Warfare in the Old Testament: The Organization, Weapons, and Tactics of Ancient Near Eastern Armies

by Boyd Seevers

Understand the OT world better through the warfare that shaped it Warfare in the Old Testament helps bridge the gap between the modern reader and the world of the Old Testament by using textual and physical evidence to describe ancient military practices. Seevers paints a realistic picture of how Israel and the surrounding nations did battle, adding depthand impact to the relevant biblical accounts. Filled with illustrations, this full-color volume explores the archaeological evidenceand early writings that shed light on biblical warfare between Israel and its Egypt, Philistia, Assyria, Babylon, and Persia. Of special interest are Seevers’s treatments of the role that religion played in these ancient warfare practices.

Genres: History, Old Testament, War, Theology, Nonfiction

336 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2013

Reviews

[Craig Hurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was born in 1981 and the last war on American soil was World War II, which ended in 1945. If you do not count the wars since then in which America has been involved overseas, my lifetime has been war-free. Though both my grandfathers served in the military, neither my father nor I have served in any capacity. Wars and small battles, as real as they are, have been the stuff of TV for me. I have read about them in the paper, heard about them on the radio and I can distinctly remember watching live footage of Desert Storm.

However, for many people around the world, war is an everyday part of their lives. For those born during times of war, they cannot imagine their lives without it. Similarly, this is how it was for much of the Ancient Near East (ANE), including Israel. To help the modern reader of Scripture better understand how war is so intricately woven into its fabric, Boyd Seevers has wrote Warfare in the Old Testament: The Organization, Weapons, and Tactics of Ancient Near Eastern Armies. Dr. Seevers is an expert in the Old Testament, ancient warfare and has participated in many archeological excavations in Israel where he lived as a professor for eight years.

Overview

Warfare in the Old Testament documents, through historical fiction and historical background, the warfare history, weapons and tactical methods of the six most notable nations in the ANE: Israel, Egypt, Philistia, Assyria, Babylon and Persia. Each nation is examined in two basic parts. First, through historical fiction, Seevers gives the reader insight into the events and possible thoughts of a typical warrior in the nation under consideration. This includes a description of their duties, weapons they might have used, a war or battle they would have fought in and how they might have thought about the events. Second, the historical background is given for the particular war or battle that was discussed during the historical fiction section in addition to all of the know wars of each nation. Finally, through discussion of the nation’s military organization, weapons, strategy and tactics, Seevers provides the reader with detailed description of the inner workings of their armies. To aid in telling the stories and historical information, there are numerous pictures of military artifacts, drawings, sketches and maps.

Review

First, for an Old Testament and ANE expert, Seevers has done a great job writing the historical fictions sections. The writing is engaging and the details do not drag. One really gains a sense of what it must have felt like to be in those military situations. Second, as would be expected, the historical background sections weave together all of ANE history at the same time. The Biblical and extra-biblical accounts of the wars and battles are woven together to provide a fuller picture of their warfare histories. This is a great service to the reader as Scriptures are provided so they can locate the specifics for themselves. Third, Seevers does not sugar coat the nature of Israel’s involvement in war. War was a part of every nations life and Israel was no exception. Where applicable, the author notes when Israel might be acting like the other nations. For instance, the reference in 1 Samuel 18:25-27 to Saul’s request of David to bring him the foreskins from the slain Philistines is a practice the Egyptians did with various of body parts (137-38). This proved the warrior killed the enemy in battle and brought him approval and respect from his military leaders and nation. Fourth, Seevers also points out where Israel differed from the other ANE militaries. For example, it was not common practice for a nation to record their military struggles and losses. Israel, however, gives a lot of detail about these struggles. Seevers notes,

"Surprisingly, some of the best information from Israel comes from when it was struggling for birth and survival. The Bible’s emphasis on God’s aid to his young nation is evident in the stories of how the military operated through its successive phases." (45)

This can be seen, for example, in the first six chapters of Joshua which detail their entrance into Canaan and the battle of Jericho. This was before they were a strong military power. In contrast, we are only given “a single chapter to David’s campaigns that conquered a large part of the ancient Near East (2 Sam. 8.” (70)

Numbers: Are They Really That Big?

