Product Description

The Palestinians have been at the center of Middle Eastern and world history for nearly a century. The core issues of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict are still the ones that emerged in 1948, after what Palestinians term al-Nakba, the destruction of historical Palestine and the dispossession and expulsion of its people. At the center of this vortex of politics, diplomacy, oppression, resistance, and struggle are the Palestinians. The Palestinians are an ancient Arab people, with both Islamic and Christian adherents, and their traditional culture and present way of life under difficult conditions are greatly illuminated for students and general readers.

A clear historical overview of Palestine, the diaspora, and the conflict is provided, and the history colors the rest of the narrative, addressing crucial aspects of Palestinian society. Palestinians struggle to retain their traditions. Their modern social structure, values, social customs, and life, including education, in villages, refugee camps, and cities are covered. The importance of extended family and women's roles in a continuing patriarchy are also addressed. The famed Palestinian embroidery and typical food dishes are celebrated. Chapters on modern literature and the arts and cinema stress the artistic focus on the conflict with Israel. A helpful timeline, copious bibliography, and glossary round out the coverage.

Customer Reviews (3)

The rich culture of an admirable people
A few days ago Israeli bombs killed dozens of innocent civilians so that they could also kill Hamas leader Nizar Rayan. American journalists at the time gleefully alluded to alleged rumours that the late leader had sent his son on a siucide mission and reported that all four of his wives along with a dozen or so of his children had been killed in the same blast. Such details were designed to appeal to the bias of the average American reader - portraying Palestinians as immoral polygamists. However, as one can learn through reading this marvellous introduction to Palestinian culture, while odd instances of bigamy can be encountered, the Palestinian society as a whole tends to shun it, making fun of both this insitution and those rare persons who practise it. Even then a prospective bride is always given the option of taking a clause to preclude this. Some Sephardic Jews in the area, as well as many Yemenite Jews, however, still practice this dubious custom - Yemenite Jews even taking up to four wives. Indeed, while the aforementioned uninformed and misleading American journalist, tried to use the recent tragedy of the Palestinian people as a vehicle for making a sly slur on this wonderful people, it should be remembered that the tradition of polygamy ( which is an exception is Palestine) is rife in Saudi Arabia. There one can find the most obnoxious regime which mistreats women and perpetuates injustice. The state of Saudi Arabia does not even show any loyalty to oppressed fellow-muslims like the Palestinians - however, the Saudis are tolerated for their oil reserves and the revenues which they bring to the U.S. economy. For this reason Palestinians and Iraqis must go on being the scapegoats and paying for the terrorist acts committed mainly by privileged Saudi citizens (on 11th September). Significantly Bin Laden is also a Saudi Arabian! Talking of polygamy, there is also the 'American/Western' from of polygamy. I am not referring just to certain fundamentalist mormons but to 'respectable' politicians who take mistresses as well as indulging in casual sex- no names are necessary!
The Palestinian people, to a far greater extent than the Saudi sheiks, respect women and the institution of the family. This can be seen from fascinating wedding rituals centred around the bride. Significantly the bridal dress is called in their local Arabic dialect 'malak' which has connotations of 'queenly', showing how the bride is regarded by her husband as his respected and cherished queen - an idea shared, for intance, with the Greek newlyweds who wear 'stephana' or 'crowns' like an actual king and queen.
Apart from the inevitable historical background which puts the Palestinian people in their true context, the most interesting chapters are those which deal with their customs and traditions, not to mention festivals. Art, literature, food, dress and culture are also included and a full glossary of Arabic terms is most useful.
Unlike all other equally scholarly titles in this splendid series, e.g. on Syria, Germany, Nigeria etc. here there is a significant difference. This is the only title that refers to the people and not their country. Perhaps the publishers whished to avoid being misconstrued by using the title 'Palestine'. However, this does not detract from the quality of the book. Like all other works in the series, this is written by an expert yet in and interesting and readable way intended for the layman. Most people who call themselves 'journalists' would be best advised to inform themselves by reading this book before they pretend that they are correspondents in the Holy Lands. Perhaps then they would be able to impart real and impartial news -not just impose their own reactionary and immoral views trying to justify the new holocaust/genocide against the Palestinian people.
Having written this, I must stress with pride that I have several Jewish friends and, indeed, prior to the occupation, most Palestinians regarded their Jewish neighbours as friends. However, peace-loving Jewish people should not be blamed for the ruthless actions of certain zionist politicians. Both peoples: Jews and Palestinians have so much in common and so much to share. It is a tragedy that they should lose that because of other dark powers who, for their evil motives and advantage, seek to stirup strife between them.

