Caesarea Maritima Excavations in the Old City 1989-2003
Conducted by the University of Maryland and the University of Haifa, Final Reports
Volume 1: The Temple Platform (Area TP), Neighboring Quarters (Area TPS and Z), and the Inner Harbor Quays (Area I): Hellenistic Evidence, King Herod’s Harbor Temple, Intermediate Occupation, and the Octagonal Harbor Church
edited by Kenneth G. Holum
This volume presents the results of the many years of excavation by the Combined Caesarea Expeditions, organized to explore the city and harbor of ancient Caesarea. Holum presents CCE’s original research questions, the overall stratigraphy of the site, and the team’s findings about Caesarea from the Hellenistic period to the end of antiquity in the seventh century CE. In so doing, the volume makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the transition from paganism to Christianity in Late Antiquity. It explores in depth King Herod’s pagan temple, which existed until about 400 CE, when the now Christian authorities deliberately dismantled it, removing all but its deepest foundations, and let the site lose its holiness. A century later, the authorities built a grand Octagonal Church in exactly the same spot and on the same alignment as Herod’s temple, so that it functioned as a harbor church, visible from far at sea. In the Byzantine period, Caesarea prospered and reached its largest extent. The volume presents the archaeological evidence for these developments, paying careful attention to the foundations of the temple and church, fragments of the superstructure of both monumental buildings, the Herodian and Byzantine staircases that rose directly from the harbor to the temple and church, the pottery, coins, and other evidence.
ASOR Archaeological Reports, Volume 27, Series Editor Hanan Charaf, January 2021, 472 pages, 256 b/w figures, 13 tables, 3 fold-out maps, ISBN 978-0-89757-115-9, $89.95.
by Megan Perry, with tribute quotations by ASOR presidents and other leaders
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Arte and Martha Joukowsky in 2006. (Photo credit Barbara A. Porter)
Artemis A.W. Joukowsky, a long-time friend and supporter of ASOR, passed away on December 11, 2020 at the age of 89 due to complications of COVID-19. Arte had strong ties to Near Eastern archaeology, serving as President of the ACOR Board of Trustees for almost 20 years and assisting his wife Dr. Martha Sharp Joukowsky in her archaeological research and fieldwork in Jordan. Arte was born in Shanghai, China and immigrated as a child to New York with his family. He attended Brown University as part of the class of 1955, and later worked for American International Group (AIG), which took him and his family to many parts of the world, including Turkey and Lebanon. He maintained a strong and meaningful relationship with his alma mater, eventually serving as a Trustee, then Vice Chancellor and Chancellor, and finally as Chancellor Emeritus, along with other honorary positions.
Probably the most meaningful outcome of his time at Brown was meeting his beloved wife, Martha Sharp when they were both undergraduate students. Martha introduced Arte to the world of archaeology during their overseas stints and since 1982, as an archaeology faculty member at Brown University. After fieldwork in Lebanon, Hong Kong, Turkey, Italy, and Greece, Martha directed the Petra Great Temple Excavations in Jordan from 1993 to 2009. Arte joined Martha and her excavation team, which sometimes included other members of their family, in the field almost every summer and served as the official dig photographer. In 2004, Arte and Martha’s dedication to archaeological research culminated in the establishment at Brown of the Artemis A.W. and Martha Sharp Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World, which has served as the home institution for many ASOR members. Arte and his family’s foundation also supported archaeological research and conservation projects and assisted local communities Jordan.
Arte presents ACOR Board member Mohammad Asfour the Distinguished Service Award in 1993. (Photo credit Bill Lyons)
Arte was involved with ASOR largely through his role as President of ACOR’s Board from 1992 until 2011. Dr. Pierre Bikai, then Director of ACOR, knew Arte and Martha from their days in Lebanon in the 1960s and 1970s and felt the institution could benefit from his executive experience and connections. As president, Arte ensured ACOR’s financial survival during the difficult years after the First Gulf War and provided stalwart leadership as the institution grew both in size and scope in the 1990s and 2000s. Arte and his close friend Professor Jim Wiseman were both financially and administratively instrumental in securing ASOR’s long-time Boston home in Kenmore Square. His accomplishments were recognized in 2007 with a W.F. Albright Service Award presented at the ASOR Annual Meeting in San Diego. ASOR’s past president Tim Harrison noted that Arte provided support and wise counsel in his early years serving as ASOR president. Arte’s advice was sought and given to many.