One way in which Israel differs from other ANE armies is in their recording the size of their people and armies. The Bible provides a lot of information regarding their numbers and more so than other ANE nations records. The predominate word used to describe the size of the Israelite army and people is eleph which means “thousand”. What becomes problematic, says Seevers, is that “if eleph in these passages carries its normal meaning of ‘thousand,’ then many of the numbers appear extremely large.” (53) For instance, in Numbers chapter one and twenty-six Israel counts its men available for military service and there are over 600,000. Again, in 2 Samuel 24:9 David counts his fighting men and they come to 1,300,000. Seevers notes that “these numbers appear quite high, especially considering the apparent army size of other, better established contemporary nations.” (53)

In an attempt to resolve the problem presented in many passages another possible translation of eleph is “clan”, and, though it does not resolve all of the interpretational challenges, it seems to give us a more realistic picture of the size of Israel’s army at any given time. This, Seevers points out, helps to make more sense of Deuteronomy 7:1 which states that, upon entering Canaan, there were seven nations that occupied the territory that were “more numerous and stronger than (Israel).” So, at the time of the exodus Israel would have had about 5,500 troops and not 600,000 and more like 20,000 people instead of 2,000,000+ as they entered Canaan. Further, this might make more sense of the statement in Judges 15:14-15 where it is said that Samson killed 1,000 Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey. Translating eleph as “clan” would greatly reduce the number of men killed.

As Seevers points out, this solves many issues but it also raises some others. My own sense of this is the important hermeneutical principle - context. If the same word is used in these different contexts but has more than one meaning then we need to pay attention to the context in which it is used. It does seem a bit off to say Israel had 2,000,000 or more people upon entering Canaan. Even though they spent 40 years in the wilderness where they would have increased their population, there would have been a high mortality rate among births and they lost everyone twenty and older in the wilderness for their sin of murmuring (Num. 14:26-34). For Samson, the issue is whether or not he really did kill 1,000 (give or take) Philistines and not preserving a wrong interpretational history just for dramatic effect. Sure, Samson was strong, but even if he only killed 100 +/- soldiers it is still a great feat. Maybe the focus is on the weapon of choice, a donkey’s jawbone, and not so much the number of men killed. He would have definitely been at a disadvantage without a sword. This is my initial sense and more study on these passages is required on my part.

Conclusion

Dr. Seevers is very knowledgeable in the field of OT and ANE studies and Warfare in the Old Testament is the fruit of a lifetime of studies in these areas. The story telling is captivating as well as the historical facts. Seevers will have you thinking at every turn and drive you back to the text of Scripture with new insight and questions. I recommend this book for pastors preaching through the OT, teachers of OT and ANE studies and for Christians who are fascinated by OT biblical history. There is a wealth of additional information in the end notes and resources listed at the end of the book for further study in specific areas.

[Nicholas Meriwether · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well done account of the major players in the Ancient Near East, especially in terms of putting life on the ancient battlefield of these various empires into perspective. One of my favorite features of this work is how each empire opens with a narrative from the POV of a warrior from within the ranks of that army. Each of these fictional POV’s are built upon meticulous research, thus giving an imagined human perspective to a very real historical situation. This helped me understand better the human realities - like the absurdity of Joshua’s forces being commanded to attack Jericho after all the men got circumcised: quite a disadvantage if Yahweh did not go before them!

Methodologically, Seevers integrated Biblical texts, primary documentary sources, specialist secondary sources, and archaeological data to inform this work. He is also very responsible in admitting the limitations of such data. 2 examples. 1.) Much of what we think ancient Israel and Judah looked like is based on Assyrian reliefs of them conquering Lachish. Thus, the Lachish reliefs become a key point of data in analyzing things like hair styles and weapons, but through Assyrian eyes. Did the people of Judah swing their slings vertically instead of horizontally, or was that just because that’s the way the Assyrians used their slings? 2.) The Babylon and Persia chapters are much shorter because of their lack of data compared to the other empires. In Persia’s case, outside of Persepolis and Susa, the majority of the information about Persian military is drawn from Greek sources.