A Good Book
Farsoun represents the struggles of many Palestinians who had to leave their home in Historic Palestine but never wavered in their devotion or love for serving their people and country. He was born in Haifa in 1937, but received his PhD in sociology from the university of Connecticut. Combining these two worlds, he taught for thirty years at the American University in Washington, DC, publishing six books on the sociology and politics of the Middle East, in addition, to several dozens of articles and book chapters. In 2004, he was named the Dean of academic affairs and the College of Arts and Sciences at the American University in Kuwait. Sadly, in 2005 at the age of 68 Farsoun died after living a prolific life. His work, Culture and Customs of the Palestinians is his last published book.

Farsoun states that this "book provides a general overview of the culture and the customs of the Palestinians set in the historical context of their defining experience," that is the destruction of their society in 1948 and its results (xiv). He attempts this overview by presenting seven chapters that introduce the Palestinian political history, its society and social customs, its familial make up and characteristics, its dress and cuisine, its religious traditions, its literature, and its traditional and modern arts including olive wood carvings, theater, songs, music, dance, and cinematography, respectively. The book further includes a chronology of the major historical events of Palestine from 661 A.D. to 2004, a detailed appendix on settlements, a glossary of Arabic words and other terms, a useful bibliographic list arranged according to different topics and interests, more than a dozen of expressive photos, and an index.

At the outset, Farsoun divides the Palestinian people into three groups: Palestinians who remained in Israel and later became its citizens, Palestinians who live in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and Palestinians who were dispersed worldwide (p. 4). However, this diversity does not influence the course of the book, its content, or its portrait of the Palestinian identity. On the contrary, Farsoun combines these three groups in the rest of the book asserting that "despite the varying trajectories of the social and political history of the three major segments" they are all concerned about the Israeli oppressive occupation and the denial of rights and identity (122).

Understandably, Farsoun focuses on the common identity among Palestinians especially their struggle and outcome of their war with Israel in 1948. However, this focus deprives the unlearned reader from recognizing the significant socio-political differences between Arab Israelis, Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and the Palestinians who live outside historic Palestine. The overemphasis on unity has sacrificed presenting important diversities. Arab Israelis, for example, are different from Palestinians in Gaza Strip in their linguistic, economic, and cultural make up. As Israeli citizens, their present relationship with Israel and its Jewish citizens is radically different from other Palestinians even though five decades ago they shared a common identity. Further, Farsoun's description of the Palestinian culture is not sophisticated enough to include Samaritans, Druze, and the unique identity struggles of the Jerusalemites who are Israeli residents but not Israeli citizens. It is unfortunate that Farsoun's good work on family, art, and culture has been driven by a misleading political construct, that is, the main defining feature of the Palestinian identity is Al-Nakba or the catastrophe of the 1948. Admittedly, it is an important element in defining their identity; nevertheless, there are many other equally important factors that have been overlooked.

The best part of the book is chapter six in which Farsoun highlights some of the best literary works introducing many Palestinian authors such as Fadwa Touqan, Mahmoud Darwish, Sahar Khalifeh, Ghassan Kanafani, Emile Habibi, and Edward Said. Chapter five, Religion and Religious Traditions, is also helpful for a concise understanding of the pillars of Islam and the diversity within Palestinian Christianity.

Last, I think that this book is a fairly good introduction to traditional Palestinian Culture. Although Farsoun has nothing positive to say about the contributions of Jewish-Arab interactions to the Palestinian identity and has few editorial inconsistencies (see for example the spelling of some names or the presentation of dates on pages 111, 112, and 117), he succeeds in presenting a helpful book that should be read by any Palestinian interested in explaining their identity to a Western audience, and by Westerners who are interested in Palestinians and the Middle East.

