Before beginning the critical, scientific inquiry into the history of Saul, David, and Solomon in the rest of the book, this chapter offers a simple run-through of the main elements of the biblical story itself. It begins with the biblical depiction of the time of the Judges, before there were kings in Israel, and then tells the story of Saul, leading to the rise of the monarchy. It outlines the biblical depiction of his reign as Israel’s first king, along with his later interactions with David, who became his successor. It briefly lays out how David took the throne and expanded the kingdom, and the troubles he experienced within the royal family, including the battles of succession first with Absalom then between Solomon and Adonijah. Finally, the chapter lays out the story of Solomon’s glorious rule, and then his death and the division of his kingdom in the time of his son Rehoboam.

Mixed-phenotype acute leukaemia is a generic classification item collecting leukaemias with two clones of different lineage or really abnormal cells expressing markers of several lineages. Their identification relies on both morphological and immunophenotypic features. From a cytogenetic/molecular point of view, their heterogeneity is amazing. Clinical management of such patients is getting progressively better stratified, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation remaining the best option, with a possibly better approach for patients with Philadelphia chromosome. This is a typical example of the need for integrated diagnosis.

This narrative is a reflection of the turning points, the dilemmas and disappointments, the cultural nuances and sensitivities, and all that comes with being a developmental scientist working on issues of adversity and resilience, inequity, and social policy. It’s a journey with a focus on promoting greater visibility for the Asian region in professional societies; capacity-building and mentoring initiatives for young scholars in Asia, Africa, and Latin America; and facilitating regional collaborations and opportunities for resource sharing. The way forward for young scholars from LMICs [Low-Middle-Income-Countries] is to break barriers, disseminate work widely, and have authentic conversations with colleagues across and within the country that lead to innovative research collaborations. As developmental scientists we need to engage with policy makers by mapping culturally sensitive, evidence-based solutions to societal problems and form advocacy groups to bring societal issues to life and network with the right people to drive change in these areas.

This chapter collates the archaeological evidence presented in Part II. It begins with a reassessment of the evidence put forward to refute the historical plausibility of the United Monarchy, showing that it did not stand the test of time and that in the long run, the challenges raised failed to shake the kingdom’s foundations. The chapter then moves on to integrate the archaeological evidence into a coherent picture of the United Monarchy’s establishment, expansion, and solidification. Finally, it reviews the theoretical underpinning of the discussion, arguing that much of the debate was based on a red herring, leading to an evaluation of the United Monarchy in comparison to well-established empires such as Assyria and Rome, rather than short-lived empires, which is further developed in Chapter 14.

Building on a recent publication (Stoett & Omrow, 2021) this edited volume is intended primarily as a contribution to the evolving field that we will refer to as ecoviolence studies. The field covers a wide variety of themes, challenges, questions, issues, policy designs, and theoretical implications. While the term ecoviolence had gained some popularity in a limited fashion in the 1980s and 1990s, referring primarily to violence that erupts over conflicts related to natural resources – in particular, access to resources contested along sectarian grounds – we use it in much broader fashion and argue that its resurgence as a field of social science is as timely as it is unfortunate. The threats to planetary health that animate activists and state diplomats alike today – the interconnected climate, biodiversity, and pollution crises, amongst other manifestations of modern capitalism and colonial histories as well as contemporary paths to violence – are violent affairs.

We have met the Philistines in practically all previous chapters and noted their significant impact on the political and cultural landscape of the Iron Age I. In this chapter, we focus on their settlement in Philistia and analyze the drastic changes the region experienced during the Iron I–Iron II transition. While in the Iron I, this was the densest region in the country, boasting the largest settlements, in the Iron IIA, Philistia was transformed; most of the Philistine megacities shrank (Gath being an exception), whereas the mid-sized and small settlements were mostly abandoned. Even the material culture in the region was dramatically altered, as expressed, for example, by the complete cessation in the production of the so-called Philistine pottery (see Chapter 5). What happened to the Philistines in this transitional period? They lost the battle for hegemony and the power shifted to the new highland polity, leading to demographic changes. Subsequently, the Philistines became increasingly drawn into the Phoenician sphere and the Mediterranean trade, which had a major impact on their material culture and symbols. From the neighborhood bully, the Philistines became just one of the neighbors.

This chapter traces a few key themes and challenges that have animated and sustained my life and career. Central to this has always been a desire to ensure, assisted by contributions provided, that all children get a “fighting chance” at thriving across the multitude of possible ecological contexts navigated given normal human development processes and task requirements. The diversity and inclusive perspective taken challenges scholarly traditions of the field that equate “difference with deficit.” Theoretical underpinnings for confronted efforts acknowledge the universality of human vulnerability, stress experience, and, thus, coping with the complex interactions between individuals’ challenges and supports. In keeping with this perspective, I also emphasize the many sources of strength and support secured in my personal and professional life. In sum, considered over the course of time – now more than three quarters of a century – ideally experiences shared might serve as motivation to future generations of young scholars.