The rest of the information was organized in the same categories from chapter to chapter. Of particular interest is how Seevers integrated motivation among the facts about weapon choice and logistics. Ancient near eastern empires generally warred to honor their gods and kings, expand their territories, impose tribute, and get rich from the loot. The historical background in each chapter is also helpful, giving context for the empires themselves and how they intersect with the Bible. For example, I didn’t know that the Philistines were descendants of the Aegean Sea Peoples who warred with Egypt and eventually settled in the Levant next to the Israelites. Another example of the intersection is how the Exodus from Egypt (both old and new dates) fall within the apex of Egyptian prominence in the Ancient Near East. A few other interesting suggestions in Hebrew for the numbers of soldiers being counted by units instead of thousands.

Overall helpful insight for someone looking to understand the Old Testament, Ancient Near East, or ancient warfare better.

[Joshua Riding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boyd Seevers knew who he was writing for when he originally set out to write about militaries and cultures in the Old Testament; biblical history nerds who want to know the archeological testimonies of those militaries and cultures.

He delivers quite well, and he ambitiously looks to draw in others who may only be more casually interested by giving short stories of important moments in Ancient military history (and the Old Testament) to help gain more interest and keep it.

Honestly would recommend to most people who are interested in diving more into the Old Testament to help understand the narrative books better, with how prevalent warfare is in it, and also military history buffs as a whole.

[Jeroen Pelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boyd provides a nice overview of the organization, tactics, and weapons of the major dominating powers of the Ancient Near East. He uses a story based on real events as an introduction of each of the kingdoms, and pictures to help it come across as a lively description of warfare in the ANE, while the remainder of the chapters feel more like a deposition of facts. This combination made it a book worth reading and a helpful resource.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the 20th Century is the bloodiest century in human history, warfare was a reality for ancient peoples. The Bible deals with reality so, it is no surprise that when you look at the Hebrew scriptures you find battles and warfare enshrined in the text. Boyd Seevers, professor of Old Testament Studies at the University of Northwestern St. Paul, did his doctoral studies on warfare in the Ancient Near East. In Warfare in the Old Testament, Seevers examines Israel and five Ancient Near East cultures to show how each waged war. He looks at their military organization, weapons, strategy and tactics.

Israel’s had five major enemies through out nationhood, destruction and exile. These include Egypt, Philistia, Assyria, Babylon and Persia. Of course there were other nations which troubled Israel, but these nations were particularly troublesome in different eras of their history. Egypt was the large empire to the West where the Israelites had escaped from. They continued to exert influence throughout the region. The Seafaring Philistines were a thorn in the side of Israel during the period of the Judges and early monarchy. The cruel Assyrians destroyed the northern Kingdom of Israel and turned Judah into a vassal state and laid siege to Jerusalem. Babylon sacked Judah and carried its inhabitants into exile with the spoils of war. And the Persians and the Medes overthrew the Babylonian empire. Seevers illustrates the unique features of each culture by beginning each section with a ‘historic fiction’ which describes particular battles from the perspective of one of its military commanders. He then goes on to catalog the organization, weapons and tactics of each nation.

This makes this a perfect book for tooling around in the background of the text. Those who study and research the Bible will find Seevers synthesis and summary of Ancient Near East warfare helpful– both academics and pastors working to exegete the text well. This book is exegetical, not expositional. Seevers focuses on describing the tactics of Ancient warfare and thus does not comment on the the theological significance of particular passages of scripture. So when Seevers presents ‘spying’ as an Israeli tactic in warfare (70), he does not comment on the ambiguity of Joshua sending spies in Joshua 2 after God spent the previous chapter commanding him, “Be strong and courageous.” This is not a criticism, but it does illustrate what this book was intended to do: to fill out the cultural background of warfare, especially where the Bible is economic and sparse in its description.

This is a great resource for teaching from the Old Testament. Because it spans the whole of Israel’s national, military history, it does illuminate the arc and trajectory of the biblical narrative and describes some technological developments. The illustrations in each chapter (based on archeological discoveries) show how weaponry, armor and military structure changed over the centuries. I recommend it as a Bible background resource for those exegeting the historical books and the prophets. I give it four stars: ★★★★.

[Spencer R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read my fuller review at SpoiledMilks (Sept 16, 2024).

If you are into historical backgrounds and how war fought and understood in the ancient Near East, you would probably enjoy this book. Some may want to know mainly about Israel, but I should remind you that the majority of the book (chs. 3–9) focuses on the other nations. Israel is really only covered in the first two chapters. The biblical historian who wants to gain more information about these surrounding ANE nations will appreciate this book. Seevers has had access to to a lot of archaeological finds, artifacts, and texts that many people either aren’t privy to or just aren’t interested in. Having it all written down here is convenient for the reader, especially with his help in showing how these nations interacted with ancient Israel.