Yohanna Katanacho
PhD Candidate @ Trinity International University

A Good Book
Farsoun represents the struggles of many Palestinians who had to leave their home in Historic Palestine but never wavered in their devotion or love for serving their people and country.He was born in Haifa in 1937, but received his PhD in sociology from the university of Connecticut.Combining these two worlds, he taught for thirty years at the American University in Washington, DC, publishing six books on the sociology and politics of the Middle East, in addition, to several dozens of articles and book chapters.In 2004, he was named the Dean of academic affairs and the College of Arts and Sciences at the American University in Kuwait.Sadly, in 2005 at the age of 68 Farsoun died after living a prolific life.His work, Culture and Customs of the Palestinians is his last published book.

Farsoun states that this "book provides a general overview of the culture and the customs of the Palestinians set in the historical context of their defining experience," that is the destruction of their society in 1948 and its results (xiv).He attempts this overview by presenting seven chapters that introduce the Palestinian political history, its society and social customs, its familial make up and characteristics, its dress and cuisine, its religious traditions, its literature, and its traditional and modern arts including olive wood carvings, theater, songs, music, dance, and cinematography, respectively.The book further includes a chronology of the major historical events of Palestine from 661 A.D. to 2004, a detailed appendix on settlements, a glossary of Arabic words and other terms, a useful bibliographic list arranged according to different topics and interests, more than a dozen of expressive photos, and an index.

At the outset, Farsoun divides the Palestinian people into three groups: Palestinians who remained in Israel and later became its citizens, Palestinians who live in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and Palestinians who were dispersed worldwide (p. 4).However, this diversity does not influence the course of the book, its content, or its portrait of the Palestinian identity.On the contrary, Farsoun combines these three groups in the rest of the book asserting that "despite the varying trajectories of the social and political history of the three major segments" they are all concerned about the Israeli oppressive occupation and the denial of rights and identity (122).

Understandably, Farsoun focuses on the common identity among Palestinians especially their struggle and outcome of their war with Israel in 1948.However, this focus deprives the unlearned reader from recognizing the significant socio-political differences between Arab Israelis, Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and the Palestinians who live outside historic Palestine.The overemphasis on unity has sacrificed presenting important diversities.Arab Israelis, for example, are different from Palestinians in Gaza Strip in their linguistic, economic, and cultural make up.As Israeli citizens, their present relationship with Israel and its Jewish citizens is radically different from other Palestinians even though five decades ago they shared a common identity.Further, Farsoun's description of the Palestinian culture is not sophisticated enough to include Samaritans, Druze, and the unique identity struggles of the Jerusalemites who are Israeli residents but not Israeli citizens.It is unfortunate that Farsoun's good work on family, art, and culture has been driven by a misleading political construct, that is, the main defining feature of the Palestinian identity is Al-Nakba or the catastrophe of the 1948.Admittedly, it is an important element in defining their identity; nevertheless, there are many other equally important factors that have been overlooked.

The best part of the book is chapter six in which Farsoun highlights some of the best literary works introducing many Palestinian authors such as Fadwa Touqan, Mahmoud Darwish, Sahar Khalifeh, Ghassan Kanafani, Emile Habibi, and Edward Said.Chapter five, Religion and Religious Traditions, is also helpful for a concise understanding of the pillars of Islam and the diversity within Palestinian Christianity.

Last, I think that this book is a fairly good introduction to traditional Palestinian Culture.Although Farsoun has nothing positive to say about the contributions of Jewish-Arab interactions to the Palestinian identity and has few editorial inconsistencies (see for example the spelling of some names or the presentation of dates on pages 111, 112, and 117), he succeeds in presenting a helpful book that should be read by any Palestinian interested in explaining their identity to a Western audience, and by Westerners who are interested in Palestinians and the Middle East.

