The Forum

Golf in the Desert

I can’t resist adding another comment about the mysterious golf clubs held by archaeologists with the late-19th-century Babylonian Expedition (see Bruce Kuklick, “‘My Life’s Shattered Work!’ The Strange Ordeal of Hermann Hilprecht,” AO 03:03). For more than 25 years I have seized every opportunity to wander through deserts and wilderness areas—almost never without my trusty golf club. It is a perfect walking stick in rough terrain, a reassuring companion in snake and scorpion country, and useful for turning over promising stones, sherds and other bits of ancient debris.

Accessible Baalbek

“Baalbek, which was once a major tourist site, is no longer accessible.” Or so you claim (Editors’ Page, AO 03:05).

Late last year (1999), I took a trip to Jordan and Syria arranged by a Canadian tour company. While in Damascus, we made a day trip to Lebanon to see Baalbek. We had no problems at the Syria-Lebanon border. Our tour leader arranged for a group visa, which took about an hour. On the road to the Beka Valley, there were numerous checkpoints, but we were always waved right through.