The City of David, more specifically the southeastern hill of first- and second-millennium BCE Jerusalem, has long captivated the imagination of the world. Archaeologists and historians, biblical scholars and clergy, Christians, Muslims, and Jews, and tourists and armchair travelers from every corner of the globe, to say nothing of politicians of all stripes, look to this small stretch of land in awe, amazement, and anticipation.

In the City of David, in the ridge leading down from the Temple Mount, hardly a stone has remained unturned. Archaeologists have worked at a dizzying pace digging and analyzing. But while preliminary articles abound, there is a grievous lack of final publications of the excavations-a regrettable limitation on the ability to fully integrate vital and critical results into the archaeological reconstruction of ancient Jerusalem.

Excavations of the City of David are conducted under the auspices of the Israel Antiquities Authority. The Authority has now partnered with the Center for the Study of Ancient Jerusalem and its publication arm, the Ancient Jerusalem Publication Series, for the publication of reports that are written and designed for the scholar as well as for the general reader. Excavations in the City of David (APJ 1), is the first volume in this series.

About the Author

Ronny Reich is Professor Emeritus of classical archaeology at the University of Haifa, former Codirector of the City of David Excavations (1995-2012), and Chair of the Israel Archaeological Council.

Eli Shukron is an archaeologist who worked with the Israel Antiquities Authority and excavated the City of David in Jerusalem.

Reviews

"The authors deserve gratitude for their exemplary publication of discoveries significant for the history of Jerusalem, raising expectations for their promised second volume."

-Alan Millard Society for Old Testament Study Booklist (JSOT)

"To put things simply, there is no way to decipher the history of Ancient Israel without the archaeology of Jerusalem, with no access to the Temple Mount, there is no way to understand the archaeology and history of Jerusalem without the City of David ridge, and there is no way to study the City of David without the results of the Reich/Shukron excavations. This volume is therefore a landmark in the archaeology of Jerusalem and the Land of Israel."

-Israel Finkelstein,Professor Emeritus, Tel Aviv University

"The excavations conducted by Ronny Reich and Eli Shukron in the City of David augured a new era of large-scale archaeological research. They began their work in 1995 as a modest tourism development project in connection with Jerusalem's 3000th anniversary celebrations. Today, more than 25 years later, the project is still underway. It was only natural for the academic committee of The Ancient Jerusalem Publication Series to begin publication with the astounding results of their excavations and research studies."

-Yuval Baruch,Jerusalem Regional Archaeologist

Book Information
ISBN 9781646021642
Author Ronny Reich
Format Hardback
Page Count 712
Imprint Eisenbrauns
Publisher Pennsylvania State University Press
Weight(grams) 2563g
Dimensions(mm) 262mm * 211mm * 56mm