Digging into the debate on whether the Land of Israel was emptied at the end of the Iron Age in the 6th century BCE when Babylon destroyed the urban centers of Judah, Faust (land of Israel studies and archeology, Bar-Ilan U.) draws on archeological finds, new methods, and the theory of continuity to argue against the "empty land" myth to which Hebrews could aspire to return. He presents a summary of previous research, weighs the validity of data from rural settlements in Judah and Greek imports during the neo-Babylonian period, and discusses the features of post-collapse societies. Includes maps of archeological sites and photos of sites and artifacts. Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)