Arte had a generous spirit, welcoming visitors with open arms at both the Great Temple excavation and at his and Martha’s home in Providence. He took great pride in showing off the work of Martha and her team while serving as the unofficial site steward. Arte quickly grew to love Jordan and its inhabitants and worked to give back to ACOR’s host country. In addition to his service to ACOR, Arte was a trustee of the King Hussein Foundation and received the Order of Independence medal from Jordan in 1996.
Arte is survived by his wife Martha Sharp Joukowsky, their three children, Nina Joukowsky Koprülü, Artemis Joukowsky III, and Michael Joukowsky, and eight grandchildren.
-Megan Perry
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Arte was a true gentleman whether in the field or in a Board room. Always nattily attired and full of warmth and vigor, it was always a pleasure to engage with him one way or another. He and Martha were a pair to be admired in so many ways. His efforts in behalf of ASOR in getting space at BU for so many years was only one of the many ways he was helpful to the ASOR family, especially ACOR. He will be sorely missed.
Eric Meyers
Past ASOR President, 1990–1996 and 2006–2007
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As President of the Albright Institute and later of ASOR I had the great pleasure of working for many years with Arte Joukowsky, ACOR’s long term Board Chair. While a determined promoter of ACOR, Arte took full view of the big picture of American archaeological work in the Middle East and provided formative support for ASOR and all of its overseas affiliates. This was featured specially in his initiative which gave the ASOR family a rent-free home at BU for two decades and led to the formation of the “656 Beacon Street Affiliates” group where the leadership of ASOR and the centers met annually for discussion on issues of mutual support. Arte was a thoughtful and most constructive participant in these meetings. He was also in all situations a most congenial host. I recall especially how warmly he received and accommodated me (and assuredly also other visitors) on a visit to Petra while Martha was excavating there. His formative support and leadership will be sincerely missed by ACOR and the whole ASOR family.
Joe Seger Past ASOR President, 1996–2003
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From the start, I felt a special affinity for Arte Joukowsky because we both grew up in China during World War II. I came to know him, though, through Martha and her enviable archaeological reputation. As vice-president for ACOR, and chair of its search for a president, it fell my lot to travel to Brown and talk Arte into filling that role—and what an amazing transformation in ACOR he was responsible for! Working with Pierre and Patricia Bikai, and later, with Barbara Porter, they put ACOR on a sound financial footing that has enabled its unparalleled success. Arte’s enthusiastic support for Martha’s work at Petra’s Great Temple, in and out of the field, was inspiring to behold. When I became ASOR president, I looked to Arte for counsel and advice—something I could always count on. In addition to his generous financial support for both ACOR and ASOR, he was ever ready and available to share his considerable administrative and business acumen with me during ASOR’s consolidation in Boston. Both ASOR and I have lost one of our most avid and dependable supporters but his heritage and influence live on to make us a stronger society.
Lawrence T. Geraty Past ASOR President, 2003–2006
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Arte was a tenacious champion for ASOR, as he was for so many other institutions and organizations dedicated to the study of the ancient world. This included timely interventions at critical moments in ASOR’s history, and it took on a very personal focus for me during the rocky early months of my first term, when he provided a steadying hand and wise counsel to a woefully inexperienced and unsure president. I will never forget our quiet conversations at the annual meetings, usually with a favorite drink in hand, and I will be forever grateful of his unwavering support and encouragement during that turbulent time. His calming influence helped instill confidence we could work through the seemingly insurmountable challenges we confronted, especially the deep structural deficits and organizational problems we faced, when so many others doubted ASOR’s future. Arte will be dearly missed. We have lost a true champion and friend. Thankfully, Martha and he have left a rich legacy that will live on, ensuring their shared passion for the study of the ancient world will continue to thrive and flourish.
Tim Harrison
Past ASOR President, 2007–2013
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Together with his wife Martha, Arte Joukowsky was one of ASOR’s most generous lifetime donors, and he was always generous with his time and wisdom as well. ASOR counted him as a dear and forever friend.
