Jerusalem: An Archaeological Biography (review)

Abstract

174 SHOFAR Spring 1998 Vol. 16, No.3 not internal factors. It is evident that part of the problem is Lawson's lack of objective scales for measuring internal crisis and external initiative. Lawson is forced to twist the data because of his single-minded insistence on proving that Syrian foreign policy decisions respond exclusively to internal threats while external ones are purely manufactured or manipulated. A more sophisticated analysis would show how leaders try to balance between internal and external crises and would acknowledge that where a regime is relatively consolidated at home while facing severe external conflict, foreign policy may actually be driven by foreign affairs. Readers would do better to consult the classic works on Syrian foreign policy, Patrick Seale's Asad: The Struggle for the Middle East (University of California Press, 1988) and Moshe Maoz's Asad: The Sphinx ofDamascus (Grove Weidenfeld, 1988). Raymond A. Hinnebusch Department of International Relations University of St. Andrews Jerusalem: An Archaeological Biography, by Hershel Shanks. New York: Random House, 1995. 256 pp. $50.00. Reviewing Hershel Shanks' Jerusalem: An Archaeological Biography while actually in Jerusalem is a particular pleasure. Were this hardcover book not so heavy, it would serve as a great guidebook, although it was not conceived of or organized as one. Still, its magnificent photographs, drawings, and plans and its approachable and enthusiastic writing style encourage one to get up early and venture out to see what there is to see in this most fascinating of all cities. For those unfortunates for whom stepping out the door merely brings the traffic of New York or the heat of Tucson, the journey of the imagination through Shanks' book can be almost as pleasurable. Jerusalem: An Archaeological Biography takes its readers through the city as if Jerusalem were a living entity and not simply a place. More than a neutral location in which great events happened, Jerusalem is presented as unique, affecting its inhabitants just as they have made Jerusalem the special city it is. Reading this book, then, we feel the place and the people. We come to share the passion ofthe ancients for this beautiful city which has, for millennia, evoked from residents and outsiders alike such spiritual richness and devotion. In his history, Shanks' intentions are two-fold. First, he sets out to present the most interesting archaeological data in the most up-to-date manner possible. In this endeavor, as his readers will discover, he is eminently successful. Second, he hopes to familiarize his readers with the overall history of the Near East through his exploration of the city of Jerusalem. Here, caution must be expressed since a Jerusalem-centric perspective Book Reviews 175 does not truly do justice to the fullness and complexity of the ancient Near Eastern world. I As Shanks points out, archaeolo~y gives the reader entree into many facets of life, "... from Bible and ancient history, ~rt and architecture, burial practices, languages and scripts to geography, water supply ~ystems, chronology, theology, pottery typology, archaeological methodology, warfare and daily life ... social divisions, ancient technology, a variety of cultures ..;." (p. xiii). However, the book is not organized around these various categories. Itistead, Shanks takes a chronological approach, exploring topical issues when they ar~ especially relevant to particular historic periods. For example, access to water wa~ always of critical importance to residents of Jerusalem. Jerusalem: An Archaeolokical Biography highlights water delivery systems at those intriguing moments when ar~haeology, in conjunction with biblical texts, has I a great deal to offer (United Monarchy Jerusalem, the period of Hezekiah, the Hasmonean era). I Jerusalem: An Archaeological Biography begins in the Canaanite period and ends I with Moslem and Crusader Jerusalem. However, it concentrates its greatest effort on biblical (Tanakh and New TestamJnt) Jerusalem. This bias is evident even in the chapter titles. For example, data co~cerning Jerusalem in the fourth through second millennia RC.E. is presented in a scart nine pages as "Jerusalem Before the Israelites." It is also apparent in the fact that some thirty pages are devoted to reconstructing the Solomonic Temple, a building knowh only through its written description in the book • I of First Kings. Less than two-thirds...