BAR Preservation Fund Goes to Work

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BAR’s readers will preserve Herodian Jericho, place signs at Biblical Lachish, and support preservation research.

Based on early contributions to its Archaeological Preservation Fund, BAR has committed its readers to a three-pronged preservation effort.

• BAR will provide funds to preserve—and possibly restore—the magnificent winter palaces of the Hasmonean and Herodian kings of Judea, now being excavated at Herodian Jericho (New Testament Jericho).

The preservation work will be supervised by Excavation Director Ehud Netzer, one of the most highly respected young Israeli scholars. Netzer’s qualifications are especially appropriate. He is an architect as well as an archaeologist and has participated in preservation and restoration work at a number of sites, including Masada.

The dramatic remains of the Jericho winter palaces, which BAR readers will now preserve, are described and illustrated in a moving article by BAR Assistant Editor, Suzanne Singer in our June 1977 issue (“The Winter Palaces of Jericho,” BAR 03:02).

• BAR will finance a series of explanatory signs at the site of Biblical Lachish where excavations continue under the direction of David Ussishkin, who is also a member of BAR’s Editorial Advisory Board. Our effort at Lachish will be new and experimental—to design signs that interpret and dramatize the site for both tourist and student, and which will withstand the ravages of weather and vandals.

The signs will be designed with the help of the U.S. Park Service using texts prepared by Director Ussishkin in consultation with the BAR staff. Deputy Director David Levinson of the Israeli National Parks Authority has agreed to arrange for their erection.

Dr. Ussishkin is preparing an article on this important Biblical site (where the famous Lachish letters were found) for a future issue of BAR.

• Finally, BAR has commissioned a scholarly study on the need for and the purposes of preservation and restoration work at sites of Biblical archaeological interest. This study will also discuss the principles which should guide preservation and restoration work and the manner in which it should be conducted. The study will be written by Ehud Netzer and published in a scholarly journal, stimulating an increased awareness within the archaeological community of the importance of preservation as well as excavation.

This program was developed after countless discussions with archaeologists both here and abroad.

In Jerusalem, BAR’s proposals met with unanimous and enthusiastic approval. The final program was adopted at a meeting in the Director’s Conference Room of the Israel Department of Antiquities at the Rockefeller Museum. Present were Antiquities Department Deputy Director, Ze’ev Yeivin (Director Avi Eitan wanted to attend, but his wife Yael gave birth to a beautiful new daughter on the day of the meeting); David Levinson, Deputy Director of the Israel National Parks Authority; Joseph Aviram, Executive Secretary of the Israel Exploration Society and Editorial Director of the Archaeological Encyclopedia, and the two field archaeologists who would be most directly involved—Ehud Netzer, director of excavations at Herodian Jericho and David Ussishkin, director of excavations at ancient Lachish.

Shortly after the announcement of BAR’s Archaeological Preservation Fund appeared, the Jerusalem Post wrote: “Armchair archaeological enthusiasts in the U.S. and elsewhere are to be given an opportunity to help preserve archaeological sites in the Holy Land. A fund for this purpose is being established by the Biblical Archaeology Review … ”

Several archaeologists have appealed publicly for funds to halt the decay of neglected ancient sites. Moshe Dothan recently urged the restoration of Akko. Joseph Elgavish appealed for financial support to save the unprotected remains of the ancient Canaanite town of Shikmona. New interest in preservation and restoration has been aroused around the world.

We hope that additional contributions will enable BAR to complete this important work. Future reports will continue to advise our readers of progress.

BAR’s readers will preserve Herodian Jericho, place signs at Biblical Lachish, and support preservation research.
Based on early contributions to its Archaeological Preservation Fund, BAR has committed its readers to a three-pronged preservation effort.