Drawing on the most recent, groundbreaking archeological research, Eric M. Meyers and Mark A. Chancey re-narrate the history of ancient Palestine in this richly illustrated & expertly integrated book. Spanning from the conquest of Alexander the Great in the 4th century BCE until the reign of the Roman emperor Constantine in the 4th century CE, they synthesize archeological evidence with ancient literary sources (including the Bible) to offer a sustained overview of the tumultuous intellectual & religious changes that impacted world history during the Greco-Roman period. The authors demonstrate how the transformation of the ancient Near East under the influence of the Greeks & then the Romans led to foundational changes in both the material & intellectual worlds of the Levant. Palestine's subjection to Hellenistic kingdoms, its rule by the Hasmonean & Herodian dynasties, the two disastrous Jewish revolts against Rome, & its full incorporation into the Roman Empire provide a background for the emergence of Christianity. The authors observe in the archeological record how Judaism & Christianity were virtually undistinguishable for centuries, until the rise of imperial Christianity with Emperor Constantine. The only book-length overview available that focuses on the archeology of Palestine in this period, this comprehensive & powerfully illuminating work sheds new light on the lands of the bible.