Jerusalem Burning

“There is no doubt that the fall of Jerusalem and the exile in the sixth century BCE were of pivotal importance for the history, literature, and theology of biblical Israel. In Jerusalem Burning, Robert Canfield brings the events, stories, and personages of the time to life for interested readers. In an informed and highly readable overview, he provides a view of and beyond the disaster that is as timely as it is engaging.”
—Jill Middlemas, associate professor of biblical theology and Abrahamic religions, University of Copenhagen

“In this daring and erudite study of the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BCE, Robert Canfield brings clarity to the process of meaning-making and moral imagination in biblical texts grappling with individual and community suffering.”
—Louis Stulman, professor of religious studies, University of Findlay

“Robert Canfield develops a rich and absorbing cultural-historical narrative of the fall of Jerusalem that is meant to help us explore how such a trauma inspired—required?—a distinctively new religious understanding. While the proximate causes were clear enough—one king betrayed another—Canfield has a deeper interest: making sense of God’s love in light of tragedy. This is still important today. So, alas, is the great cost of ignoring warnings of impending disaster.”
—Paul K. Wason, senior director, Culture and Global Perspectives, John Templeton Foundation

“By carefully navigating through historical criticism of biblical texts, uncertainty of dates, and divergent interpretations of archeological evidence, this book skillfully analyses a watershed moment in the biblical history: the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BC carried out by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. Jerusalem Burning is an indispensable book for students and scholars of biblical studies, archeology of religion, and religious studies broadly construed.”
—Ashok Kumar Mocherla, Yang Visiting Scholar, Harvard Divinity School

“Jerusalem Burning tells the story of how the Israelites made sense of their plight following the Babylonian attack on Jerusalem and how they came to understand their demise as an act of God’s love. With a detailed presentation of events, this brilliant book will leave the readers to ponder its relevance to the world that we live in today.”
—Lihong Shi, associate professor of anthropology, Case Western Reserve University

“Jerusalem Burning is an elegantly written and expertly constructed analysis of the meaning and significance of a most terrifying event, the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 587 BCE by the armies of Nebuchadnezzar. This book should interest general readers and those interested in the history of religions, and it is a valuable resource for adoption to the courses on comparative religion and the anthropology religion in colleges and universities.”
—M. Nazif Shahrani, professor emeritus of anthropology, Middle Eastern, and Central Asian studies, Indiana University

“Infused with knowledge and wisdom gained from a lifetime spent in the study of the biblical text, combined with years of anthropological research and university instruction, Jerusalem Burning is an invitation to look deeply into the impact of the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BC and the exile of its people to Babylon. I highly recommend this refreshing look at how a people came to make sense of their circumstances and find hope in the midst of great loss.”
—Katherine M. Johnson, author of Lectio Divina Catholic Prayer Journal Series

“Robert Canfield’s gift for storytelling and meticulous research brings this history to life, and his use of textual, linguistic, and cultural sour