I received this book free from Kregel Academic. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

[Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the subtitle says, it discusses organization, weapons, and tactics of the most important ancient Near Eastern sovereignties related to ancient Israel. After Israel, he covers Egypt, Philistia, Assyria, and Babylon. The book is thoroughly researched and referenced and copiously illustrated. Highly recommended as a resource in dealing with military aspects of the Old Testament.

[Michael Boling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warriors such as King David and Joshua and battles such as the fall of Jericho as well as the seemingly constant skirmishes with the Philistines are arguably well known aspects of the biblical historical accounts found in the Old Testament. With that said, some of the nuances of how these ancient battles were fought, the tactics used by the armies of the Ancient Near East, and even the weaponry engaged by the warriors of old are aspects of these battles that are quite honestly not addressed in great detail in Scripture. While some may feel the need to avoid analyzing the aforementioned aspects of ancient warfare, Professor and author Dr. Boyd Seevers believes understanding ancient warfare is an important aspect of well-round bible study. In his book Warfare in the Old Testament: The Organization, Weapons, and Tactics of Ancient Near Eastern Armies, he provides the reader with an excellent study of this important topic.

In this well written and researched as well as wonderfully illustrated and annotated book, Seevers looks at the warfare tactics of the Israelites, Egyptians, Philistines, Assyrians, Babylonians, and the Persians. Seevers states the purpose of this book is to help “bridge the gap between the modern reader and the world of the Old Testament by using textual and physical evidence to describe ancient military practices.” Each chapter begins with a short historical fiction account that helps the reader get in the proverbial mind of the ancient warrior. That segment is followed by a discussion of the historical background of each nation as it pertains to warfare, the military organization, weaponry, and tactics used by each nation, all supported by extremely useful charts, drawings, and maps that assist the reader to visually understand what Seevers discusses throughout the book. Finally, each chapter concludes with a notes section that further elaborates on certain information covered in that particular chapter of the book.

In the two chapters that relate to the army of the Israelites, Seevers references numerous biblical passages so the reader can look back at Scripture to see how these tactics, weaponry, and organization are outlined in the biblical text. This approach really brings to life the events noted in Scripture, such as how King David waged war, how he recruited troops, and how the various elements of the Israelite army such as the slinger, archer, and spearman contributed to the military efforts during this time. Seevers also ensured the role of the Israelite king was discussed, in particular how God instructed Israel to fight their battles.

Given the interaction Israel had with the Egyptians, Philistines, Assyrians, Babylonians, and Persians at various points in their history, it is important for the bible student to have an understanding as well of how the military for these nations operated. In that vein, Seever provides an excellent study on each nation that is historically accurate, well researched, and that is academic without losing the reader in the minute details of historical fact. Furthermore, Seever connects each nation to the biblical account, noting how Scripture describes the battles between Israel and these various nations, using the excellent historical information he provides as valuable background to the biblical text. Leaders such as Assyria’s Tilgreth-pileser III had a great impact on the history of Israel and understanding the background of these individuals and how they went about doing warfare is again vital to understand the historical context and events found throughout the Old Testament.

As if the information contained in Seever’s book wasn’t great enough, he also provides a section of recommended books for further study in general Ancient Near East warfare as well as books focused on the specific nations discussed in his book. Additionally, there is a helpful index for the numerous figures and maps as well as a subject index should the reader want to look up a specific issue for further study. Finally, Seever provides a Scripture index for the reader to make that important connection with the historical issues addressed in this book with the events outline in Scripture, a truly valuable tool for in-depth bible study on this topic.

Academic yet very accessible, Boyd Seever’s Warfare in the Old Testament is a valuable tool for what is known as historical theology. Engaging with a plethora of information that both scholars and laymen will enjoy and find extremely useful for bible study, Seever’s effort is well worth the read. I have a much better appreciation for what warfare looked like in the time of the Old Testament after reading Seever’s book and I will utilize it as a resource for years to come when I engage aspects of warfare in my times of Bible study.

I received this book for free from Kregel Academic for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Skylar · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent book. I am also in a class with the prof. I have learned a lot.