Yohanna Katanacho
PhD Candidate @ Trinity International University ... Read more

Product Description
The figure of King Solomon is central to our understanding of the history of Israel and Judah. This volume of collected articles seeks to bring the reader up-to-date with current scholarship in the field. The book consists of 24 chapters providing studies in the historical approach to Solomon and to the 10th-century BC Judah and Israel with archaeological surveys of the neighbouring regions, sociological surveys and literary readings of the biblical texts. ... Read more

Product Description
Sidra DeKoven Ezrahi's sweeping study of modern Jewish writing is in many ways a long meditation on the thematics of geography in Jewish culture, what she calls the "poetics of exile and return."Until the late nineteenth century, Jews were identified in their own religious and poetic imagination as wanderers and exiles, their sacred centerJerusalem, Zionfatefully out of reach. Opening the book with "Jewish Journeys," Ezrahi begins by examining the work of medieval Hebrew poet Yehuda Halevi to chart a journey whose end was envisioned as the sublime realignment of the people with their original center. When the Holy Land became the site of a political drama of return in the nineteenth century, Jewish writing reflected the shift, traced here in the travel fictions of S.Y. Abramovitsh, S.Y. Agnon, and Sholem Aleichem.In "Jewish Geographies" Ezrahi explores aspects of reterritorialization through memory in the post-Holocaust writing of Paul Celan, Dan Pagis, Aharon Appelfeld, I.B. Singer and Philip Roth. Europe, where Jews had dreamed of return, has become the new ruined shrine: The literary pilgrimages of these writers recall familiar patterns of grieving and representation and a tentative reinvention of the diasporic imaginationin America, of course, but, paradoxically, even in Zion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Wandering Jews
In recent years, a seemingly endless variety of poetic and political signifiers have been invoked in attempts to describe the experiences of dispossession, minorities, and regions: border, creolization, transculturation, transnationalism, hybridity. These spatial/historical paradigms are often at the crux of cultural debates in much the way that W. E. B. Du Bois's concept of double consciousness would have once occupied center stage. At the top of the list ranks diaspora (and frequently the somewhat elusive diasporic) which is the focus of journals such as Diaspora and Transition as well as a wide range of academic periodicals that have devoted special issues to the theme. But in one way or another, these permutations and mutations of diaspora can be traced to a late nineteenth-century movement among Jewish historiographers, who sought ways to account for the Jews' persistence over the long span of centuries in a variety of lands that were not their homeland. Unfortunately, the rapidly increasing ways that "diaspora" has been appropriated, has led to an unfortunate increase in intellectual fuzziness and rhetorical imprecision to which even the rigorous field of Jewish Studies is far from immune. Fortunately for the latter, Sidra Dekoven Ezrahi's ambitious new study offers both theoretical rigor and innovation, taking the critique of literary Homecoming to a more sophisticated discursive space that will raise essential questions for future investigations of many of the poets and writers considered here. Although Jewish diasporism has often been a focus of Jewish literary analysis, nothing like this book has ever been attempted. Offering a wealth of original translations of abundant prooftexts, rich biographical and literary detail, Ezrahi has produced a consistently lively and erudite work. Divided into two major sections, "Jewish Journeys" and "Jewish Geographies" this book examines the tension between "Jewish story and territory" (139). Ezrahi's touchstone, Yehuda Halevi's "Songs of Zion" provides the essential metaphors of displacement, desire, voyage, and Return that guide her provocative readings. For Ezrahi, the essential terms that haunt the Jewish literary imagination to our own age were embedded in the Kabbalistic texts of Halevi's medieval contemporaries where the theosophical orientation shifts "from a geographical locus to the mobile body of the Jew, leading to later Kabbalistic and eventually Hassidic notions of individual salvation and symbolic rather than concrete connections with a sacred center" (49). In her shrewd analysis of the "diasporic journey" encoded here, Ezrahi is keenly attentive to the creative polarizations that continually reverberate between the metaphorizing and concretizing forms of narrative. For Ezrahi, the diasporic Jew imaginatively transforms the theological dynamic of deferral into profoundly skeptical visions of incomplete pilgrimages and mimetic culture. Ezrahi sees in the Jewish writer's faithful occupation of mimetic, rather than original space, a profound struggle against "contemporary complacencies" as well as "utopian desires" (53) that pose the true dangers to the Jewish spirit: "Herzl's 'if you will it, it is not a dream,' the emblem of the Zionist emergence from the 'dream-state' of the aggadically minded, reflects a cultural challenge of the highest order... 'will,' the fuel that empowers the imagination, is meant eventually to supersede it" (91). In contrast, Ezrahi makes a compelling case for a surprising continuum in the Jewish narrative journey and her study constitutes an ingathering of a highly disparate group of writers whose works (modernist and postmodern alike) nonetheless share a certain primordial trajectory: the literary "decoding of Jewish fate" invariably culminates in a "basic, primordial exilic pattern" in which "the topos of the journey to the Holy Land [is] a tale of the endlessly deferred end" (194). Ezrahi's readings of the spiritual and intellectual struggles encoded in Pagis and Celan's post-Shoah responses to the disenchanted universe are particularly stirring. For instance, in the latter's doomed search for a redemptive encounter with "an Other who has not come" Ezrahi notices the exile's mimicry of the "Zionist intoxication with a return to the primordial self" but finds that such recovery invariably reverts to "the legendary geography of the aimless and endlessly proliferating Jewish journey" (151). Also of note is Ezrahi's analysis of the Israeli poet and medieval scholar Dan Pagis's late works. In the latter's deeply wounded poetics of fragments she discovers "unfathomable depths poised at the borders of language...enigmatic signals sent directly to the reader" (176). Zion remains unattainable destiny rather than the place of arrival. There are also impressive readings of a number of novels by the Israeli novelist Aharon Appelfeld, some of which are still unavailable in English translation. Of particular note is the author's fascinating "Epilogue," an iconoclastic and evocative meditation on the competing claims of nationalism and what the author regards as the truly sacred. No future study of canonical Jewish literature will be sufficient without reference to this luminous study.-Ranen Omer-Sherman, author of Diaspora and Zionism in Jewish-American Literature ... Read more

