli Culture (Routledge, 1998).
a world where the Israeli stage underwent its own
evolution, alongside the country -- sometimes in
tandem and sometimes not. Urian focuses on the “As if you could draw a line, and say below this line is poverty...
stereotype of the Jew from North African and Arab When I was a little boy they called our house a shack
countries and how he was portrayed on stage, which We called it a transit camp
often exemplified or embodied the other conflicts. The only line I saw was the horizon and everything below it looked like poverty to me...”
The book also includes a comprehensive index of all Ronnie Somek, born in Baghdad, brought to Israel at a young age, excerpts from a song he wrote in the
Israeli theatre productions. 1980’s, “The Poverty Line”
24

25. Editor: Bustenay Oded*
This series of four volumes covers the First Temple Volume 1 (Bustenay Oded, 2006, 519 pp.)
Period, a half millennia period, dating from the Part 1: From judges to monarchy
11th through the 6th century BCE. A time of Part 2: The era of Saul and David
kings and prophets. A time when the nation of Part 3: The kingdom of Solomon
Israel, surrounded by the great Eastern empires of
Volume 2 (Bustenay Oded, 2007, 516 pp.)
Babylonia, Egypt and Assyria, found its political,
Part 1: The burden of monarchy
ethnographic, economic, social and cultural voice
Part 2: The House of Omri and the House of Jehu
for the first time.
Part 3: The fall of the kingdom of Israel
Yet, throughout the centuries, there have been Volume 3 (Forthcoming)
voices who have claimed that this is not true. Part 1: The prophets of the First Temple and their
King Solomon and King David: were they real calling (Zeev Weisman, Eli Baruch)
or mythological personae? Was there, in fact, a Part 2: Society and economy in the kingdoms of
powerful, united Israelite Kingdom that stretched Israel and Judah (Hanoch Reviv, Michael
from Egypt to Lebanon? Kochman, Gershon Galil, Haya Katz)
Part 3: Daily life during the period of the monarchy
These and many more questions are examined “I have built a house of luxury (Avraham Faust)
through the lens of a wide breadth of modern-day for you, a place to house your Volume 4 (Bustenay Oded, 2008, 509 pp.)
archaeological and research sources, and Jewish glory for ever” Part 1: Judah and Assyria
texts. Readers will gain a deeper understanding of (Kings I, 7:13)
Part 2: Josiah and his times
the ancient Middle East, and learn about the cultural Part 3: The end of the kingdom of Judah
and social mores of the surrounding countries and
how they impacted on the Jewish nation.
* Bustenay Oded, professor emeritus of Jewish History at the
25
University of Haifa, is a scholar of ancient Near Eastern civilizations.
He is the author of War, Peace and Empire: Justifications for War in
Assyrian Royal Inscriptions (Reichert Verlag, 1991).

26. Bat-Zion Eraqi Klorman*
Yemenite Jews, who trace their community back Volume 1 (2004, 516 pp.)
to the First Temple Period, lived continuously Part 1: Settlement, society and economy
in Yemen from as early as the second century Part 2: Cultural and family life
CE. Then between the years 1949-1950, with Part 3: Messianism and the messianic movements
the establishment of the State of Israel, most
emigrated. Today, there are maybe a few hundred Volume 2 (2008, 435 pp.)
Jews remaining in Yemen. Part 1: Changes during Ottoman rule 1872-1918
Part 2: Emigration to Palestine up to the end of
Until 1962, Jews were not eligible for equal rights World War II
under the law, nor did they have any political Part 3: Emigration to Israel between World War II
rights in Yemen. Yet, in spite of their second class and the end of the 20th century
status, Yemen serves as a unique paradigm for co-
existence between Muslim and Jew -- developing
a kind of symbiotic relationship. They did borrow
from each other, but by the same token, remained
fiercely distinct.
“You yourselves have seen what I
These two volumes discuss the Jewish community did to Egypt, and how I bore you
in Yemen, from a wide array of perspectives: social, on wings of eagles, and brought
you to Myself”.
historical, political, religious and cultural. The books (Exodus, 19;4)
offer a chronological explication of the complex “During the course of Operation
intertwining of the Muslims and Jews, and closes Magic Carpet(1949-1950), 47,000
with the experience of the Yemenite Jews upon Yemen Jews, the overwhelming
emigrating to Israel. majority of the Jewish community * Bat-Zion Eraqi Klorman is a professor in the Department of
History, Philosophy and Judaic Studies at the Open University of
in Yemen, were airlifted to Israel.
26
Israel. She is an expert on the history and culture of Yemeni Jews
Most had never seen an aircraft and the author of The Jews of Yemen in the Nineteenth Century: A
before”. Portrait of a Messianic Community (Brill, 1993).

