Khirbet Nisya

de David Livingston

What ancient community was perched on the summit of Khirbet Nysia? Did Abraham stand overlooking this hill and get his first glimpse of the Dead Sea -- perhaps on a clear day at sunrise? Who lived here centuries ago? Who planted and tended the vineyards, pressed the grapes and stored jars of wine underground? Who turned the potter's wheel, and who formed the jars, cooking pots, bowls, etc. by which we date our finds -- sometimes leaving fingerprints in the clay before it was baked! Who processed olives in the large olive-pressing cave? And who was immersed in the mikveh, or hid in underground caves when an enemy crept up the wadi? Who, in their final day, was buried in one of the tombs on the hillside? Inhabited most of the time for more than 3000 years, this small hilltop site left its traces of ancient civilization, and now teams of archaeologists and volunteers dig for answers. Mr. Livingston's book is the result of more than 30 years of research in an attempt to answer these questions. The author also includes historical background from the Bible and Jewish literature, thus throwing light on the activities of the ancient community of Khirbet Nysia as well as suggesting some new interpretations of passages in the Tanach and, for those who follow it, from the Berit Hadashah. - Back cover.