[Chris Woznicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

For most people reading history books is something you have to do, not something you want to do. I am not one of those people. I love history – I especially love historical theology; nevertheless I have always had a hard time with Ancient Near Eastern History. I love ANE literature, mythology, etc. but I have a lot of trouble with ANE history. If I am ever asked to speak about ANE backgrounds I always go straight to stories and myths. This book, Warfare in the Old Testament, contains no such thing. It is pure history yet its history presented in a unique way.

In this book Boyd Seevers, professor of Old Testament at University of Northwestern St. Paul, seeks to describe the military practices of “David, Joshua, other Israelites as well as those of the Egyptians, Philistines, Assyrians, and others known from the Old Testament.” He uses textual and physical evidence from ANE cultures to describe their military practices.

The book is broken up in a pretty straightforward manner – treating various cultures:

Chapters 1-2: Israel
Chapters 3-4: Egypt
Chapter 5: Philista
Chapter 6-7: Assyria
Chapter 8: Babylon
Chapter 9: Persia

The treatment of each of these nations begins with a piece of historical fiction describing what it might look like for a soldier to participate in a historical battle. These sections are probably the most memorable sections (if students read this book this will likely be their favorite parts). The fact that he tells history in narrative form isn’t necessarily unique (you can think of various other NT scholars who have tried to teach NT Backgrounds through historical fiction), but it sure is effective. Having a vivid picture of what each culture’s military practices looks like will help students learn more than if they were just told what their military practices were.

I was always told when it comes to writing - Show don’t tell! Seevers doesn’t simply tell us about ANE battle practices, he shows us their battle practices.

After the historical fiction, Seevers describes the historical background for the nation, then its military organization, weaponry, and tactics. The book is filled with illustrations (often taken from ancient documents, pottery, engravings, etc. ). Again this helps the reader to “see” what warfare was like in the ANE instead of simply hearing what its like.

So you might be wondering, do I recommend this book and to whom do I recommend it?

The answer to that first question is, absolutely yes! Interesting books on basic ANE backgrounds and culture are hard to find. Now if you look for books on ANE warfare you will be even more hardpressed to find interesting options. Most of those books will probably be academic monographs or published dissertations that focus on some obscure battle, nation, or period. Yet this book’s scope is wide – it provides basic information for many of the major players in the ANE during biblical times. But just because it is basic that doesn’t mean that its shallow. For instance, Seevers devotes an entire section to Israelite helmets and another section to battle tactics against cities and that is just his treatment of Israel. Assyria also receives a good amount of attention. His treatment of Assyrian short-range weapons is extensive and filled with plenty of diagrams showing what these weapons might have looked like. All this to say – as a history book I recommend it. So who is it for? It certainly is not for anybody well versed in Warfare in the Old Testament – there isn’t much original research in this book; but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I would recommend this book to two people: 1) Bible College or Undergraduate Bible teachers and 2) Bible College or Undergraduate Bible students. This would make a fantastic text book, it would also be great for students doing research on ANE culture. So if you are looking for a textbook for an Ancient Near Eastern Culture or Old Testament Backgrounds class this is the book for you!

(Note: I received this book courtesy of Kregel and was under no obligation to give it a positive review.)

[Jimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book by an Old Testament professor who has done his doctoral dissertation related to ancient warfare. Given the prevalence of war in the Old Testament, this book serves as an important resource in giving the background information for our understanding of Scripture. The content of the book is well researched and interesting. It also helps that the book is filled with beautiful illustrations that feature ancient drawings, archaeological finds, helpful maps and contemporary painting recreating what warfare in the past must have looked like. They are very helpful and the author Boyd Seevers did a good job coordinating what he has to say with the illustrations.
The book focuses primarily on warfare in the Ancient Near East. The author begins with the Hebrews during the era when they entered into the promise land. Two chapters are devoted towards Israel and their military. This is followed by two chapters on Egypt, one chapter on the Philistines, two chapters on the Assyrians, one chapter on the Babylonians and the final chapter on the Persians.
Every kingdom’s military is presented in an organized and clear manner. Each time a certain kingdom is introduced, the author takes the literary license of giving us a fictional “eye witness” account of a warrior so we can get the idea of what it must have been like. This is followed by discussion of the specific kingdom’s historical background, military organization (structure, military branches, etc), weapons (long-medium-short range offensive weapons and defensive measures), and strategies/tactics. Each section and subsection is clearly labeled which makes this an easy access reference for later use.
Over all, the book has more strengths than it did weakness.
STRENGTHS
• In the introduction the author is conscious of cultural experience with warfare and he acknowledges that he never served in the military and grew up in the United States during a time of social upheaval where serving in the military was not necessarily valued. Realizing his limitation, the author took the initiative to share a Marine sergeant’s insight concerning war. It was really good especially concerning tactics! I must confessed my own biases: I myself am a Marine veteran of Iraq.
• There were a lot of things I learned from this book that I didn’t know beforehand: The book made the point that the Babylonians and Persians seem to be generally less cruel than the Assyrians during warfare and the Assyrians tend to use a lot of psychological warfare with their opponents. I learned what a composite bow is (a bow that was glued together of various pieces of wood which allow the arrows to go futher).
• I appreciated the fact that Seevers cited primary sources and also important secondary sources in the study of the Ancient Near East; especially exciting for me is his reference to Yadin’s work on Old Testament warfare in light of archaeological finding. I have been thinking about getting Yadin’s work for some time now but I have hesitated given how it is somewhat outdated; this new volume by Seevers is a much needed update on the topic.
• The end of the book has a good list of recommended resources for further study.
WEAKNESS
• The input of the Marine concerning strategy waned by the time we get to the middle of the book. It would have been nice to see more insights from him!
• Some of the colors on some of maps were clashing and hard to distinguished at time given how they were a few shade different.
CONCLUSION
I highly recommend this book for anyone with interests in the Old Testament, the Ancient Near East and military history. Pastors and Bible Students will gain much from this work.
NOTE: This book was provided to me free by Kregel Publications without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read about the battles that take place in the Bible, I have a vague picture in my mind of two generic groups of ancient soldiers fighting, nothing really specific about their attire, weapons or fighting methods. This is may be the case with most people. In Warfare in the Old Testament, Boyd Seevers sets out to give us a more detailed picture of what these clashes may have looked like.

The organization, weapons and tactics of the nation of Israel are described first, "Typically, one finds good military records from nations only after they attained great strength. Surprisingly, some of the best information from Israel comes from when it was struggling for birth and survival." Then in the subsequent chapters Seevers describes the enemies of Israel namely, Egypt, Philistia, Assyria, Babylon and then Persia. He introduces each nation with a short fictionalized account of a soldier in each particular army, his thoughts, worries and considerations of the particular army he and his nation are up against, and then stops the story and moves on to particulars in regards to the nation's history, strategy and weapons. I thought that that was an interesting way to do it.

One of the things that specifically grabbed my attention was in the chapters on the Assyrians. I had never really considered the idea that Israelite exiles might have served in their captors' armies. The fictional short story at the beginning of the first chapter on the Assyrians deals with an exiled Jew from Samaria, who served in the Assyrian Army. It seems that there actually was a unit in the Assyrian army, made of Jews, which was a known as the 'Samarians'. "No other unit bore the name of a city or nation, especially from a conquered region."

It was also interesting to learn more about the Philistines, where they may have come from, and how they came to be in the same general territory as Israel. In the account of the Persians, the attack by Cyrus upon Babylon would particularly informative while reading along with Daniel 5. Belshazzar is warned that God was bringing his kingdom to an end, and then it says that he was slain in the night. If you have information of the account of the invasion, you can think that while Daniel was interpreting the writing on the wall to the King, outside of Babylon the enemy already had a strategy for breaking in, having drained, or getting ready to drain the river so that they could wade into the city.

This book is filled with maps of the various nations discussed, and illustrations of soldiers and weapons taken from actual archeological finds from the various eras. There were only a couple that I found unnecessary, picturing stripped soldiers who were taken prisoner. I don't think they were very detailed.

Now, I didn't like that Seevers described certain information in the Bible as being "frustratingly unclear". Particular information not given in the Bible is information we do not absolutely need, otherwise God would have made it more clear. But it is nice to get to know some of it.

Overall, though I did not find any of the information absolutely necessary, I liked this book.

