From The Editors

The editors are pleased to present this issue to our readers. It contains timely information on endangered cultural heritage sites including the latest facts about the use of antiquities to finance terrorism in Syria, a comprehensive architectural study of one of the forgotten churches of southern Syria, a methodical examination of modern graffiti at the splendid site of Jerash in Jordan, and a fascinating Forum section on the Late Bronze Age collapse in the ancient Near East.

Presenting new evidence on the continuing destruction, looting, and illicit trading in Syrian antiquities, authors Isber Sabrine, Ristam Abdo, and Neil Brodie extensively document the involvement of Da’esh in these destructive practices. Through interviews with those who have personal knowledge of the pillaging of significant archaeological sites, the authors were able to obtain images of looted objects and, also, Da’esh administrative documents. They were also able to report, in this article, looting at some previously unknown archaeological sites. Providing abundant details about an issue that has received worldwide attention, this article includes very important, heretofore unpublished, information.

Rama Al Rabady and Shatha Abu-Khafajah’s case study of the Lubbēn Large Church in southern Syria examines the place of this structure as an aula ecclesiae that represents a transition from secular to sacred church architecture following the earliest Christian house churches. They discuss the aspects of the architecture of the Lubbēn Large Church that add to the representation of divinity in the church in the context of historical, regional, and local conditions. The article also offers many comparisons with other southern Syrian churches in this region called Trachonitis in the New Testament. Lubbēn’s church was built during the height of Byzantine occupation in the region. Referencing the unusual flat roof of the apse, the study concludes that aulae ecclesiae like this one introduced the innovation of “divine light” in Christian churches.

In “They Were Here,” Mairna Hussein Mustafa, Ramzi Mahmoud Al-Rousan, and Fadi Abedallah Bala’awi examine modern graffiti exhibited at the ancient city of Jerash for patterns and themes. Using a unique sampling technique, they examine these colorful but jarring scribbles on the ancient features of the city in order to gain insight into graffiti types and the motives of those who created them. Analyses like this one are important for conservation specialists because they address a very common problem at heritage sites. Looking at graffiti from the standpoint of its perpetrators leads the authors to a number of cogent recommendations on how to prevent this form of vandalism in the future.

We are particularly enthusiastic about this issue’s Forum section featuring a debate on a significant topic in Near Eastern archaeology—the Late Bronze Age collapse. Noted expert on this topic Eric Cline starts off the dialogue by examining the work he has done on this subject over many years of study and publication, and he reaches some new conclusions. Guy Middleton revisits the archaeological evidence for the collapse while Raphael Greenberg raises and addresses the question of what collapsed in 1177. Norman Yoffee’s contribution problematizes the use of the term “collapse” in the historical context under discussion, and Aren Maeir shines a light on the question of what happened to Late Bronze Age cultures from a “Philistine” vantage point. Louise Hitchcock takes on the multiple meanings of the term “collapse”—to all of which Cline provides a rejoinder at the end of the Forum.

Scholars from four different countries contribute to this issue’s Book Reviews section. Atilla Batmaz reviews Wine Jars and Jar Makers of Cyprus: The Ethnoarchaeology of Pitharia, by Gloria London; Marzia Cavriani reviews Byblos in the Late Bronze Age: Interactions between the Levantine and Egyptian Worlds, by Marwan Kilani; Marta Lorenzon reviews The City Gate in Ancient Israel and Her Neighbors: The Form, Function, and Symbolism of the Civic Forum in the Southern Levant, by Daniel A. Frese; and John Peter Oleson reviews Under the Mediterranean I: Studies in Maritime Archaeology, edited by Stella Demesticha and Lucy Blue.