Recently, a travel account and 700 photographs came to light by the hand of Leo Boer, a former student of the École Biblique et Archéologique Française in Jerusalem who, at the age of 26 in 1953–4 visited many archaeological sites in the area of present-day Israel and the Palestinian Territories. These documents inspired 20 internationally-renowned scholars – many of whom excavated at the sites they describe – to report on what we know today of nine particular sites chosen from the many that Leo Boer visited 60 years ago: Jerusalem, Khirbet et-Tell (Άi?), Samaria & Sebaste, Tell Balata (Shechem), Tell es-Sultan (Jericho), Khirbet Qumran, Caesarea, Megiddo, and Bet She’an. Rather than focusing on the history of these sites, the contributors describe the history of the archaeological expeditions. Who excavated these sites over the years? What were the specific aims of their campaigns? What techniques and methods did they use? How did they interpret these excavations? What finds were most noteworthy? And finally, what are the major misconceptions held by the former excavators?
Several themes are interwoven amongst the contributions and variously discussed, such as‘identification of biblical sites’, ‘regional surveys’, ‘underwater archaeology’, ‘archaeothanatology’, ‘archaeology and politics’, ‘archaeology and science’, and ‘heritage management’. This unique collection of images and essays offers to scholars working in the region previously unpublished materials and interpretations as well as new photographs. For students of archaeology, ancient or Biblical history and theology it contains both a detailed archaeological historiography and explores some highly relevant, specific themes. Finally, the superb quality of Boer’s photography provides an unprecedented insight into the archaeological landscape of post-war Palestine for anyone interested in Biblical history and archaeology.

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• List of Contributors
• Preface - Jürgen Zangenberg
• A Chance Meeting in a Museum - Bart Wagemakers
• Chronological Table
• Chapter 1 - Leo Boer Leo Boer, a Dutch Student in the Near East (1953-1954)
  • Bibliography
• Chapter 2 - Jerusalem
  • One Hundred and Fifty Years of Excavating Jerusalem
  • Bibliography of Jerusalem
• Chapter 3 - Khirbet et-Tell ('Ai?)
  • An Archaeological Historiography of Khirbet et-Tell and the Ongoing Search for the Biblical City of 'Ai?
  • Bibliography of Khirbet et-Tell ('Ai)
• Chapter 4 - Samaria and Sebaste
  • A Visitor at Samaria and Sebaste
  • Israelite Samaria: Head of Ephraim and Jerusalem's Elder Sister
  • Bibliography of Samaria and Sebaste
• Chapter 5 - Tell Balata (Shechem)
  • Archaeological Campaigns at Shechem (1913-1973)
  • Tell Balata Archaeological Park Project: Fieldwork in 2010 and 2011
  • Heritage Management at Tell Balata
  • Bibliography of Tell Balata (Shechem)
• Chapter 6 - Tell es-Sultan (Jericho)
  • The Archaeological Expeditions to Tell es-Sultan (1868-2012)
  • I. W. Cornwall at Tell es-Sultan: Pioneer in Archaeothanatology
  • Bibliography of Tell es-Sultan (Jericho)
• Chapter 7 - Khirbet Qumran
  • The Archaeology of Khirbet Qumran
  • Qumran Archaeology and Science: A Trans-Disciplinary Combination that Bore Fruit
  • Bibliography of Khirbet Qumran
• Chapter 8 - Caesarea Maritima
  • The Archaeology of Caesarea Maritima
  • Bibliography of Caesarea Maritima
• Chapter 9 - Megiddo
  • A Visit to Tel Megiddo in the Spring of 1954
  • Bibliography of Megiddo
• Chapter 10 - Bet She'an
  • A Note on Boer's Visit to the Roman City of Bet She'an
  • The Roman Theatre at Nysa-cythopolis (Bet She'an)
  • The History of the Excavations at Tel Bet She'an and the Regional Surveys of the Bet She'an Valley
  • Bibliography of Bet She'an
• Appendix: List of Photographs from the Leo Boer Archive