Taylor, Jane. Petra and the Lost Kingdom of the Nabataeans.TAYLOR, Jane. Petra and the lost kingdom of the Nabataeans. Harvard Univ. Press. 224p. illus. maps. notes. bibliog. index. c2001. 0-674-01755-2. $16.00. SA This is a lovely and lovingly written work about Petra, capital of the Nabataean kingdom, and arguably ar·gu·a·ble adj. 1. Open to argument: an arguable question, still unresolved. 2. That can be argued plausibly; defensible in argument: three arguable points of law. the most impressive archeological site in the Near East. Petra, which is in modern Jordan, was a kingdom of great wealth and power by the second century BC. It interacted with all the kingdoms of the Near East. The text is informed and a delight to read. The author, who is also a photographer, has produced some stunning photographs of Petra, including a number from angles that one does not often see in books about Petra. If you love photography, and love archeological sites, you will be drawn to this book. Perhaps most important for YA readers, the book provides an excellent introduction to Petra and the Nabataeans, as well as a reference work for these topics. Chapters cover the origins of the Nabataeans; the emergence of their kingdom; relations with Egypt, Syria and Judaea; Nabataean history from independence to Roman annexation annexation, in international law, formal act by which a state asserts its sovereignty over a territory previously outside its jurisdiction. Many kinds of territory have been subject to annexation, chief among them those inhabited by settlers of the annexing power, ; the development of the city of Petra; Nabataean gods and places of worship; the Nabataean script and carved carve v. carved, carv·ing, carves v.tr. 1. a. To divide into pieces by cutting; slice: carved a roast. b. inscriptions; the life of a Nabataean woman named Babatha; and the Nabataeans in the early Christian and Byzantine era. There is also an epilogue ep·i·logue also ep·i·log n. 1. a. A short poem or speech spoken directly to the audience following the conclusion of a play. b. The performer who delivers such a short poem or speech. 2. on the Nabataeans in the Islamic world, as well as notes, a glossary A term used by Microsoft Word and adopted by other word processors for the list of shorthand, keyboard macros created by a particular user. See glossaries in this publication and The Computer Glossary. , a chronology chronology, n the arrangement of events in a time sequence, usually from the beginning to the end of an event. , a bibliography, and an index. The maps are superbly rendered. This is the best and most recent boor on the subject. It is written for a general audience, but has the weight of scholarship behind it. It is a beautiful book in every sense, one that deserves to be in every library. John Rosser, Ph.D., History Dept., Boston College Boston College, main campus at Chestnut Hill, Mass.; coeducational; Jesuit; est. and opened 1863. Actually a university, the school's Chestnut Hill campus comprises colleges of arts and sciences and business administration, the graduate school, and schools of nursing , MA S--Recommended for senior high school students. A--Recommended for advance students and adults. This code will help librarians and teacher working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries. |
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