The Archaeology of Jerusalem: From the Origins to the Ottomans - Softcover

Galor, Katharina; Bloedhorn, Hanswulf

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0300216629 ISBN 13: 9780300216622

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2015

Synopsis

In this sweeping and lavishly illustrated history, Katharina Galor and Hanswulf Bloedhorn survey nearly four thousand years of human settlement and building activity in Jerusalem, from prehistoric times through the Ottoman period. The study is structured chronologically, exploring the city’s material culture, including fortifications and water systems as well as key sacred, civic, and domestic architecture. Distinctive finds such as paintings, mosaics, pottery, and coins highlight each period. Their book provides a unique perspective on the emergence and development of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and the relationship among the three religions and their cultures into the modern period.

About this title

About the Author

Katharina Galor is the Hirschfeld Visiting Assistant Professor in the Program in Judaic Studies at Brown University and an Adjunct Professor at the Rhode Island School of Design. Hanswulf Bloedhorn is an expert on Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine architecture and decoration of public and sacred buildings, and a leading authority on the archaeology of Jerusalem.

 

Review

“There is no history of Jerusalem without its archaeology. Presenting a thorough, up-to-date survey of the finds, from the Bronze Age to the Ottoman period, this book is a vital introduction to the many cultural layers of Jerusalem.”―Israel Finkelstein, Tel Aviv University 
(Israel Finkelstein)

“Many excavations took place in Jerusalem in the last 30 years, and Galor and Bloedhorn are extremely familiar with the history and archaeology of the city. This book offers a new, comprehensive, up to date, scientifically reliable and well-illustrated summary for Jerusalem’s past.”―Wolfgang Zwickel, Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz 
(Wolfgang Zwickel)

“Long expected and urgently needed, this well-organized and readable compendium reflects the state of current research on archaeology in Jerusalem and will shape the growing generation of researchers.”―Dieter Vieweger, Director of the German Institute of Archaeology in Jerusalem and Amman 
(Dieter Vieweger)

“The authors have worked very hard to write objectively in a field notorious for its ideologically driven literature. Their use of ‘neutral’ names and terminologies, dependence mainly on archaeological findings and freeing themselves, to a certain extent, from ‘Holy Texts’ marks a serious scholarly beginning of writing the history of Jerusalem objectively.”―Nazmi Jubeh, author of Jerusalem’s Architectural Treasures
(Nazmi Jubeh)

“The Archaeology of Jerusalem is the first book to present the complete archaeological narrative of Jerusalem devoid of any religious or political biases. The authors' neutrality is demonstrated in their adoption of purely archaeological terminology and a wide variety of sources. The depth of analysis and detail corresponds to the authors’ on-the-ground expertise of Jerusalem.”― Muhsin Yusuf, Birzeit University 
(Muhsin Yusuf)

“Galor and Bloedhorn expertly analyze scores of archaeological finds, textual sources, and the latest research to illuminate the history of Jerusalem and its material culture. Written in lucid prose, this book is an essential resource for specialists and students of archaeology, history, and religion.”―Gregg E. Gardner, The University of British Columbia
(Gregg E. Gardner)

“The lay reader will come to realize how much of history can be revealed by the foundations of buildings and the placement of defensive walls.” —Library Journal (Library Journal)

“In transposing the story of Jerusalem into a different key...Galor and Bloedhorn shed light on how tactile things can act as batteries and conductors of memory.” —Benjamin Balint, The Weekly Standard (Benjamin Balint The Weekly Standard)

“Galor and Bloedhorn have encapsulated the work of many generations of their fellow scholars by showing us, quite literally, the facts on the ground.”―The Jewish Journal

(The Jewish Journal)

“Valuable . . . well-illustrated and thoroughly documented.”—Choice (W. Kotter Choice)

About this edition

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0300216629
• ISBN 13: 9780300216622
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 368