Susan Ackerman
Past ASOR President, 2014–2019
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ASOR has been truly blessed since its inception by a cadre of generous benefactors from the “real” world who have provided sage advice, organizational acumen, and financial resources that greatly enhance our wide-reaching endeavors. Arte Joukowsky was legendary among these for his energy, wisdom, and good will. We will miss him.
Sharon C. Herbert
ASOR President, 2020–present
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I became director of ACOR in May of 1991 when the effects of the first Gulf War had seriously impacted the institution. It was, in effect, closed and I needed help. So I called my friend of twenty years, Arte, and asked him if he would be willing to become the chair. He said yes and over the next fifteen years we worked together and laughed together and made ACOR the strong institution that it is now.
Pierre Michel Bikai
Past Director of ACOR
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I was fortunate to know Arte and his family since the late 1960s in Lebanon, and in the late 1970s in New York City. However it was the years working with him as ACOR Board President after I became the ACOR Director in 2006 that provided the chance to get to know him even better, and also benefit from his guidance and profound care for Jordan and ACOR. Special trips to Petra when he was there with Martha and the Brown team afforded me a chance to spend special time with them and so too visits to their wonderful home in Providence. He helped and influenced many individuals, including myself, and that is part of his legacy.
Barbara A. Porter
Past Director of ACOR
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Artemis Joukowsky was a person of great intelligence and an extraordinary leader. When assuming the presidency of the ACOR Board of Trustees in 1992 he demanded a thorough and long overdue review of ACOR’s mission, bylaws, and reorganization of its board. He then led a major fund-raising drive, funded in large part from his own resources, that literally saved ACOR from a precarious financial predicament in the aftermath of the First Gulf War. His leadership and personal generosity continued in the following years as ACOR paid off the mortgage on its permanent headquarters, expanded its physical plant and programs, and began building a significant endowment. He effectively delegated responsibility among the officers and other members of the ACOR board in order to fulfill its role while trusting in the administrative leadership of the ACOR Directors, initially Pierre and Patricia Bikai and then Barbara Porter. During Arte’s two decades (1992-2011) as President of the Board of Trustees, ACOR was literally transformed into one of the leading research centers of the Middle East.
Pp. 1–19: “The Ördekburnu and Katumuwa Stelae: Some Reflections on Two Grabdenkmäler,” by K. Lawson Younger Jr.
The recent discovery of the Katumuwa Stele and the new edition of the Ördekburnu Stele have invigorated the study of ancient Yādiya/Samʾal, in particular the study of its Grabdenkmäler. This article will investigate some of the ways in which the two are mutually informing of one another. It will address some of the important interpretive difficulties in these monuments, especially as they bear on religion in that ancient polity.
ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.
Pp. 21-43: “Marble Sculptures from the Great Eastern Baths of Gerasa (Jordan): The Sources of the Marbles,” by Khaled Al-Bashaireh, Thomas M. Weber-Karyotakis, Nizar Abu-Jaber, and Thomas Lepaon
This paper aims to examine the provenance of Roman marble statues uncovered from the Eastern Roman Baths (Gerasa of the Decapolis, Jordan) during the 2016 and 2017 excavation campaigns. The samples were characterized using magnifying lenses, an x-ray diffractometer, a stable isotope mass spectrometer, and a polarized light microscope. The results show that the Aphrodite and drapery marbles are dolomitic and most probably from the Cape Vathy of Thassos Island (Greece); the Asklepios and Zeus marbles are fine-grained and most probably from Docimium (Turkey); the Melopmene, Demetrius Aphrodite, and eagle marbles are fine-grained and most probably from Penteli (Greece); the dancing satyr and Apollo marbles are coarse-grained and most probably from Lakkos (Paros Island, Greece); and the marble fragments of unknown statues are coarse-grained and most probably from Marmara (Proconnesus-1) Island, Turkey. The results indicate that sculptors preferred fine white marbles for carving sculptures in spite of their source, price, and sculpture workshop. The results agree with previous studies that showed a wide variety of marble sources, indicating that Gerasa prospered in its location on the King’s Highway and participated in a well-established trade network with the major cities and marble sources in the Roman Empire.
ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.
Pp. 45–67: “Basileus Meets Imperator: Herod’s Evolving Honors to Augustus,” by Barbara Burrell
This paper uses recent finds and reinterpretations (archaeological, epigraphic, and historical) to re-examine and place in a wider context Herod the Great’s actions towards honoring Augustus in his realm. As a king formerly allied with Antony, Herod needed to placate Augustus quickly after Actium. At first he showered his new overlord with service, money, and supplies, but it may have been in imitation of cities like Pergamon in Asia that he established a festival in Augustus’s honor in Jerusalem. We hear nothing of actual temples, however, until after Augustus granted Herod new territories; it was there, in non-Jewish areas, that Herod founded cities (which was what kings did), named them in honor of his sole superior, and built in them temples to Augustus and Roma, perhaps again on the model of Hellenic cities of Asia or Bithynia, or of Alexandria in Egypt. Herod did this not for the sake of Hellenization or Romanization, but to reify his relationship with Augustus before his kingdom and the world, enshrining him in the sole place in the hierarchy that a king could tolerate, and also, not incidentally, to show his own magnificence.
ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.
Pp. 69–76: “Hazon Gabriel: A Display of Negligence,” by Årstein Justnes and Josephine Munch Rasmussen
How do recently crafted objects of dubious provenance become ancient manuscripts of serious scientific interest? In this article, we will explore the curious case of Hazon Gabriel. We will demonstrate how this unprovenanced stone inscription was turned into an “authentic” artifact with an ideal provenance, and we will discuss the role of the owner and the scholarly community in this process.
ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.
Pp. 77–103: “Crime and Punishment: Deportation in the Levant in the Age of Assyrian Hegemony,” by Jonathan Valk
Assyrian imperialism is closely associated with the practice of mass deportation. This practice has been explained by recourse to many different motivations. But can we hope to pinpoint the logic informing deportation rather than merely identifying its advantages? This paper surveys the evidence of deportation in the Levant in the period 745–620 b.c.e. Focusing on deportation in this circumscribed time and place enables a more concentrated account of its use. Deportation is generally argued to have served three broad ends: bolstering the supply of human resources in the Assyrian heartland, meeting particular strategic needs, and dealing with dissent. This paper finds that despite the many uses of deportation, it was first and foremost a punitive instrument intended to curb resistance to Assyrian hegemony. This punitive dimension constituted the foundation of Assyrian deportation in the Levant in the age of Assyrian hegemony.
ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.
Pp. 105–132: “Foreigners at Beni Hassan: Evidence from the Tomb of Khnumhotep I (No. 14),” by Anna-Latifa Mourad
The procession of Asiatics in the tomb of Khnumhotep II (No. 3) at Beni Hassan is one of the most famous scenes alluding to ancient Egypt’s interactions with its neighbors. Khnumhotep II, however, was not the only official at Beni Hassan to include representations of foreigners. The tomb of his possible grandfather, Khnumhotep I (No. 14), additionally features unique depictions of a number of individuals who can be identified as of non-Egyptian origin. These foreigners signal that particular cross-cultural relations could remain under the auspices of specific families in the early Middle Kingdom, perhaps influencing power and political dynamics that helped shape the 12th Dynasty. The following presents the most recent recordings of the depictions as completed by The Australian Centre for Egyptology, commenting on their nature and historical significance in relation to Khnumhotep I and the Oryx nome.
ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.
Pp. 133–158: ““Beloved of the Lady Are Those Who …”: A Recurring Memorial Formula in the Sinaitic Inscriptions,” by Aren M. Wilson-Wright
This paper proposes a revised interpretation of the recurring sequence ḏ t b ṯ n m ṯ found in the early alphabetic inscriptions from Serabit el-Khadem, an Egyptian turquoise mining facility located in the Sinai Peninsula. I argue that this sequence combines with the well-known phrase m(ʾ)hb(b)ʿlt “beloved of the Lady” in Sinai 351, 353, 360, and 361 to form a memorial formula meaning “Beloved of the Lady are those who tell people about Māṯ.” It thus expresses a sentiment similar to contemporaneous Egyptian inscriptions from Serabit el-Khadem: the author of the inscriptions—in this case Māṯ—asks the reader to perform some action on his behalf. In return, he assures the reader that they will be beloved of the Lady (i.e., Hathor, the patron goddess of the mining district).
ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.
Pp. 159–182: “The People Behind the Stamps: A Newly-Found Group of Bullae and a Seal from the City of David, Jerusalem,” by Anat Mendel-Geberovich, Ortal Chalaf, and Joe Uziel
The article presents a group of thirteen inscribed bullae and a stamp seal, dated to the late 8th–early 6th centuries B.C.E., discovered in the recent excavations of Area U in the City of David, Jerusalem. Following the presentation of the archaeological context and palaeographic analysis of the finds, we discuss the names appearing on them and their contribution to the broader topic of the history of Jerusalem, with a special emphasis on the connection of the findings to the importance of the Gihon Spring and to the debate regarding Israelite refugees in Judah.
ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.
Pp. 183–190: “The Morphology of Iron Age Storage Jars and Its Relation to the Handbreadth Measure (Biblical Tefach),” by Avshalom Karasik, Ortal Harush, and Uzy Smilansky
In this paper we compare morphological features of three groups of Iron Age storage jars that were unearthed in several Judahite and Israelite sites. The most famous group is the royal Judahite storage jars with stamped handles (“lmlk,” “rosette,” etc.). The other two groups are the “Hippo” jars found abundantly in Israelite sites and the jars from Khirbet Qeiyafa (Judah), assigned chronologically to the early 10th century b.c.e. We scanned most of the available jars in 3D and compared them in a detailed morphological study. We extracted several metric measures and observed large variations between jars within a group and, to a larger extent, between jars from different groups. The only exception is the inner rim diameter, which shows surprising uniformity. Moreover, the distribution of inner rim diameters is consistent with anthropometric measurements of the handbreadth of the human male. We provide a detailed description of our methodology and findings and offer a few alternative explanations for the clear correlation between the measured inner rim diameter and the human tefach.
ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.
Pp. 191–209: “Yehud Stamp Impressions from Ramat-Raḥel: An Updated Tabulation,” by Oded Lipschits and David S. Vanderhooft
The 2011 publication of the corpus of the Yehud stamp impressions of the Persian and Early Hellenistic periods included 582 items—307 of them were excavated at Ramat Raḥel. A few additional handles with Yehud stamp impressions were discovered since then, mainly in Jerusalem, but 33 more stamped handles were discovered in the “Babylonian-Persian Pit” at Ramat Raḥel (five of these were previously published and one is unidentified). Forty-one more were discovered during processing, cataloging, and restoration of material from the 2009–2010 seasons (three of them are unidentified), bringing the total number of identified Yehud stamp impressions from all sites to 647. In this paper we present all the unpublished stamped handles, as well as a final tabulation of Yehud stamp impressions excavated at Ramat Raḥel, and reflect on the significance of the site for the administration of the province during the Persian and early Hellenistic periods.
ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.
Pp. 211–240: “Radiocarbon-Dating the Late Bronze Age: Cultural and Historical Considerations on Megiddo and Beyond,” by Mario A. S. Martin, Israel Finkelstein, and Eli Piasetzky
Megiddo, with its tight stratigraphy and well-controlled ceramic typology, yielded more than half of the radiocarbon determinations for the time span of the Middle Bronze II to the Iron I in the southern Levant. Here we present two radiocarbon models for this entire sequence, focusing on the Late Bronze Age—1) for Megiddo; 2) for Megiddo and Beth-Shean—adding a third model for sites which provide results relevant to the Middle Bronze III/Late Bronze I transition. We then discuss the impact of the results on the material culture and history of Megiddo in particular and the southern Levant (and eastern Mediterranean) in general.
ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.
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ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this issue. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the the entire issue, including book reviews, on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.
