FireFly

Table of Contents

Introduction
Plan of the Book and Major Sites
Modern Map of Israel

1. THE RIVER JORDAN
Mount Hermon and Banias
Hazor
The Sea of Galilee
Beth Shan
Jericho
Special Feature: Monasteries
The Dead Sea and Ein Gedi
Qumran
Masada

2. THE HILL COUNTRY
Mount Tabor
Nazareth, Sepphoris, and Cana
Samaria, Nablus, and Mount Gerizim
Jerusalem
The Mount of Olives
Bethlehem
Special Feature: Synagogues
Herodion
Lachish, Tel Miqne, Gezer, and Tel Arad
Hebron
Beer Sheba and the South

3. THE COASTAL PLAIN
Gaza and the Philistines
Ashkelon and Ashdod
Joppa and Aphek
Special Feature: The Crusades
Caesarea Maritima
Megiddo
Mount Carmel and Haifa

Bibliography and General Reading
Index
Acknowledgements

Introduction

The territory that has come to be known as the Holy Land is extremely small: it is about the same size as the state of Massachusetts or of New Hampshire -- or, in the United Kingdom, of Wales. And yet, as the saying has it, "Palestine has the size of a county and the problems of a continent". The problems and the way they have been dealt with have left an indelible mark on the Holy Land in terms of both geography and architecture. What that means, however, cannot be understood without at least a background knowledge of the history of the Holy Land, and it is the purpose of this introduction to give that background, but only in so far as it is relevant to the illustrations in this book. In dealing with a history from about 2000 BCE to 1300 CE it is not possible to do more than indicate the very briefest outline.

 

The aerial photography is wonderfully presented and illustrates well Bowker's discussion of selected sites and their significance.
- R. Steven Notley, Professor of Biblical studies, Nyack College  Biblical Archaeology Review  2009 06

This beautifully produced book will make an excellent birthday or bar/bat mitzvah present.... Israel and the Palestinian areas unfold gloriously. Spanning 256 pages, this is a book well worth reading, re-reading and savouring.
-   Canadian Jewish News  2008 11 27

Although it looms large in the popular cultural and religious worlds, It is easy to forget just how small is the territory that we know as the Holy Land -- about the size of Massachusetts or New Hampshire. This handsome book offers a useful primer on the fractious history of the region.... All the material is written in an accessible, easy-to-read style, while the gorgeous aerial photographs nicely complement the text.
-   Chicago Tribune  2008 12 21

Religious studies professor John Bowker (Cambridge University) and photographs Sonia Halliday and Bryan Knox combine their talents to produce this splendid photographic volume that highlights major biblical sites in the Holy Land.... This is a delightful and informative read.
- Zev Garber  American Reference Book Annual  2008