Alumni Travel Reading 2018-2019: Israel and Jordan

This introductory book by a noted American archaeologist provides an excellent overview of the ancient history and archaeology of Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian territories with special attention to the city of Jerusalem, Caeserea, and Petra.

This volume summarizes the history of archaeology in the region by focusing on nine important sites, including Jerusalem, Khirbet Qumran, Caesarea, and Bet Shean. Following introductory essays about Leo Boer who had traveled as a student through the region in 1953-1954 and whose personal papers and photographs contributed to the volume, each chapter consists of an introduction to the site, a history of archaeological expeditions at the site, and suggested bibliography at the end.

A fascinating, well written dive into the deep history of Jerusalem through the ages, providing insight into the fast moving history of the region.

Understanding the conflicts in the region is challenging, and finding a dispassionate guide to it not an easy task. Instead, let’s turn to memoirs of two towering figures in the region. Sari Nusseibeh is a Palestinian thinker, teacher, philosopher, activist, negotiator, and popular leader who tells the story of his family and his own experiences in defining a Palestinian identity in recent years.

Another native of the region, growing up just meters away from Nusseibeh, is the Israeli novelist and essayist Amos Oz. Oz came of age in the difficult years of the British mandate and the first Arab - Israel war and in his fiction and memoirs has become a strident voice for peace in the region.

Timothy Lim presents the true facts and leading theories behind the cultural and historical background of the Dead Sea Scrolls. He examines their significance for our understanding of the Old Testament and the origins of Christianity and Judaism. He also tells the fascinating story of the scrolls since their discovery, explains the science behind their deciphering and dating, and elaborates on the scandals and controversies that have surrounded the scrolls’ rise to a cultural icon.

A fully revised and updated edition of the translation of the complete Dead Sea Scrolls. With new texts, updated introductions, a glossary of terms, and other new additions, this will become the definitive translation of the Scrolls.

Best-selling book on the Scrolls, updated to reflect current scholarship and recent debates, this second edition of The Dead Sea Scrolls Today takes into account the full publication of the texts from the caves and the post-1994 debates about the Qumran site. It contains an additional section regarding information that the Scrolls provide about Second Temple Judaism and the groups prominent at the time.

The Israel national trail is one of the most exciting hikes that expands over 1000 kilometers from the north to the south of Israel. You can hike its' entire length, or just selected sections of your choice. This ultimate Israeli hiking experience can easily be done with this guide that simply has all you need.

Wadi Rum is tucked away in the south of Jordan, close to the Red Sea port of Aqaba, remote and splendid in both landscape and culture. Since the first edition was published in 1987, the number of climbs has doubled. This book holds detailed descriptions and 'topos' of all the known routes to date, from short walks, camel treks and 4-WD journeys through to sports climbs and major 'big walls' of the highest technical difficulty.

The authors describe in detail over 400 km (248 miles) of astonishing hiking trails and walks in amazing landscapes. Trails include the Seven Pillars of Wisdom and the Lawrence of Arabia Spring trails with magnificent views in Wadi Rum and the High Place of Sacrifice Trail with more monuments than most tourists see in Petra. The book provides easy to understand custom-made hiking maps, trail descriptions and travel directions.

The Jordan Rift Valley, stretching from the Red Sea to Lebanon, was ripped open millions of years ago by vast forces within the earth. It has been a part of human history ever since early humans used it as a path in their journey out of Africa. Haim Watzman, an Israeli journalist, took a two-week journey up the valley in the autumn of 2004, as his country was riven by a fierce debate over its borders. Along his journey, he met many unique individuals: scientists, an archaeologist, and a geologist just to name a few. Watzman's poetic evocation of the scientific and the human is a unique chronicle of a quest for knowledge.

Vegetation, soil horizons, and sedimentary deposits along with archaeological evidence suggest that during certain time spans within the past twenty millennia, Jordan was endowed with moister and more vegetated landscapes than the ones we see today. Carlos E. Cordova examines multiple topics to provide a comprehensive view of the changes in the Jordanian landscape and the many ways it has been affected by human habitation and the forces of nature.

Birds of the Middle East is now the most field-ready and comprehensive guide to the fantastic birds of this region. This edition covers all species--including vagrants--found in the Arabian Peninsula, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Cyprus. It features 176 superb color plates depicting more than 800 species, as well as 820-color distribution maps that show the breeding range for almost every species.

Eric Moore is an American Horticulturalist with many years’ experience of landscaping and garden nursery operations in the Middle East. This book is for the amateur gardener as much as it is for the professional horticulturist wherever they may be in the Middle East.

This field guide covers the identification, biology, and conservation of more than 520 species of orchid found in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. The over 1000 color photographs and line drawings allow specialists, as well as botanists and interested tourists, to identify the wild orchids of the region.

Palestinian food is not just found on the streets, but in the home too—in the kitchens all across the country, where families cook and eat together every day, in a way that generations before them have always done. Palestine on a Plate is a tribute to family, cooking, and old home recipes created with love that bring people together in appreciation of the beauty of this rich heritage. Immerse yourself in the stories and culture of Palestine through the food in this book.

Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi explore the vibrant cuisine of their home city--with its diverse Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities. This stunning cookbook offers 120 recipes from their unique cross-cultural perspective. With five bustling restaurants in London and two stellar cookbooks, Ottolenghi is one of the most respected chefs in the world; in Jerusalem, he and Tamimi have collaborated to produce their most personal cookbook yet.