Meet Bucks County author James A. Freeman on May 4, 2017 at 7PM

This Book Examines How Transformation of Myths and History Allow Cultures to Claim Land Defended by Others

Two academic outsiders tackle Biblical scholarship and the history of the Middle East, offering a compelling argument for peace.  Long-time professors and Middle East saunterers, Tom Gage and James A. Freeman have teamed up in a new book that explores how transformations of myth and history result in perpetual conflicts over land.

Biblical Time Out of Mind, a scholarly examination of maps, language, myths, and the appropriation of history, analyzes how cultures all inherit and invent identities under incremental pressures of technology and change.

In addition to exploring how collective memories craft resultant maps, the book also conveys the authors’ core belief that understanding the background of biblical and literary memories that threaten peace might provide a common base that results in cultural untiy rather than endless bloody disputes.

Honing in on the Israeli-Arab conflict, Gage and Freeman analyze Israels claim to ownership of land and explore how its identity and boundaries have been culturally inherited, shared, divided, and invented based on ancient stories that have been “enshrined in scripture, promoted by politicians, and buttressed by Hollywood.

Refreshments will be served in the West Reading Room.