The Jerusalem Publishing House

THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

OF THE BIBLE

Professor Avraham Negev

and Dr. Shimon Gibson

Ever since the pioneering excavation at Tel el-Hesi by Petrie in 1890, archaeology in the Holy Land has developed into a fully-fledged, mature professional field, with specialists emerging on all subjects, periods and types of artifacts. Many thousands of sites have now been excavated in the country, dating from prehistoric times through to the Ottoman period. Indeed this has become one of the most excavated countries in the entire Near East. The focus of archaeologists on the excavation of tells (mound sites) and key settlements such as Jerusalem, Megiddo and Beth Shean has helped shape knowledge regarding the chronology and material culture of the Biblical period.

This volume provides the reader with a concise but comprehensive archaeological encyclopedia of the Holy Land (Israel and Palestine), based on data compiled by eminent scholars past and present. All of the major archaeological discoveries made in recent years are dealt with in this volume, including the amazing Chalcolithic period objects found in a cave at Pequ’in, the “House of David” inscription from Tel Dan, the Miqne inscription, the Iron fortifications of Jerusalem, Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls, and much more. This encyclopedia will undoubtedly serve as a companion for those seeking to elucidate and shed light on the Bible.

This encyclopedia was originally edited by the veteran archaeologist, Professor Avraham Negev, and has now been revised, expanded and updated by Dr. Shimon Gibson. It includes more than 800 entries arranged alphabetically, accompanied with many drawings, plans and photographs, chronological charts, and an index to facilitate cross-referencing. Entries on general subjects such as mosaics, pottery and archaeological method are also dealt with. All of the principal Biblical sites appear in this volume, and this makes it an indispensable tool for scholars, students, and the general reader.