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Although the Bible is one of the sources, this is a historical rather than a biblical study. It examines the political and administrative structures; the society and economy; the religion, temple and cult; the developments in thought and literature; and the political events. The focus is on the sources and historical method. The sources include inscriptions, papyri and archaeology. What are the sources for this period and how do we evaluate them? How do we make them 'speak' to us through the fog of centuries? There is a danger of seeing everything from a Judaeo-centric point of view, or using the biblical texts and out-of-date secondary material to provide the main perspective in understanding history, whereas any scholar writing about this period should be familiar with the classical historians and the Near Eastern sources as well. This study brings together and analyses the original sources, sifts and evaluates the secondary sources, develops a substantial historical synthesis, and points to areas where further research is needed.