Concise, readable, and wittily erudite, this guide is an ideal companion for those who intend to go and see for themselves. It presupposes little knowledge of history or archaeology and is based on the experience of ten years of guiding those whose interest has arisen mainly from intelligent curiosity. Few visitors to the Holy.Land realize the variety of its cultural riches: from Stone Age caves, the massive fortifications of Solomon and the grandiose buildings of Herod the Great, Roman roads,"desert farms, churches and synagogues of the Byzantine period, to the hunting palaces of Arab princes, towns and peaks fortified by the Crusaders, and beautifully decorated Mameluke houses. While treating all the sites that everyone should see, this guide also encourages the visitor to range off the beaten track. The guide gives clear directions and there are numerous detailed site plans. It has a valuable introduction and uses biblical and historical texts as well as reports of the most recent excavations. to enable visitors fully to appreciate and understand what they are seeing.