Historical Atlas of Jerusalem (Hardcover)

by Meir Ben-Dov (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"…this book provides quite good information for a city that is holy for three religions." -- Currents in Theology and Mission, April 2003

Product Description
Five thousand years ago a few families settled on a low hill in present-day Israel that would in time be known as Jerusalem, City of David. For five millennia this relatively small site has been built and razed, developed and occupied by various forces: Canaanites, Egyptians, Israelites, Judaeans, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans and various Christian and Muslim groups. Interest in Jerusalem's history, status, buildings and everyday life has never waned since King David made it his capital city 3000 years ago. Pilgrims, crusaders and others visited the city, recording their impressions in writings and later in drawings, surpassing in number that of any other of the world's ancient cities. With the birth of modern archaeology, systematic research into the city's history began in the 19th century, with countless excavations carried out in the city and in its environs for 100 years. With the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 and particularly with the Old City coming under Jewish control in 1967, this activity greatly intensified. Suddenly the thirst for knowledge of a generation of Israeli scholars who knew the Old City solely from literature and observation from afar aroused a wave of archaeological activity unknown anywhere else in the world. This volume presents a visual, pictorial history of Jerusalem from the most ancient records to recent excavations. The narrative text is accompanied by hundreds of specially prepared drawings, maps and photographs that illuminate every aspect of human settlement, from topography, water sources and agriculture to security, architecture and historical sites from the Temples of Solomon, Nehemiah and Herod to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Dome of the Rock.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Continuum (January 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 082641379X
• ISBN-13: 978-0826413796
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 7.4 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,221,502 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Reference!, May 15, 2002

By A Customer

This book tells the history of jerusalem from ancient to modern times.It Is very Informative and has many photos and paintings that add to the text.This Is a good reference for any one who wishes to know about the world in which the bible characters lived In.

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome, May 9, 2009

By	L.S. Cauldwell "Lillian" (Ann Arbor, MI) - See all my reviews

Great book. Answered all the questions I need for writing my next paranormal mystery book, The Holy Relic. Can't thank you enough for a book that was in pristine condition and arrived in a timely manner. Many thanks!

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and Welcome Atlas and Narrative on Jerusalem, January 25, 2009

By	Dennis M. Swanson "Narnia3.com" (Santa Clarita, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This volume is the English language edition of the work originally published in Hebrew (Jerusalem: Carta, The Israel Map and Publishing Company, 2000) by the author. Meir Ben-Dov is one of the leading Israeli archaeologists and key advisor to the various ongoing excavations in Jerusalem.

The work blends a thematic and chronological approach to the history of the city of Jerusalem. The larger geographic setting of the city, in Israel and the even larger Fertile Crescent, is detailed along with the geographic and environmental features. The history of Jerusalem is then detailed from the Canaanite period to the modern era. This volume is richly (perhaps too richly in places) illustrated with photographs, maps and drawings (all black and white).

The strength of the text is the general survey of the material. The author excels at detailing the religious history of Jerusalem and the role the geographic location in Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Also receiving excellent coverage is the role of the European powers, beginning with the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and ending with General Edmund Allenby and the British, and their efforts to gain control of the city and the surround region. This work is not without its weaknesses however. While he ably defends his maximalist view of the boundaries of Jerusalem after Nehemiah's rebuilding (85-88) vis a vis the minimalist view of Michael Avi-Yonah and the intermediate view of Raphael Grafman; he entirely ignores the discussion of the various theories related to the location of the Temple and the Holy of Holies on the Temple Mount. Given the author's discussion of Jewish, Islamic and Christian interest in the city, a brief discussion of prophetic views as to the future of Jerusalem would also have been useful.

The flaws in this book are minor and for the beginning student or those interested in a survey of the history of Jerusalem and an introduction to the basic historical and cultural geography of the city this book is recommended.