Biblical Archaeology Review, January/February 1986
Special Section
Joshua’s Altar—An Iron Age I Watchtower
I vividly remember a hot day in late October 1982—October 27, to be exact—when, with two other archaeologists, I first visited Adam Zertal’s excavation on Mt. Ebal. Even then, during the first season of excavation, rumors had spread that Zertal had found “Joshua’s altar.” It seems that...Read more ›
How Can Kempinski Be So Wrong!
Although Dr. Kempinski’s article begins with archaeology, it is quite obvious that his ideological attitude preceded his purely archaeological examination. His ideas about the dating of Deuteronomy and Joshua, together with his “new” ideas concerning how the Pentateuch was “corrected” by the Jews to refer to Mt...Read more ›
Introduction
If vegetating is your summer style, if you fancy yourself languishing on a strip of talcum-powder sand come June, then don’t read on. Because what follows are tips for the energetic and the imaginative—people looking for a challenge. Volunteering as an amateur archaeologist in Israel might give...Read more ›
Sites
Tel Dan Well known from many Biblical phrases, for example, “For a voice declares from Dan, and proclaims wickedness from Mount Ephraim” (Jeremiah 4:15), Dan is one of the northern sources of the Jordan River. Though no trace has surfaced of the golden calf...Read more ›
Letter: Thanks from a Volunteer
Dear Adam [Zertal], It’s been almost two months since the week I spent at Mt. Ebal. I’ve unpacked, returned to work, had dozens of meetings, traveled to several states, talked to my friends, laughed with my children and, to all outward appearances, returned to normal. But something...Read more ›
First-Hand: Digging at the Grass Roots Level
A 4,000-year-old farm may not sound as exciting to excavate as a palace, but I found that exploring ancient agriculture was just as rewarding as digging up royal treasures. With volunteers from all over the world, my archaeological target was three ancient farms in a valley near...Read more ›
Features
Shiloh Yields Some, But Not All, of Its Secrets
Location of Tabernacle still uncertain
In the first half of the 11th century B.C., Shiloh was one of the most important sites in the central mountain ridge that runs through the Land of Israel. Here was the sacred religious center of the Israelite population of the hill country. Here the Ark of...Read more ›