ReViews

Jewish Quarter Excavations in the Old City of Jerusalem, Conducted by Nahman Avigad, 1969–1982

Edited by Hillel Geva (Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society, 2000), 283 pp., figures, foldout plans and photos. Available from the Biblical Archaeology Society for $62 plus $13 for shipping from Israel; call 1–800-221–46-44 or visit www.biblical archaeology.org.

Jerusalem is a unique city, and its past is of great interest, not only to the archaeologist and historian but also to the pilgrim and traveler. It is a sad fact, therefore, that so many of the major excavations conducted there remain unpublished. This is not to say that general information about such excavations is lacking—my bookcase is full of monographs, booklets and various specialized papers of one sort or another on Jerusalem digs. But for the archaeologist, detailed blow-by-blow accounts of the digs—known as “final reports”—are few and far between. Their publication is essential if we are to follow the progress of the research on Jerusalem’s ancient past. Unlike general works that synthesize information from primary and secondary sources, final reports give researchers immediate access to the raw data itself, with detailed descriptions of stratigraphy, architecture, pottery, lists of coins and so forth. With such data in hand, the expert may begin to assess the merits of the identifications and conclusions put forward by the field archaeologists.