Meir Ben-Dov: Historical Atlas of Jerusalem
Meir Ben-Dov, Historical Atlas of Jerusalem (Continuum, 2002), xvi + 400 pages.
Israel continues to be a land of archeological discovery as yearly excavations unearth more and more of her past. The Historical Atlas of Jerusalem, written by one of Israel’s preeminent archeologists, takes you on an epoch-by-epoch exploration of the city where God chose to establish His Name. Through written text as well as rare photography, maps, and diagrams, each of the 13 chapters covering 400 pages help you understand this city’s legacy of agriculture, architecture, and administration, within a context of the religious movements sweeping the landscape.
Interested in knowing what was there before God called Abraham? Then read chapter one. Looking for information on the destruction of the First Temple and the subsequent rule under Nebuchadnezzar? Then read chapter three. Perhaps your interests lie on Jerusalem during Roman rule or later Muslim occupation, or perhaps much later under the Ottomans or the British. It is all there, right up the city’s 5,000 anniversary in 2000. The Historical Atlas of Jerusalem is an inviting introduction for everyone to one of the oldest cities in the world.
Reviewed by Kevin M. Williams
Category: Church History, Fall 2005