The tablets from Late Bronze Age Deir ‘Alla have puzzled scholars for more than 50 years ago. A provisional decipherment provides new insights. Read More[/vc_column_text][mk_divider thickness=”1″ margin_top=”10″][vc_column_text]
What can ten maps sum up about the history of an ancient land mass? What can they tell us about the region’s future? Read More[/vc_column_text][mk_divider thickness=”1″ margin_top=”10″][vc_column_text]
The Saqqara cemetery south of the Giza pyramids is one of Egypt’s most spectacular tourist sites. But what did it look like in antiquity? Read More[/vc_column_text][mk_divider thickness=”1″ margin_top=”10″][vc_column_text]
Fish was a key part of the ancient Roman diet. But there were many ways to consume fish. Read More[/vc_column_text][mk_divider thickness=”1″ margin_top=”10″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
EARLY CAREER SCHOLARS BROWN BAG PANEL ON BUILDING PATHS TO ACADEMIC CAREERS
[/vc_column_text][mk_divider][vc_column_text]The Early Career Scholars of ASOR will hold a virtual panel discussion on building paths to academic careers on February 4, 2021 at 12pm EST via Zoom. The expert panel includes professors from across the US and Israel and originate from various fields in history and archaeology. Speakers will include: Dr. Jay Crisostomo (University of Michigan, Middle East Studies Dept.), Dr. Jane DeRose Evans (Temple University, Art History Dept.), Dr. Aren Maeir (Bar-Ilan University, Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology Dept.), Dr. Julia Troche (Missouri State University, History Dept.), and Dr. K. Lawson Younger (Trinity International University, Divinity School).
The panelists will address topics such as choosing advisors, schools, dissertation topics, building CVs, what skills to acquire as an MA, PhD, post-doc etc. and the current status of the academic job market. To a large extent, the discussion will be shaped by your questions. Please ask them here.
The event, a part of our brown bag lunch series, is a *FREE* benefit for ASOR members. Registration is limited to ASOR members and students at ASOR member schools on a first come, first serve basis. Registrants will receive an email with Zoom access information prior to the event.
13 THINGS ASOR ACCOMPLISHED IN 2020 WITH THE SUPPORT OF OUR DONORS AND MEMBERS
[/vc_column_text][mk_divider][vc_wp_text]It has become cliché to say that 2020 has been a year like no other. For ASOR, this has been a year when we expanded our scholarships and services in spite of the challenges (see the infographic below). While many societies and non-profits are tightening operations, we are expanding our reach and programs. ASOR has not only changed our name and renewed our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion—the ASOR Board has made a commitment to operate with an eye on the long-term, and we need your support and help to continue our shared work. Please consider renewing your membership or making a gift to ensure that ASOR thrives in 2021.[/vc_wp_text][mk_divider][vc_single_image image=”70184″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][mk_divider][vc_column_text]With your year-end gift to ASOR, you support archaeology in a very direct way. Every gift is meaningful. Small gifts of $10 or more not only add up, but they attract larger gifts. Here’s another advantage to donating to ASOR in calendar year 2020—the federal stimulus bill, or CARES Act, may have a positive impact for anyone who pays taxes in the United States.
If you give up to $300 in cash (credit card gifts count) to charity in 2020, and you use the standard deduction, the CARES Act allows you to add that amount to your standard deduction. In other words, it may decrease your taxable income.
If you itemize, in 2020 you can deduct your charitable contributions up to 100% of your adjusted gross income (usually 30/50% of AGI).
All the details on the CARES Act can be found on the IRS website. If you have any questions about giving to ASOR, please don’t hesitate to contact Andy Vaughn.
SUMMARY OF THE DECEMBER 2020, ASOR BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING
[/vc_column_text][mk_divider][vc_column_text]The ASOR Board held its regular winter meeting last Wednesday (December 16, 2020). The agenda was full, with many important items. The most important decision was the unanimous vote to approve the new name, “The American Society of Overseas Research).” See the notice by Sharon Herbert.
The Board also had other important discussions and votes; those items are summarized below:
Election of new trustees and officers:
Elected a new Treasurer: Dr. Emily Miller Bonney was elected for a three-year term, beginning January 1, 2021. Emily is a current ASOR Trustee member of ASOR’s Finance Committee, and she is Professor of Liberal Studies and Dean Pollak Library at California State Fullerton. Emily has previously worked as an attorney, with experience in financial cases.
