Strata: Books on Archaeology of Israel Honored

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The Irene Levi-Sala Book Prize for contributions to the archaeology of Israel were announced on April 22 in Beer-Sheva. The prizes were awarded to finalists in three categories. For final excavation reports, a first-place prize of $2,500 went to Hillel Geva for Jewish Quarter Excavations in the Old City of Jerusalem. In the same category, a second prize of $2,000 went to Ehud Netzer for Hasmonean and Herodian Palaces at Jericho. In the category of substantial synthesis, a $2,000 prize was given to Itzhaq Beit-Arieh for Archaeology of Sinai—The Ophir Expedition. Finally, in the category of popular non-fiction book, a prize of $2,000 went to Philip J. King and Lawrence E. Stager for Life in Biblical Israel.

The awards are dedicated to the memory of Irene Levi-Sala, a London-based archaeologist with a keen interest in the culture and archaeology of Israel. The awards seek to encourage and reward high-quality publications on the archaeology of Israel in the wider context of Near Eastern history and archaeology.