Persian Royal–Judaean Elite Engagements in the Early Teispid and Achaemenid Empire

by Jason M. Silverman

2019 · Bloomsbury Publishing

Jason Silverman presents a timely and necessary study, advancing the understanding of Achaemenid ideology and Persian Period Judaism. While the Achaemenid Persian Empire (c. 550–330 BCE) dwarfed all previous empires of the Ancient Near East in both size and longevity, the royal system that forged and preserved this civilisation remains only rudimentarily understood, as is the imperial and religious legacy bequeathed to future generations. In response to this deficit, Silverman provides a critically sophisticated and interdisciplinary model for comparative studies. While the Achaemenids rebuilt the Jerusalem temple, Judaean literature of the period reflects tensions over its Persian re-establishment, demonstrating colliding religious perspectives. Although both First Zechariah (1–8) and Second Isaiah (40–55) are controversial, the greater imperial context is rarely dealt with in depth; both books deal directly with the temple's legitimacy, and this ties them intimately to kings' engagements with cults. Silverman explores how the Achaemenid kings portrayed their rule to subject minorities, the ways in which minority elites reshaped this ideology, and how long this impact lasted, as revealed through the Judaean reactions to the restoration of the Jerusalem temple.

Storks, Ibises and Spoonbills of the World

by James Hancock, James A. Kushlan, M. Philip Kahl

2010 · A&C Black

Everything you ever wanted to know about storks, ibises and spoonbills. Some of the world's largest and most spectacular birds are to be found among this group of wading birds. Tragically, they also include many of the world's most endangered species, as changes in land use erode their wetland habitats. Some like the White Stork have lived alongside humans for hundreds of years and are well known from numerous studies. Others, like the Storm's stork and ibises of West Africa, South-East Asia and South America live so secluded a life in the remote corners of the globe that they will probably be extinct before even the most basic details of their biology are known. In this monograph, three authors and two artists have combined their skills to capture what is known of this group of wading birds. The text opens with general chapters on taxonomy and feeding, breeding and behaviour, followed by detailed coverage of each species.