Pilgrimage in Early Christian Jordan: A Literary and Archaeological Guide
by Burton MacDonald
Reviewed by Jerome Murphy-O’Connor

A guide to Christian pilgrimage sites in Jordan that have a Biblical basis and have been excavated.

In the Valley of the Shadow: On the Foundations of Religious Belief
by James Kugel
Reviewed by William W. Hallo

James Kugel is not your average, garden-variety scholar, and his numerous book-length publications specialize in presenting unconventional ideas.

Biblical Turkey: A Guide to the Jewish and Christian Sites of Asia Minor
by Mark Wilson
Reviewed by Jerome Murphy-O’Connor

All guide to all Turkish cities, regions, provinces and natural features mentioned in any document from the Old Testament through the New Testament to the Apostolic Fathers.

Digging through the Bible: Understanding Biblical People, Places, and Controversies through Archaeology
by Richard A Freund
Reviewed by Eric H. Cline

Two words:caveat emptor. In the introduction to this book, one finds 46 pages of rambling text but not even the bare rudiments of a crash course in Biblical archaeology.

Ashkelon I: Introduction and Overview (1985–2006)
by Lawrence Stager, J. David Schloen and Daniel M. Master
Reviewed by Aren M. Maeir

This volume is the first of what one hopes to be a long series of volumes that will report on long-going (and ongoing) excavations at Ashkelon.

Idols of the People: Miniature Images of Clay in the Ancient Near East
by P.R.S. Moorey
Reviewed by Victor Avigdor Hurowitz

Roger Moorey is former Keeper of Antiquities of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, with encyclopedic knowledge of nearly every artifact ever discovered from the ancient Near East. He writes with authority emanating from prodigious knowledge of primary evidence and secondary literature of which few others can boast.

The Temple of Jerusalem, Part III: The Temple Mount: Where Is the Holy of Holies?
by Asher Selig Kaufman
Reviewed by Joshua Schwartz

There is no site holier for the Jewish people than Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, on which the Biblical and Second Temple period Temples stood. Yet nobody really knows what these Temples looked like or where exactly they stood.

The Quest: Revealing the Temple Mount in Jerusalem
by Leen Ritmeyer
Reviewed by Eric H. Cline

Author Leen Ritmeyer’s life’s work has focused on the Temple Mount and the area around it. This volume would seem to be the culmination of that life’s work. It may well be the most extensive architectural study of the Temple Mount ever published.

Jerusalem Besieged: From Ancient Canaan to Modern Israel
by Eric H. Cline
Reviewed by Jane M. Cahill

Jerusalem Besieged introduces readers to primary sources on the major conflicts that shaped each period of Jerusalem’s history and place the city’s conflicts in historical perspective.

Megiddo 3: Final Report on the Stratum VI Excavations
by Timothy P. Harrison
Reviewed by Israel Finkelstein

Stratum VI at Megiddo is one of the most controversial puzzles in the archaeology of ancient Israel. It is mentioned frequently in the scholarly literature its features have been disputed by many archaeologists and historians.

The Natural History of the Bible: An Environmental Exploration of the Hebrew Scriptures
by Daniel Hillel
Reviewed by Paula Wapnish

Combining history, archaeology and Biblical criticism with insight from the environmental sciences, this book illustrates the profound effect that environment played in shaping ancient Hebrew society and culture.

Deir el-Balah: Uncovering an Egyptian Outpost in Canaan from the Time of the Exodus
By Trude Dothan
Reviewed by Carol A. Redmount

Part memoir, part excavation report and part object catalogue, this is an enjoyable read and an important volume from a grande dame of Israeli archaeology.

Angels and Demons: Jewish Magic Through the Ages
By Filip Vukosavovic
Reviewed by Michael D. Swartz

In 2010 the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem recognized the importance of the magical tradition in Jewish history and culture with an exhibit of amulets, objects, books, manuscripts and ephemera from classical antiquity to modern times. This handsome volume is the exhibition catalogue.