Appointed a new Board-elected trustee: Alex MacAllister, Regional Manager for MacAllister Machinery, was elected to fill an unexpired term as a member of the Class of 2022. A graduate of Purdue University, with a degree in organizational leadership and supervision, he also studied the ancient world and archaeology. He has traveled and studied in Turkey, Jordan, and several countries in the Mediterranean.
Elected for another three-year term (Class of 2023), the following Board-elected Trustees: Peggy Duly, Susan Laden, W. Mark Lanier, Joe D. Seger.
Welcomed Trustees elected by the membership and institutional representatives: Theodore Burgh (re-elected by membership), Melissa Bailey Kutner (first term, elected by membership), Carol Meyers (re-elected by institutional representatives), and Jason Ur (first term, elected by institutional representatives).
Said thank you and farewell (for now) to outgoing trustees: Sheila Bishop, Joe Greene, Heather McKee, and Eric Welch.
Treasurer’s Report and Financial Matters
Received a clean audit for Fiscal Year 2020 (link).
Reviewed the Fiscal Year Budget-to-actual, showing a $5,000 operating loss—would have been an $8,000 surplus if not for several adjusting entries for overstatements in Books from prior years.
Established new named endowment accounts: formally approved guidelines and policies for the Herbert Mason Fund and a Board-Designated Building Fund.
Increased ASOR’s endowment distribution rate: voted to increase distribution percentage from 3.5% to 5.0%, based on averages from the last 12 quarters. The increased distribution follows reaching a market level of $1.5 million for the Endowment for Operations.
Reviewed and discussed new financial oversight and services provided by Todd Mann Management Group and Charity CFO.
Discussion of the future of the Annual Meeting
Received written and oral reports from ASOR staff and Program Committee Co-chairs, Dr. Helen Dixon and Dr. Allison Thomason. It was reported that the Virtual Annual Meeting has 1085 registrants from 39 countries and six continents.
Reviewed finances of the Virtual Annual Meeting: Board Members discussed a report from Andy Vaughn that detailed the lower revenues and increased expenses that will likely make the VAM $70,000 unfavorable compared to the in-person meeting in San Diego. The estimate is that the VAM will be $85,000 unfavorable compared to the forecasts for a Boston Meeting.
Discussed two components (virtual and in-person) for the 2021 Annual Meeting. The in-person component will be held in Chicago over the normal dates, and the virtual component will take place online three weeks later.
Affirmed Annual Meeting Scholarships: It was announced and discussed that full or partial scholarships would be available for any member with a need to attend either or both components of the 2021 Annual Meeting.
Discussion and affirmation of Carbon-neutrality Goal for Annual Meeting
Goal of being carbon-neutral for the Annual Meeting by 2025. The Board received the recommendation from President Sharon Herbert, Executive Director Andy Vaughn, and the Program Committee that ASOR set a goal of having our Annual Meeting be carbon-neutral by 2025.
President Herbert announced that she would form an ad hoc committee to study the topic and make recommendations for actualizing the goal.
Board members were supportive of setting this as an aspiration goal, and several members noted the cultural environment and the natural environment face threats from adverse, human-induced climate change. It was observed that many of ASOR members make a common cause to protect both together, and that carbon-neutrality is strategically important for thinking of what ASOR should be when we enter the 2nd quarter of the 21st century.
Discussion of ASOR Online Resources
ASOR Board Members received a lengthy written report from Andy Vaughn that outlined extensive updates to the ASOR website for photo collections, maps, and educational resources.
Board Members discussed ways to further enhance online resources. Members who have contributed images and other resources were thanked, and everyone was encouraged to recruit support for these crowd-sourced collections.
Shepard Urgent Action Grants: the first project, the Tabira Gate Stabilization Project at Ashur, is complete. The project involved emergency construction of mudbrick to stabilize the gate as well as community outreach and health and safety measures for all who participated. Click here to read the report from the Tabira Gate Project. A second proposal is under consideration.
Regional approach: ASOR has made several proposals for extending the initiatives in Libya to other countries in North Africa. All of the proposals include strong participation and partnership with local stakeholders and civil society groups.