27. Editor: Haggai Erlich*
This ten volume series is an extraordinary
compendium surveying the history of Middle
Eastern Arab states vis a vis internal as well as
regional developments. The six decade period
covered is divided into three key periods in the
lives of these states. The first is the end of the old
elite hegemony which was shaped during the 19th
century and came to an end around the 1960’s. The
second is the era of Nasserism and the emergence
of a secular, socialist pan-Arab ideology which is
dated from the 1960’s through 70’s . The third is the
modern day period with the re-establishment of
political Islamic movements yearning towards the
revival of a regional-religious unity.
* Haggai Erlich is professor emeritus of Middle Eastern and African
History at Tel Aviv University and head of Middle East and African
Each book is authored by a leading historian Studies at the Open University of Israel. He is author of numerous
specializing in the designated country. The series books, among them The Cross and the River – Ethiopia, Egypt and
the Nile (Lynne Rienner, 2002) and co-editor of The Nile – Histories,
is edited by Prof. Haggai Erlich, an internationally Cultures, Myths (Lynne Rienner, 2000). His latest book is Islam &
renowned scholar specializing in Middle Eastern Christianity in the Horn of Africa: Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan (Lynne
Rienner, 2010).
and African studies.
The series offers readers a detailed perspective on Haggai Erlich is one of the very few scholars, who regularly “cross the African/Middle
the Arab, Iranian and Turkish players in the Middle Eastern and the Africanist/Middle Easternist divide... Primarly a specialist on Ethiopia,
East, providing new insight on many of their he has also done original research on Egypt and published extensively on Ethiopian/
decisions, motivations, policies and internal and
external relations.
Egyptian (and Middle Eastern) relations.”
The American Historical Review 27

28. Volume 1 Egypt: The Older Sister (Haggai Erlich, 2004, 344 pp.)
Volume 2 Iraq: Monarchy, Republic, Tyranny (Michael Eppel,
2005, 320 pp.)
Volume 3 Jordan: In Search of an Identity (Joseph Nevo, 2005,
336 pp.)
Volume 4 Syria: To Pan-Arabism and Back (Moshe Maoz,
Forthcoming)
Volume 5 Lebanon: The Challenge of Diversity (Kais Firro,
Forthcoming)
Volume 6 The Palestinians: A People Dispersed (Mustafa Kabha,
2010, 320 pp.)
Volume 7 Saudi Arabia: An Oil Kingdom in a Labyrinth of Religion
and Politics (Uzi Rabi, 2007, 232 pp.)
Volume 8 Turkey: Nationalism and its Counter Dimensions (Anat
Lapidot, Forthcoming)
Volume 9 Iran: From an Empire to Islamic Revolution (Moshe
Aharonov, Meir Litvak, Forthcoming)
Volume 10 Yemen: From the Era of Revolution to Unification (Uzi
Rabi, Forthcoming)
28

29. Mustafa Kahba*
Unlike the other nine books in The Middle East in
Our Times series, this is the only book which does
not cover a specific country, but rather a people.
Indeed, the very title: The Palestinians: A People
Dispersed highlights the distinct difference between
this book and the others in the compendium.
Yet, while distinctly different, The Palestinians could
not have been written without consideration of
the nine others books in the series. The Palestinian
people were divided and dispersed throughout
the Arab world and their story cannot be viewed
in isolation of the surrounding Arab countries.
Diplomatic, economic, cultural, linguistic,
geographic and demographic ties brought them in
contact with and integrally intertwined them with
their Arab neighbors and brothers. * Mustafa Kabha is a senior lecturer at the Open University and a
researcher in the areas of modern Middle Eastern history, the history
of the Palestinian national movement, and Arab mass media. He is
Dr. Mustafa Kahba uses both his unique standing the author of numerous books and articles in Arabic, English and
Hebrew.
as an Arab-Palestinian citizen of Israel, and his
professional training as a world renowned historian
and scholar to unravel the complex story of the
Palestinian people, beginning with the Arab revolts “Like other Arab societies, the Palestinians, too, deliberate between their desire
in Palestine between 1936-39 until the rise of to realize their modern, national aspirations and the fulfillment of the political
Hamas.
2010, 320 pp.
Islamic way of life.”
Prof. Haggai Erlich, Introduction 29

