Military practice and polemic

"Deuteronomy contains the laws governing early Israelite warfare, including the prohibition to destroy fruit trees to build siege works. Michael Hasel examines the laws governing the siege of an enemy city as a polemic within the context of first and second millennium ancient Near Eastern military activity. He compares Israelite law with the practices of surrounding nations through the analysis of textual, iconographic, and archaeological evidence. His in-depth study has notable implications for placing Israel's laws of warfare in their original context."--Jacket.