Tunisian Mosaics: Treasures from Roman Africa
By Aicha Ben Abed
Reviewed by Steven Fine

This book is a lavish tour of the Tunisian mosaics written by Aicha Ben Abed, one of the world’s leading experts on the mosaics of Roman Africa.

Stories in Stone: Conserving Mosaics of Roman Africa
By Aicha Ben Abed
Reviewed by Steven Fine

Roman mosaic pavements have been preserved at many sites. This scholarly, yet easily-readable volume contains eight well-illustrated essays by scholars in the field.

The Last Ember
By Daniel Levin
Reviewed by John Merrill

The Last Ember by Daniel Levin is an archaeology adventure novel, in the same genre as, for example, King Solomon’s Mines or Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Pompeii Awakened
by Judith Harris
Reviewed by John Merrill

It is impossible to fully understand either the Bible or the archaeology of the Roman era without coming to grips with the cultural milieu of Rome itself. In her novel, Harris tells the story of the long-buried coastal settlements including Pompeii.

Mosaics as History
by G.W. Bowersock
Reviewed by Robin S. Jensen

This book is based on a series of lectures delivered at the Collège de Paris in 1997. The beautifully illustrated work focuses on fifth and sixth century mosaic pavements of the Near East.

Who Owns Antiquity? Museums and the Battle over Our Ancient Heritage
by James Cuno
Reviewed by Martin Weyl

In Cuno’s book, he asks questions such as, who has antiquity rights and how we preserve the past for the future. Taking a partisan approach, Cuno supports the idea that history belongs to all humankind and should not be subject to “nationalistic limitations.”

Neolithic
by Susan Foster McCarter
Reviewed by Gary Rollefson

Have you ever wondered how modern societies developed? In her book, McCarter explores archaeological concepts, genetics and evolution, and hypotheses relating to the beginnings of plant and animal domestication. She then looks at how those domestications impacted society.

The Neolithic Revolution in the Near East: Transforming the Human Landscape
by Alan H. Simmons
Reviewed by Gary Rollefson

In his book, Simmons assumes the reader’s acquaintance with archaeological basics. He gives a history of development from pre-Neolithic societies to the many advances during the Neolithic period. This book gives a better understanding of the current state of the world through looking at society’s beginning.

Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, From Solomon to the Golden Dome
By Hershel Shanks
Reviewed by John Merrill

Editor of Biblical Archaeology Review, Shanks writes on the Temple Mount which is arguably the most important archaeological site in the world. He takes readers through the Temple Mount’s extensive history.

Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, From Solomon to the Golden Dome
By Hershel Shanks
Reviewed by James F. Strange

An oversized book featuring critical texts, beautiful and informative photographs, drawings, reconstructions, tables and charts, this book satisifies those who want scholarly detail but also sumptuous photographs on almost every page.

Where Heaven and Earth Meet: Jerusalem’s Sacred Esplanade
By Oleg Grabar and Benjamin Z. Kedar
Reviewed by James F. Strange

Editors Grabar and Kedar have put together 16 essays and one photographic essay from an international and virtually unprecedented team of writers from Israel, the West Bank, Switzerland, Great Britain and Canada.

St. Peter’s
By Keith Miller

In his book, Miller tells the story of St. Peter’s basilica through his research including cultural and political history, architectural criticism, travel writing and on-site reporting.

Soldier of the Pharaoh: Middle Kingdom Egypt 2055-1650 BC
By Nic Fields, Illustrated by Peter Bull

Fields, a former member of the Royal Marines and a Ph.D. in ancient history, explores the lives of ancient Egyptian soldiers. The book is complete with numerous photos and colorful illustrations.

Explore Petra: Lost City of Stone
©Phoenix Data Systems, 2006
Reviewed by Dorothy Resig

This DVD from the Petra National Trust takes viewers on an interactive, brilliant photo journey through Petra.