One of my favorite scholars on matters related to biblical archaeology is Leen Ritmeyer. I am impressed not only by his scholarship but by his gracious and humble spirit. As architect for the Jerusalem excavations of Benjamin Mazar and Nahman Avigad, Ritmeyer has sketched many of the reconstruction drawings that you see in books and on posters. He’s done significant work on sites outside of Jerusalem as well. I am happy to recommend his work whenever I get the chance. His latest work is his magnum opus, The Quest: Revealing the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. I’ve been recommending it to students for years, though it only was published last year.
Ritmeyer now has a blog in which he intends to address matters related to the Temple Mount and biblical archaeology. His first post is a brief response to the new theory by Joseph Patrich which locates the temple facing the southeast on the basis of a cistern. Ritmeyer’s blog is welcome and recommended!
2 thoughts on “Dr. Leen Ritmeyer's Blog”
Todd:
I can vouch for Leen’s humble attitude and gracious manner. I have known him for several years from the Kh el-Maqatir dig days. He is a fine scholar and always willing to share his knowledge of the Bible, which is encyclopedic. Glad he is starting a blog, too. It will compliment the fine work you are doing to keep the interested community up-to-date.
Thank you, Todd, for opening up so much of recent scholarship, including Dr. Ritmeyer’s to students such as myself, who likely would not have found them without someone pointing the way. May God continue to bless yours and Dr. Ritmeyer’s ministries as you handle God’s truth through His Word, His Spirit, and the Land with the utmost love and care.