Product Description
Boundary limitation is a crucial issue in the Middle East, and the boundaries marked out during the years 1840 to 1947 are still one of the major issues in today's political discussions concerning Israel and its surrounding countries.
This book, which is based on extensive archival research, deals with the first stage of the delimitation of the boundaries of modern Palestine, between the years 1840 and 1947. During this period, the boundaries of Palestine were staked out by foreign, imperial forces (Britain, France and the Ottoman Empire) which placed them according to their desires, without considering local needs or ideas. For the first time, thanks to the fascinating evidence revealed in archives, this invaluable book reveals the hidden ambitions; the motives of different agents; and the stories of those involved in the process as well as the eventual outcome of their work - the first delimitation of the Holy Land in the modern era. ... Read more

Product Description
Zionist Arabesques is an ethno-historical account of the landscape of the Jezreel Valley, Israel and explores how the modern landscape of the valley has been created both physically and symbolically from the perspective of both local and large scale processes. It addresses not only the guiding principles of modern Israeli agriculture, its connection to Zionist settlement and ideology, and the evolvement of the Arab-Jewish conflict but also examines the relevance of law, State policies and sector based politics, being a mixture of archival and ethnographic material composed with a unique textual structure. The book is useful for those interested in Zionism and the Israeli Palestinian conflict, as well in experimental ways of writing. ... Read more

Product Description
Examining architecture, inscriptions, coins, and art from Alexander the Great's conquest until the early fourth century CE, Mark Chancey argues that the extent of Greco-Roman culture in the time of Jesus has often been greatly exaggerated. Antipas's reign in the early first century was indeed a time of transition, but the more dramatic shifts in Galilee's cultural climate happened in the second century, after the arrival of a large Roman garrison. Any attempt to understand the Galilean setting of Jesus must recognize the significance of the region's historical development as well as how Galilee fits into the larger context of the Roman East. ... Read more

Product Description
In 701 BC the Assyrian king Sennacherib launched his campaign against Judah. This event has been recorded in the Hebrew Bible and, as a consequence, has decisively influenced Jewish and Christian thought. This text brings together both Biblical and Assyrian, sources on the campaign. Part of these abundant Assyrian materials are modern offering a different insight on the event itself. A second majr result of this study lies in the carefully supported interpretations of some "Isaiah Chronicles", and of both the "Assyrian and Biblical Narratives" of Sennacherib's campaign. ... Read more

Product Description
During the 19th and 20th centuries a wealth of sites in Galilee from pre- and proto-history onwards become known, mainly through surveys. Making use of additional identification sources such as historical documents from the biblical until the Ottoman periods and pilgrims' travelogues of every faith, the author of this work has made an inventory of all ancient sites now known in Galilee. The book is divided into 32 regions, each represented by a map. Each map has its sites numbered. The accompanying lists explain all sites chronologically, and identify the names the sites have carried in subsequent periods. ... Read more