UPDATE FROM PRESIDENT SHARON HERBERT—ASOR BOARD APPROVES NEW NAME
[/vc_column_text][mk_divider][vc_wp_text]As you know from my earlier reports (see here), this was the year that we at ASOR set ourselves to confront problems with ASOR’s name and to determine whether and in what ways we should change it to better reflect what we do and to remove offensive language. It has been a long and thoughtful process, involving months of work by an Ad Hoc Committee on ASOR’s Name, polls of the membership in March and July of 2020, two special meetings of the Board of Trustees, two town halls in October, and a vote by the membership in early November on two choices for a new name, both of which preserve the acronym ASOR. The choice was between American SCHOOLS of OVERSEAS Research vs. American SOCIETY of OVERSEAS Research. American Society of Overseas Research was the clear winner by a vote of roughly 2/3 to 1/3.
I am pleased to report that the ASOR Board of Trustees unanimously approved this new name (American Society of Overseas Research) at its Regular Winter Meeting on December 16, 2020. We are now moving forward with the legal steps to change the name in our Articles of Incorporation that is filed with the District of Columbia. This legal process may take some time, but we are moving as quickly as possible.
This name is a compromise, and like all compromises it pleases no one completely. It is vague by design, and thus allows us to grow and change in any number of now unforeseen ways without having to go through legal hoops in our articles of incorporation in the future. A more specific description of what we do can be captured in a tag line that we may change without further legal paperwork as ASOR continues to evolve. Our current tag line is “unearthing the past since 1900”. The ad hoc committee recommended something that describes our geographical reach—one of the few things a majority (70.3%) of the membership agreed needed to be in a new name. The ad hoc committee’s recommendation was “from Africa to the Indus Valley.” We will be working with our branding company to devise something that includes both these elements. Stay tuned for further progress on this!
Sharon Herbert
ASOR President[/vc_wp_text][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684098866{margin-right: 5px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_wp_posts title=”BROWSE THE NEWS ARCHIVE” number=”4″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684008271{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text]Tweets by ASOResearch [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
[/vc_column_text][mk_divider][vc_wp_text]The Honors and Awards Committee seeks nominations to serve on the G. Ernest Wright Book Award and Frank Moore Cross Book Award sub-committees. ASOR invites nominations, including self-nominations, from ASOR members who are interested in being considered by the committee for this opening. Committee members will serve a three-year term with the possibility of two consecutive terms. Nominees must fill out the online form by January 31, 2021. The Honors and Awards Committee takes responsibility for determining the awardees for the three book awards, the field archaeology award, the “best poster” award, and the multiple membership service awards that ASOR gives annually; conducting the awards ceremony during the Members’ Meeting at the ASOR Annual Meeting; and discussing and advising the ASOR Board of Trustees about ASOR’s awards, including recommending to the Board the creation of new awards as deemed appropriate.
Two candidates are sought for the Frank Moore Cross Award sub-committee. This award is presented to the author/editor of the most substantial volume(s) related to the history and/or religion of the ancient Near East and Eastern Mediterranean. Primary consideration will be given to historical, epigraphic, textual, and comparative literary studies; or to works that advance and/or evaluate new methodological approaches to the literary record(s). This work must be the result of original research published during the past two years. (One award is given annually.)
One candidate is sought for the G. Ernest Wright Award sub-committee. This award is given to the author/editor of the most substantial volume(s) dealing with archaeological material, excavation reports and material culture from the ancient Near East and Eastern Mediterranean. This work must be the result of original research published within the past two years. (One award is given annually.)
In order to receive full consideration by the committee the online form must be submitted by noon EDT on January 15, 2021. For questions and concerns, please contact Meagan Shirley (info@asor.org) [/vc_wp_text][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684098866{margin-right: 5px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_wp_posts title=”BROWSE THE NEWS ARCHIVE” number=”4″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684008271{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text]Tweets by ASOResearch [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Caesarea Maritima Excavations in the Old City 1989-2003
Caesarea Maritima Excavations in the Old City 1989-2003
The ASOR Board held its regular winter meeting last Wednesday (December 16, 2020). The agenda was full, with many important items. The most important decision was the unanimous vote to approve the new name, “The American Society of Overseas Research).” See the