Biblical Archaeology Review

In Hebrew, Shemittah is a sabbatical year in which farmland must lie fallow. It occurs every 7 years.

Published in two parts in May, June 1978 in La Civilta Cattolica; reprinted in August and October 1978 in The Month.

In Hebrew the word Genizah means “hiding” or “storage place;” it refers to a depository for worn manuscripts which Jews did not want to profane by destroying them.

The Bible does not specify where the mark was placed, but most probably it was on his forehead. The Hebrew word translated “mark” (ot) in Genesis means letter. Which letter? A cross-mark taw?

This work is extant in its first part in late Greek manuscripts, and in whole in Syriac translation in two manuscripts of the seventh and ninth centuries.

In addition to those mentioned above, the archaeological core-staff of the expedition includes A. Urweider from Switzerland, architect, and Orna Zimhoni, recorder. Song Nai Rhee from Oregon is the U.S. expedition’s coordinator.

These excavations are sponsored by a number of public bodies, primarily by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation in New York, as well as The Northwest Christian College in Eugene, Oregon; Central College in Pella, Iowa; Florida College in Florida, and the University of South Africa in Pretoria.

A glacis is an artificial ramp built against a slope in order to fortify it. This was the typical fortification used in the country during the Middle Bronze Age.

Readers may be confused by the use of the two spellings of “tel” and “tell” to refer to an ancient mound. “Tell” is the transliteration of the Arabic word and is used with an Arabic site name; “tel” is the transliteration of the Hebrew word and modifies a Hebrew site name. When speaking of specific mounds we use the appropriate spellings; but when speaking in general we use “tell.”