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The Olympic Games
How They All Began

© 2008 Biblical Archeology Society

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The Olympic Games: How They All Began

About the Biblical Archaeology Society
The excitement of archaeology and the latest in Bible scholarship since 1974
The Biblical Archaeology Society (BAS) was founded in 1974 as a nonprofit, nondenominational,educational organization dedicated to the dissemination of information about archaeology in the Bible lands. BAS educates the public about archaeology and the Bible through its bi-monthly magazine, Biblical Archaeology Review, an award-winning web site www.biblicalarchaeology.org, books and multimedia products (DVDs, CD-ROMs and videos), tours and seminars. Our readers rely on us to present the latestthat scholarship has to offer in a fair and accessible manner. BAS serves as an important authority and as an invaluable source of reliable information.

Publishing Excellence
BAS’s flagship publication is Biblical Archaeology Review. BAR is the only magazine that connects the academic study of archaeology to a broad general audience eager to understand the world of the Bible. Covering boththe Old and New Testaments, BAR presents the latest discoveries and controversies in archaeology with breathtaking photography and informative maps and diagrams. BAR’s writers are the top scholars, the leading researchers, the worldrenowned experts. BAR is the only nonsectarian forum for the discussion of Biblical archaeology. BAS produced two other publications, Bible Review from 1985–2005, andArchaeology Odyssey from 1998–2006. The complete editorial contents of all three magazines are available on the BAS Online Archive. The Archive also contains the text of five highly-acclaimed books, Ancient Israel, Aspects of Monotheism, Feminist Approaches to the Bible, The Rise of Ancient Israel and The Search for Jesus. The online archive is available through various colleges, universities,churches and other institutions.

Widespread Acclaim
The society, its magazine, and its founder and editor Hershel Shanks have been the subject of widespread acclaim and media attention in publications as diverse as Time, People, Civilization, U.S. News and World Report, The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Jerusalem Post. BAS has also been featured on television programs aired by CNN, PBSand the Discovery Channel. To learn more about the Biblical Archaeology Society and subscribe to its magazine, go to www.biblicalarchaeology.org. The articles in this collection originally appeared in Archaeology Odyssey.

© 2008 Biblical Archeology Society

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Contents
Introduction Sarah Yeomans 5

The Sporting Life: Five Books on Ancient Athletics Jenifer Neils

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Ancient CombatSports Michael B. Poliakoff

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When the Games Began: Sport, Religion and Politics Converged in Ancient Olympia David Gilman Romano

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Walking to Olympia: Who Went, How They Got There, and Where They Stayed Tony Perrottet

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The Other Games: When Greeks Flocked to Nemea Stephen G. Miller

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Traveling the Silk Road Sudip Bose

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© 2008 Biblical Archeology Society

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Nothing New Under the Sun
Sarah Yeomans

t’s back—that special two week festival, held every fourth summer, when elite athletes from all over the world gather to pummel one another in the spirit of brotherhood: the Olympic Games. Hosted by a controversial Chinese regime, the 2008 Beijing Games have already caused an international ruckus. In time for this year’s Summer Games,we look back at the ancient Olympiad and find that indeed there’s nothing new under the summer sun. The heavily-marketed concept of the Games as a peaceful, clean, harmonious, amateur sporting event—embodied by Beijing 2008’s slogan, “One World One Dream”—is as fictitious today as it was in ancient times. As scholar Jenifer Neils explains in her review essay, the ancient Games were characterized...