Jerusalem:: An Archaeological Biography [Hardcover]

Hershel Shanks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 3, 1995

A lavishly illustrated volume traces three thousand years of Jerusalem history from an archaeological perspective, describing the events that surrounded such objects as the bones of a crucified man and Babylonian arrows. 25,000 first printing.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Shanks, president of the Biblical Archaeology Sociey and editor of Understanding the Dead Sea Scrolls (Random, 1993), has produced a sumptuous commemorative volume to mark the "3,000th anniversary of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel." He lavishly uses well-chosen, high-quality color photos, drawings, and plans. Two pages of simplified time lines put the major events of the book in clear chronological perspective. The 14 chapters range from "Jerusalem before the Israelites" and "How David Conquered Jerusalem" to "Herodian Jerusalem" and "Modern and Crusader Jerusalem." Shanks writes in an informal style and keeps the archaeology relatively simple. Although he incorporates the latest research, he does not introduce anything new. His work is an informative coffee-table book for the educated public; students in the field will find it an interesting, albeit expensive, picture book and summary of the highlights of Jerusalem's archaeology.
Eugene O. Bowser, Univ. of Northern Colorado, Greeley
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Although no one knows the exact date of Jerusalem's founding, 1996 has been designated as its 3,000th anniversary. Shanks, the editor of Biblical Archaeology Review, offers a great anniversary present in the form of this impressive book. It begins with the remains of a house from the Bronze Age and takes readers on an archaeological tour that ends with the Ottoman period. And what a tour it is! Discover Jesus' tomb, Solomon's temple, and the palaces of Herod, just to name a few stops along the way. Shanks is able to pinpoint important finds and wrap them with history while, at the same time, introducing readers to the scientific techniques that make these finds possible. Matching the excellent text are numerous photographs and illustrations that capture both the mystery of this holiest of cities and its surprising everydayness. Jerusalem is a place where people have lived, dreamed, and died for a very long time, and this book offers fitting celebration of that fact. Ilene Cooper

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Random House; 1st edition (October 3, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679445269
• ISBN-13: 978-0679445265
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #561,053 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

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ancient and blessed, always in turmoil..., May 30, 2003

By 

FrKurt Messick "FrKurt Messick" (Bloomington, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Jerusalem:: An Archaeological Biography (Hardcover)

Hershel Shanks, editor of the magazine 'Biblical Archaeology Review', put together this wonderful volume on the archaeology of Jerusalem in honour of the 3000th anniversary of the establishment of the city by King David (a date of conjecture, to be sure, and with some variability even within the conjecture). In the introduction, Shanks states:

'Through the archaeology of Jerusalem, one can learn about almost everything even remotely connected to the ancient Near East: from Bible and ancient history, art and architecture, burial practices, languages and scripts to geography, water supply systems, chronology, theology, pottery typology, archaeological methodology, warfare and daily life.'

Jerusalem is at or near the centre of three major faiths that have had profound and lasting impact not only on the city or region, but upon the entire world. Jerusalem has long been at an important crossroads in history--military expansion of major empires have had to go through the city; trade routes east and west have always been through or nearby the city -- indeed, Jerusalem has been conquered 23 times in its history. From the sack of the city Salem by King David (who had to conquer it three times before being able to hold it from the Jebusites) to the Moslem reconquest from the Crusaders, archaeological evidence is rich in diverse time periods.

This makes Jerusalem rather like the wall made of successive layers of wallpaper with subtle but distinct patterns--it is hard, when scrapping away layers, to discern accurately which layer belongs to which period.

The first chapter begins with Jerusalem before the Israelites. Despite the year 2000 celebrating the 3000th anniversary of the city, it has in fact a much longer history. Egyptian hieroglyph records show the existence of a city on the site of Jerusalem as early as 1850 B.C.E., called Rushalimum. Continuous occupation can be seen from various records (such as Armana letters) to the year Davidic conquests. However, yet other evidence points to even earlier settlement; pottery dating back to the Chalcolitic period, and architectural remains point to inhabitation as early as 3000 B.C.E., making this truly one of the oldest cities in continuous occupation in the world. From earliest times, Jerusalem has been a 'cosmopolitan' place; even the Bible attests to the fact that despite conquest, the Jebusites remained inhabitants alongside the Israelites. This of course give more credence to the idea of assimilation of the cities and tribal/pastoral groups in Canaan, as opposed to the military conquest idea which is high on glory and patriotic ideal, but short on archaeological evidence. Obviously, if Jebusites still held Jerusalem, Joshua could not have truly conquered the entire land.

Other articles explore the strongholds of Jerusalem, the possible tombs of David and other kings; intrigues about finding (and not finding) evidence of the first Temple, and the difficulties involved in working around presently-functioning holy sites; the Babylonian period of destruction, including preserved clay bullae, one of which bears the name of the prophet Jeremiah's scribe, dated to the proper time period; Jerusalem during the time of Herod and Jesus, including a discussion of the authenticity of 'holy sites' that are pilgrimage sites today; Roman destruction, Byzantine reconstruction, Moslem conquest, Crusader conquest, and Moslem reconquest.

This book has an extensive collection of beautiful photography, timelines, maps and charts. From collections of art and ruins to panoramic views including the beautiful Dome of the Rock, a magnificent piece of Moslem architecture which remains substantially unaltered since it was built 1300 years ago, standing on the site of the Temple mount; to recreations of architecture to textual analysis, this is a book that will treat the eyes and the mind with fascinating detail and general ideas about the sweeping history of this city, and with this, a greater sense of the history of the religions that have shaped the world.

This book was given to me as a gift from my friend Monty, and I continue to be grateful for it - a magnificent gift indeed.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive book on ancient Jerusalem!, May 16, 2000

By 

Stephen Jones (Santa Clarita, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jerusalem:: An Archaeological Biography (Hardcover)

Hershel Shanks, editor of Biblical Archeology Review (BAR) Magazine, offers an unrivaled look into the ancient City of Jerusalem. His concise descriptions and beautiful pictures captivated this reader and helped me to finally understand the relationship between biblical narrative and archeological evidence in the capital of Israel. Famous sites ranging from Hezekiah's Tunnel, to the Western Wall, to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, to the Dome of the Rock are wonderfully elucidated within their historical context. If you are interested in the Bible, the history of Jerusalem, or Archeology in general, this book is a MUST!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reference, February 22, 2008

By 

Concerned Mom "Concerned mom" (Arlington, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jerusalem:: An Archaeological Biography (Hardcover)

This book is a great overview of a complex city from it's beginnings. Nicely illustrated. Wonderful and not overdone timeline of events and architecture.