The Religion of Ancient Palestine in the Second Millenium B.C.

"The Religion of Ancient Palestine in the Second Millennium B.C." by Stanley A. Cook is a scholastic exploration into the spiritual lives of those who inhabited Ancient Palestine thousands of years ago. Using clues dug up from the earth and writings left behind, Cook tries to explain the many different religious ideas and habits of the people who lived there before the well-known stories of the Old Testament. The work starts by setting the stage, telling us that it will concentrate on the old religious ways of Palestine before the rise of Israelite belief. It then clarifies the method by which the topic will be approached, which includes comparing these religious ideas to others from that time and emphasizes checking outside sources, like things found in the ground and old documents, to comprehend how these ancient beliefs grew and what they were like. The book then introduces the reader to the world of ancient Palestine, noting the impact of farming, trade, and contact with other civilizations on the various ways people expressed their faith.