30. Yair Auron*
“Abusing the rights of man and remaining apathetic * Rights sold: English: USA, Transaction Publishers; German:
Germany, AV Edition Verlag
to the suffering of others, in effect, endangers the
existence of the human race.”
How do societies educate about genocides? What
occurs within a society when it does not teach about
genocide?
This book focuses on genocide through an
educational perspective. The author, a renown
scholar and historian, agrees the subject is a difficult
one to teach. Yet, by not doing so, Prof. Auron posits,
societies are endangering their humanity.
* Yair Auron is a professor in the Department of Sociology, Political
Science and Communication at the Open University of Israel. A
There are no definitive answers. The book presents specialist on Holocaust and Genocide studies, he is the author of
a diversity of perspectives, providing detailed The Banality of Indefference: Zionism and the Armenian Genocide
(Transaction, 2000) and The Banality of Denial: Israel and the
descriptions of how various countries, including Armenian Genocide (Transaction, 2003).
Israel, commemorate the Holocaust and how
the subject of genocide is taught. The books
goal is to enable readers to design educational
“Article 1: The Contracting Parties confirm that genocide, whether committed in time
programs imbued with sensitivity, understanding
of peace or in time of war, is a crime under international law which they undertake to
and profound insight.
prevent and to punish.”
Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, Adopted by Resolution 260 (III) A
30
2003, 248 pp. of the United Nations General Assembly on December 9, 1948.

31. Moshe Garsiel*
The two books of Samuel describe in great detail Volume 1 (2008, 284 pp.)
the rise of the first monarchy in Israel, which helped Part 1: Introduction to the Book of Samuel
shape the twelve tribes of Israel into a single, united Part 2: The end of the period of the Judges – Eli
nation. and Samuel
Part 3: The foundation of the monarchy
Saul’s monarchy, as David’s, was plagued with
internal and external problems, and Prof. Moshe Volume 2 (2008, 404 pp.)
Garsiel examines each of these monarchies through Part 1: Saul’s wars against the Philistines and
a multi-focal lens. The Rise of the Monarchy in Israel: Amalek
Studies in the Book of Samuel, a four volume series, Part 2: The rise of David at Saul’s court
provides a comprehensive study of Samuel I and II Part 3: The decline of Saul’s kingdom
using actual Jewish texts, other historical sources,
the results from archaeological finds and extensive Volume 3 (2008, 300, pp.)
geographical data. Part1: The ascension of David to kingship
Part 2: David’s army and his battles
This series integrates historical and literary analysis, Part 3: The development of David’s kingdom and
distilling the best from both disciplines and its organization
“When Samuel saw Saul, G’d
providing the reader with an in-depth perspective
said to him: Here is the man
of one of the most colorful times in the life of the
I told you about. He will rule Volume 4 (2008, 352, pp.)
Jewish nation.
over my people.” Part 1: Crime and punishment – The story of David
* Moshe Garsiel is professor emeritus of Bible in the Faculty of Jewish
(Samuel I 9:17) and Bathsheba
Studies at Bar-Ilan University. He has written numerous studies on Part 2: Revolts and discord in the latter days of
the use of vocabulary items in biblical narratives, including Biblical
Names: A Literary Study of Midrashic Derivations and Puns (Bar-Ilan David’s reign
31
University Press, 1991). Part 3: The ascension of Solomon to kingship

32.  THE OPEN UNIVERSITY OF ISRAEL
1 University Road, P.O.Box 808, Raanana 43107, Israel
Tel. 972-9-7781811, Fax 972-9-7780664
http://www-e.openu.ac.il/
32