Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land [Hardcover]

Avraham Negev (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0826413161 | ISBN-13: 978-0826413161 | Publication Date: April 15, 2001 | Edition: Rev Upd

Ever since the pioneering excavation at Tel el-Hesi by Petrie in 1890 archeology has developed into a fully-fledged, professional field with specialists emerging on all manner of subjects, periods, and types of artifacts. Many thousands of sites have now been excavated in the Holy Land (Israel and Palestine) from prehistoric times through the Ottoman period. The focus on the excavation of tells (mound sites) and key settlements such as Jerusalem, Megiddo, and Beth Shean has revolutionized our knowledge of the chronology and material culture of the biblical period.This concise but comprehensive encyclopedia, edited by the veteran archeologist Avraham Negev and revised, expanded, and updated by Shimon Gibson, includes more than 600 entries, accompanied by drawings, plans, photographs, chronological charts, and an index. All of the principal biblical sites are covered, and there are entries on general subjects such as mosaics, pottery, and archeological method. Included among the major discoveries made in recent years are the amazing Chalcolithic period objects found in a cave at Pequ'in, the "House of David" inscription from Tel Dan, the Miqne inscription, the iron fortifications of Jerusalem, and much more.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

of Biblical Archaeology (Hendrickson, 2000), this is instead a complete listing of archaeological sites in the Holy Land (Israel, Palestine, and Jordan). The text consists of 800 entries, running a few paragraphs to two or three pages in length and arranged alphabetically by the name of the site or subject (e.g., "Ivory" or "Shells"). Each entry covers the history of the site, the materials found there, and the dates (e.g., Middle Bronze IIB). The 124 contributors are international, though mostly Israeli, but none of the entries are signed; nor do they have bibliographies. The text boasts the latest scholarship, but its arrangement is problematic. Finding the entry for Nazareth is easy enough, but would anyone but an expert in this field know to look under "Qasile" to find information on a four-acre site, currently in a northern suburb of Tel Aviv, whose ancient name is unknown? There are a few cross references to help with this problemAan asterisk identifies any word with its own separate entryAbut not many. Despite its significant limitations, this is recommended as the most up-to-date and comprehensive one-volume resource available on this subject.ADavid Bourquin, California State Univ., San Bernardino
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"It is a good book, compiling a huge amount of information on a great variety of topics and reflecting excellently the main topics with which archaeologists, Biblical scholars, and students are concerened in the past few decades."
--Rami Arav, Review of Biblical Literature, January 2002

"The spate of recent archaeological activity and research in lands sacred to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam requires a revised edition of volumes like this ever decade or so. A necessary addition to every home and library in all countries, so all may learn the rich heritage of the three major religions that held this are sacred."
--Choice, November 2001


"Shimon Gibson deserves thanks for giving this work a new lease of life; it provides the basic information which those most interested in the sites or subjects will need." --The Expository Times

"This work is a definitive, one volume archeological encyclopedia of the Holy Land that is a must acquisition of anyone interested in biblical study… This work can serve as a ready reference and commentary for biblical study."--Ashland Theological Journal 34 (2002)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 512 pages
• Publisher: Continuum; Rev Upd edition (April 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826413161
• ISBN-13: 978-0826413161
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,008,304 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT--All You Need to Know About Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land, January 7, 2006

By 

G. M. Grena (REDONDO BEACH, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land (Paperback)

The 2003 edition of AEHL is an excellent reference to all the major excavation sites in Israel! Compared to the 4- or 5-volume set, "Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land" (& its "New..." edition), which is hard to find & expensive, AEHL is a tremendously beneficial aid to students who just need the basic facts to help them understand what's been revealed in this territory.

It not only acts as a reference work for well-known sites like Jerusalem & Lachish, but also introduces readers to obscure ones like Ras (a small site SW of Jerusalem where farmers built terraces for their crops during the Iron Age) & distinguishes 2 places named Socoh (one in northern Judah that functioned as an administrative fortress, & another in southern Judah that was home to a family of scribes).

Each of the classifications discusses its excavation history, its relevance to the Biblical record, & important artifacts discovered there such as the Gezer calendar, the Tel Dan "House of David" stela, & the Siloam Tunnel inscription.

More than 300 black/white photos, maps, & drawings appear with their respective listings, & besides the sites, there are also categories for peoples (e.g., Canaanites, Hittites, etc.), Roads, Seals; in fact, you could read sections on Agriculture, Building Materials, Churches, Cult Objects, Housing, Lamps, Metals, Money, Musical Instruments, Pottery, Temples, Time, Transport, Weapons & Warfare, Weights & Measures as if they were chapters of a book!

Unlike books written from a limited perspective, or magazines/journals edited by a common-bias staff, AEHL maintains its objectivity by presenting over 800 entries studied by more than 100 experts in their respective fields. You will not find a better summary of this material in compact, paper format elsewhere.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Holy Land, September 17, 2008

By 

Rica Web "raspberry8" (Philippines) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land (Hardcover)

Do you want to understand the Scriptures better? Do you want detailed information? Do you want to know more about the Holy Land? Better have a copy of this encyclopedia. This book will give you a better knowledge about the stories in the Bible. Biblical artifacts, places, and people are well documented. So much has happened in the Holy Land that you need to brush up yourself too. This would give you more information about the different Abrahamic faiths. An eye-opener for lukewarm followers.