Promotions - Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles 2016 -

Although Josephus's writings have been critical sources for clerics' and classicists' explorations of the ancient Near East, robust scholarship in philology and textual criticism on this author emerged much later than for most other major writers of the era. Editors Chapman and Rodgers have made the first attempt to collect and frame this scholastic flowering into a single focused work. The contributors to this truly magnificent collection of scholarship read like a who's who in classics and religion academia. The framework offers sections on Josephus' life and writings, the literary context of his work, major themes, and the modern reception of his ideas and literary output. Focused examinations of the text give Josephus a much-needed, long-overdue, and thorough scrubbing. For example, Jonathan Roth's chapter reveals Josephus's skills and shortcomings as a military historian and, like many of the other chapters, offers potential avenues of further scholarly work. A wide variety of topics, an exhaustive bibliography, and fresh notions and research add to the immense value of this volume for both researchers and readers.Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries.

Although the cultural aspects of prostitution in ancient Greece have been well covered by others, Cohen (Univ. of Pennsylvania) attempts to explore its commercial aspects via bold, fresh scholarship, charting a new direction of study on Athenian society. Cohen's previous work on the financial aspects of ancient Athens,Athenian Economy and Society (CH, Jun'93, 30-5695), serves him well for this study. He is adept at handling the traditional reservations on ancient economic sources by a very thorough synthesis of literary and material information. The business trail can be followed by close examination of legal footprints, and assessing the laws applicable to the sex industry is a major part of Cohen's study. He brushes by the cultural aspects of the issue by connecting the small business perspective of the sex trade with the issues of gender roles and family structure. But the strength of the author's approach is his purposeful removal of studying prostitution from gender and queer studies to examine it with the neutral eye of accounting and business records. Taking a sensitive topic into a new scholarly direction marks Cohen's work as an important addition to the field of antiquity.Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates and above.

Few historical developments have received as much attention as the fall of the Roman Republic. Nineteenth-century historians described it in terms of liberals versus conservatives. In the 20th century, the dominant view was Ronald Syme'sThe Roman Revolution (1939), which ignored such labels and focused on changes in the governing class. Alston (Royal Holloway, Univ. of London) begins the present work with a paradox: there were no "liberals," and the same class remained in power. Basic social problems were not discussed, much less addressed. So what changed? His answer: a new set of networks seized power. Networks are non-ideological; they are held together by "resources"--mainly money and land. And resources come from conquests. Hence, the inner logic of the conquests of Pompey, Caesar, Augustus, and their successors. Alston's thesis is succinct: "imperial money was the key to the regime's stability." He finds good material for analysis and comparison in the patrimonial networks of contemporary African states. This impressive, original, and illuminating work uses modern theory to explain the politics of ancient Rome in an accessible and convincing manner. The book's style is clear and refreshingly free of technical terms and jargon, and it can be recommended unreservedly to faculty, graduates, and students at every level.Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries.

Egyptian archaeologist Hawass and Saleem (radiology, Cairo Univ., Egypt) provide a superb, semi-popular account of the results of CT imaging performed on several New Kingdom Egyptian royal mummies. The book begins with an introduction by Hawass, followed by a chapter discussing radiological imaging and another describing the ancient caches where many of these mummies were found. The next ten chapters cover the results of CT imaging performed on royal mummies from the early-18th-century to the mid-20th-century dynasties, supplemented with historical, archaeological, and, when available, genetic data from extracted DNA. Chapters on objects found with the mummies, mummification practices, and facial features of the mummies conclude the text. Several useful appendixes follow, along with detailed notes and an extensive bibliography. High quality black-and-white images, including many annotated CT scans, are found throughout the volume; also included is a section of 90 color plates. The results are sometimes surprising but always fascinating. Despite the occasional somewhat technical language, this book will be of great interest not only to scholars but to anyone else fascinated by Egyptian mummies.Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries.

Editors Goddio (European Institute for Underwater Archaeology) and Masson-Bergoff (British Museum) have put together a superb companion to the "Sunken Cities: Egypt's Lost Worlds" exhibition at the British Museum on the remarkable discoveries under the waters of Egypt's Aboukir Bay, where the remains of two "lost" ancient cities, Thonis-Heracleion and Canopus, have been excavated since 1996. The history of their discovery and a summary of the results are provided in chapter 1. Subsequent chapters address the earliest period of Greek-Egyptian encounters in this region; the syncretism of Greek and Egyptian culture; findings from the excavations related to the mysteries of Isis; and a discussion of the relationship between Egypt and Rome. Hundreds of superb color illustrations are included, each with detailed captions. A key to the gods mentioned in the text, a time line, endnotes for each chapter, and a list of the objects in the exhibition conclude the volume. Several features make this an indispensible resource: the writing is accessible and engaging; the scholarship is first-rate; the illustrations are very high quality; and the cost is very reasonable.Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries.

Marshak, a young author who has devoted his professional life to analyzing a politician who moved skillfully within the Hellenist, Roman, and Jewish worlds, has written a brilliant, readable, scholarly study of Herod, king of Judaea from 40-4 BCE. Often reviled for his paranoia and brutality, Herod successfully ingratiated himself with Rome, legitimized himself with the Jews, and built a prosperous, peaceful kingdom. His influence spread throughout the Roman Empire as he contributed to the Olympic Games, Roman military campaigns, Roman construction projects, and the welfare of the Jewish diaspora. Herod's beautiful buildings within Judaea and outside the country testify to his aesthetic brilliance. The Temple, which he rebuilt in Jerusalem, became a wonder of the Roman world and identified him with King Solomon; building the tomb of the patriarchs and matriarchs of Judaism identified him with Abraham. The author's sources include Josephus, primary Roman and Greek texts, and coins. The discussion of coins is long, but it demonstrates the author's mastery of the subject. Line drawings, a rich bibliography, and a detailed index complete what is probably the definitive biography of Herod the Great.Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries.