The Manasseh Hill Country Survey: The Shechem Syncline (Culture and History of the Ancient Near East, Vol. 21.1) (Culture and History of the Ancient Near East, V. 21.1)

Zertal (ancient near eastern archaeology, U. of Haifa) reports the results of archaeological excavations during 23 years beginning in 1978 in the central hill country of the Land of the Bible, the main setting of the Biblical events, between Hebron and Megiddo. This first of five volumes was published in Hebrew in 1992 (no publisher noted), and the English edition has been revised, bringing forward and citing all the descriptions by past explorers, and adding anthropological and ethnographic material and dates of visits. A folded color topological map of the Syncline of Shechem area with features marked in Hebrew and English is included. Zertal intends the other volumes, two already published in Hebrew, to follow into English in good time. Annotation : 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).

The book presents the results of a complete and detailed archaeological survey in the area of ancient Shechem and Samaria. This survey is being conducted since 1978, and it relates to some 400 square kilometers of the heartland of the central hill country of Israel/Palestine. It is a detailed and thorough archaeological and historical work, which deals with the most important area for Biblical and other researches. This territory and its survey is a most valuable tool for every scholar involved in Bible, Theology, Ancient Near Eastern history and other schools concerned.