Thanks to Kregel Academic for sending me a free review copy of this book!(My review did not have to be favorable)

[Bob Hayton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of us experience warfare only through classic “war movies” or by means of game like Risk. Oh, but then there are the stories in Sunday School too! We hear of David and Goliath, the conquest of Canaan, and the sack of Jerusalem. In truth, tales of war are foreign to our very makeup. If we haven’t served in the armed forces, we cannot really appreciate all that goes into fighiting for one’s land and the sacrifice and honor it brings.

Warfare was a fact of life in the ancient Near East (ANE), and Bible characters, like everyone else, were affected by the ebb and flow of the seasons, and “the time when kings go out to battle” (2 Sam. 11:1). The Bible is written in this context of ANE warfare and assumes we know what chariots and javelins are, and why it is that a people would want a king to “go out before us and fight our battles” (1 Sam. 8:20). (Chariots, by the way, were less like tanks and more like mobile platforms for archers.)

Boyd Seevers gives us a tool in understanding the concept of war in ANE history with his new book "Warfare in the Old Testament: The Organization, Weapons, and Tactics of Ancient Near Eastern Armies." In this accessible and attractive volume, he itemizes the implements and tools for war as found in the dominant cultures represented in the Old Testament: Philistia, Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and of course, Israel.

Strategy, history, numbers and weapons, boats and chariots, siege engines, and armor — all these and more are described in the detail a bible geek or armchair archeologist-historian will love. Maps, drawings, diagrams and sketches fill the pages like a technical manual. Interesting facts are highlighted, like the difficulties with the Hebrew number system, the fact that Akkadian was a lingua franca as far back as the fourteenth century BC, and Persia’s invention of the first true “pony express.”

Seevers doesn’t just present dry historical facts ad nauseum, however. He offers fictional vignettes of typical soldiers on a campaign before each discussion of the military history of a given culture. This draws the reader in and adds the tool of imagination which helps flesh out the incomplete picture that too often emerges after the archeological digs are done sifting through what remains we have left. His style is inviting, even if at times his rigid arrangement of the material comes off somewhat wooden.

This book will help situate the student of OT history, and will make a good addition to any scholar’s library. It may interest the casual reader, but it may not. The laser focus of the material will not appeal to everyone, but for those who are interested, Seevers leaves few stones unturned.

Disclaimer:
This book was provided by Kregel Publications. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a positive review.

[Doug Hibbard · Rating 5 out of 5]

As you can likely see from the subtitle, this is a focus on the organization, weapons, and tactics of Ancient Near Eastern armies. It is, quite frankly, a nerd book of the first order. I love it.

Of course, I love many ancient history books, so that's no surprise. Why should you love it?

First, details of the book. It's a good hardcover, 328 pages counting indices, and full-color in its printing. Line drawings and color illustrations surround the text, providing details that words cannot convey. The book feels sturdy, and it looks good on the shelf. If you just want shelf-candy, this is good for that.

Second, subject matter of the book. Typically, I have seen books address warfare styles of the Old Testament era only partially. The information is given only in the context of a specific Scripture passage or historical moment. It is treated as illustrative, and providing the information that way does help flesh out the passages under examination. Warfare in the Old Testament, though, turns that and studies the military organization for its own sake. This provides a more robust picture of the military side of life, which brings the textual concepts to life.

Third, comprehensive view of the book. The Old Testament does not just concern Israel, no matter how much that might be nice. Instead, we have to consider the surrounding nations. Seevers' Warfare in the Old Testament looks at Israel, Egypt, Philistia, Assyria, Babylon, and Persia. Techniques of military development in each civilization are examined, as are the weapons and styles of each group.

All in all, if you are interested in the Old Testament period, this is a good resource to have on hand. Information on the armies of Rome or Greece that informs our understanding of the New Testament is more readily available, but this is the only resource I know of focused on the Old Testament. There is enough general information for the casual reader or the simply curious, and the notes and bibliography point the in-depth student to further locations.

If there is a fault, and there is one, it is the unfortunate use of endnotes. At least they are at the end of each chapter and not at the end of the book, but this is still less helpful than footnotes.

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent basic primer on the titles topic. Because of its broadness it lacks depth into the movements of battles. Instead it suffices to gloss over 1 or 2 major battles or campaigns. This leaves the reader wanting more. But overall, this is a good starting place to decide if you want to further study the topic in more detail.