This beautifully illustrated book is an excellentintroduction to the rich and influential story of theJewish people. It contains a timeline from the ancientHebrews of 2000BC through to the medieval period. The opening section covers the biblical account of howAbraham and his descendants formed nomads into 12Israelite tribes with a belief in one God and a distinctmoral code. The book describes the Exile to Babylon, theDispersal and the Diaspora, the rise of Christianity, andJudaism's relationship with Islam. This in-depth accountwill be of special interest to anyone wanting to discoverthe history, philosophy and traditions of Judaism. • A history of the Jewish faith from the time of Abrahamand the 12 tribes through the destruction of the Templein Jerusalem to the Diaspora and the Golden Age of Spain • Presents all the major festivals of the year, such as YomKippur, Purim, Hanukkah and Passover, plus theobservances and traditions of the Shabbat • 'Lawrence Joffe's history overflows with images and ideasand amply fulfils its opening declaration: "The tale ofJewish survival is full of extraordinary drama - triumphsfollowed by ... near extinction."' The Jewish Chronicle | The History of the Jews from the Ancients to the Middle Ages by Lawrence Joffe, Paperback | Indigo Chapters