By the Irrigation Canals of Babylon

Book excerpt: This work assembles some of the finest scholars who have contributed to study and examination of the impact of the exile in biblical literature. Past, present, and future scholars examining the 6th century B.C.E. through historical and archeological (including paleoclimatology), literary, and the social sciences have been assembled. Approximately twelve papers from among the twenty papers presented over the four sessions (parallel to a sizable conference on the exile) will be represented in this volume. The book will be organized in a traditional history of scholarship manner, i.e., moving from historical to sociological. It should be noted that within each subcategory, there is a forward progressive movement from a traditional starting point (Klein, Olson, Wilson) ending at the progressive or cutting edge (Beck, Ahn). Jill Middlemas will open the volume with and introductory essay. John Ahn will close off the volume by pointing to the field of "forced migration studies" as a way to help better define and demarcate the import of 597, 587, and 582.