A History of the Hasmonean State

Reviews / Votes

A timely and accessible prolegomenon that should be required reading for anyone researching late Hellenistic Judea ... Atkinson's masterful re-examination of the Hasmonean achievement provides us with much new food for thought. * The Expository Times * Kenneth Atkinson, an able and prolific historian of the period, has produced an admirable volume ... I walked away better informed about this complicated period after making my way through A History of the Hasmonean State. Its significant learning and clarity will be excellent guides for scholars and students of the field. And I myself will certainly return to its pages in future research on this fascinating period of history. * Journal for the Study of Judaism * Atkinson took upon himself rather extensive challenges. He has succeeded in offering a detailed account of Josephus's narratives on the Hasmonean state, particularly in terms of chronology, political history, and surrounding empires and peoples. He provides many interesting and important insights on these matters ... Atkinson's work on the Hasmoneans is a welcome addition to the expanding field of Hasmonean studies and well worth reading for anyone interested in the Second Temple period. * Society of Biblical Literature * It is I think one of the most interesting books on the Hasmoneans I have had a chance to read. * The Polish Journal of Biblical Research * By refusing to rely solely on textual accounts of the Maccabean revolt and the ensuing reign of the Hasmoneans, Kenneth Atkinson has appealed to the myriad of resources available to scholars to reconstruct this era and handled them responsibly. The result is a work that should be one of the first taken off of the shelf when acquainting oneself with either Hasmonean rule or Flavius Josephus. * Reading Religion *