The Road Taken

Seymour (Sy) Gitin is Dorot Director and Professor of Archaeology Emeritus at the W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem. He is the author or editor of more than two hundred books and articles, including the new "ceramic bible" for archaeologists, The Ancient Pottery of Israel and Its Neighbors and Confronting the Past: Archaeological and Historical Essays on Ancient Israel in Honor of William G. Dever, the latter also published by Eisenbrauns.

Contents Preface Acknowledgments 1. Early Years, 1936-1956 2. Rabbinic Studies in Cincinnati and Israel, 1956-1962 3. Into the Real World: The Military and Civilian Rabbinate, 1962-1967 4. A New Direction, 1967-1970: The Road to Archaeological Studies 5. Doctoral Studies and Excavations in Israel, 1970-1979 6. Albright Institute: A New Beginning and a Vision for the Future, 1979- 7. Albright Institute: First Decade, 1980-1989 Gallery A 8. Albright Institute: Second Decade, 1990-1999 9. Albright Institute: Third Decade, 2000-2009 Gallery B 10. Albright Institute: Fourth Decade, 2010-2014 Epilogue Appendixes Notes References Index

"Sy Gitin reinvented American archaeology in the Middle East. A uniquely talented raconteur, scholar, and Mensch, he transformed the sleepy American archaeological school in Jerusalem into an engine propelling meaningful collaboration across daunting divides. Here's the account-filled with remarkable scientific, political, diplomatic, and above all human surprises, and not a few great stories-of a pioneer in scholarship without borders. The result is a manual for thinking about any historical field from the actual ground up." -Baruch Halpern, author of The First Historians: The Hebrew Bible and History "There is no bombast, and fulsome gratitude is expressed to many who helped or worked with him. The tone strikes me as one of satisfaction, contentment, and gratitude at a job well done and a life well lived--and that is appropriate." -H.G.M. Williamson, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament "The Road Taken will be an essential resource for the history of archaeological research in Israel. It is a laudable monument to Sy Gitin's contribution to our field. We can all be thankful for his efforts, as will future generations." -David Ilan, Review of Biblical Literature