Research Suggestions

This time round: Tell En-Nasbeh Pottery

The site of Tell En-Nasbeh is perhaps the best candidate for the title of site of Biblical Mizpah, where Shmuel Hanavi visited, and which lay on the border between the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Extensively excavated in the 30s, the analysis of the site was nevertheless restricted by the level of research back then, which has since improved by leaps and bounds.

Recently, Jeffrey Zorn has re-analyzed the strati (levels) of the site, showing that there were five "stages" in the development of Tell En-Nasbeh (Zorn has an impressive site dedicated to Tell En-Nasbeh, with a wide selection of sources). In effect, Zorn wrote what my teacher here called the Perush Rashi for the architectural report on the site, allowing researchers to better understand the site.

The time has long past for someone to take up the mantle and do the same for the extensive amount of pottery found at the site, which was only roughly catalogued. The documentary material exists, now someone has to take the descriptions and catalogue them accurately according to type, period, style (burnished/unburnished, painted etc) and so on.

Good Luck.