Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land - Softcover

"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) "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 "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

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.