Product Description
This title encompasses the history of Israel from its very beginnings up to the destruction of the First Temple of Jerusalem in 586 BC. The successive parts are (1) The Dawn of Israel, dealing with the Israelite proto-history, Mari and early Israel as well as the tribal societies and genealogies. (2) Forming a Nation, The Exodus and Conquest of Canaan, the period of the Judges and the charismatic nature of the Judges, the Danite migration. (3) The Rise of the Davidic Dynasty, a political view of the kingdom of David and Solomon, the diplomatic, international marriages of the latter, organs of statecraft in the Israelite monarchy. (4) King Amon and Josiah and their final fate, twilight of Judah and the destruction of Jerusalem. (5) This part is dedicated to historical episodes in the Former Prophets and in the Prophetical Books. Several excursi follow. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume gathers together eight previously papers by Jodi Magnes, all of which have been completely revised to take account of recent developments in Qumran archaeology and research into the Dead Sea Scrolls. The heavily annotated papers consider such subjects as: the ceramic evidence for the Qumran community; Qumran as a villa rustica; the chronology of the settlement in the Herodian period; the chronology of Qumran, Ein Feshkha and Ein el-Ghuweir; the excavation of a toilet at Qumran and the discovery of a hoard of coins; the evidence for communal meals and sacred space at Qumran; skeletal and artefactual evidence for the presence or otherwise of women; the evidence of the jars in which the scrolls were deposited. ... Read more

Product Description
In the present volume, scholars from Europe, the United States, and Israel join forces to honor a most esteemed colleague and friend, Gideon Foerster, professor of classical archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The essays included in this vo ... Read more

Product Description
This collection of twelve papers, dedicated to Professor Israel Finkelstein, deals with various aspects concerning the archaeology of Israel and the Levant during the Bronze and Iron Ages. Although the area under discussion runs from southeastern Turkey (Alalakh) down to the arid zones of the Negev Desert, the main emphasis is on the Land of Israel. This collection provides the most recent evaluation of a number of thorny issues in Israeli archaeology during the Bronze and Iron Ages and specifically addresses chronology, state formation, identity, and agency. It offers, inter alia, a fresh look at the burial practices and iconography of the periods discussed, as well as a re-evaluation of the subsistence economy and settlement patterns. This book is finely illustrated with more than sixty original drawings. ... Read more

Product Description
Elka Weber explores religious travel writing by Muslims, Christians and Jews in the later Middle Ages - a comparison that has not been done before. This approach allows us to see that writers in all three religious communities used travel writing in the same way; to shape the perceptions of their readers by asserting the author's authority. The central paradox of religious travel writing is that the travel writer reads about a place, usually in a sacred text, decides to supplement the reading with empirical experience of visiting and describing the place, and then creates his own descriptive text. Elka Weber argues that in writing this new book, and in letting his readers know his authorial, the travel writer himself is daring the reader to challenge the new text. Therefore, is a book ever enough? For societies that value their scared texts, this question is a challenge, but it is a challenge posed by writers who live firmly in the religious tradition. "Traveling through Text" also discusses the relationship of the authors to their readers, explores the tensions between text and empirical experience as found in the writings of religious writers who value holy texts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

You should buy this book
This book is awesome. I read most of the introduction before I got so confused I needed to ask my mother what was going on. My mother was the one who wrote the book. It took her a really long time and the parts I read were really good. She mentions me in the acknowledgements. They're the best part. You should buy it just to read them. But in all seriousness, it's a really interesting topic and when I get older I really want to read it because I'm interested in history and travelling and the Middle East just like my mom. When I grow up I want to be just like her, except taller. ... Read more

Product Description
Following the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple by Roman armies in 70 C.E., new incarnations of Judaism emerged. Through ancient stories involving Jewish spinners and weavers, Miriam B. Peskowitz re-examines this critical event and--presenting a feminist interpretation in which gender takes center stage--challenges traditional assumptions regarding Judaism's historical development . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

review of Spinning Fantasies
This is a tremendous book. It changed my life and the way I view the world. This book should be read by everyone interested in Judaism and gender. For an academic book, the prose is poetic and crystal clear. ... Read more