It seems like it has been years that rumor has been circulating that a fifth “update” volume is due out for the New Encyclopedia of 
Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land (NEAEH).
Word from the Israel Exploration Society today is that the volume “will not be released before the beginning of next year.” I guess that means that it can be anytime after January 2008. Which guarantees that it will need a significant update by the time it first appears. That’s true for many published and delayed works, but especially true in the archaeology of Israel. (You can still get the four-volume set at Eisenbrauns for the great price of $150).
4 thoughts on “NEAEH Update Volume Status”
Todd. I discovered Bibleplaces.com off of followtherabbi.com. I bought the whole pictoral set and have loved it and found it useful for teaching a 20’s & 30’s group with my church. I’m looking to go a little deeper in background information. Would this book be a good next step or would another route be better?
Rob – I think that you’d find this set (and update volume) to be too technical for what you’re doing, and also too focused on archaeology to the exclusion of other material. I’d suggest a good Bible atlas (such as that by Rasmussen or Beitzel), a good book on the history of ancient Israel (such as Kingdom of Priests by Merrill), studies on Jewish background in the time of Jesus (such as http://www.jerusalemperspective.com), or the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (NT is available; OT is in preparation). You might also check my list of recommended books at http://www.bibleplaces.com/books.htm). There’s more than enough to keep you busy!
I’d like to recommend an economical alternative to the NEAEH set. You can usually find copies of the 2003 paperback edition of the “The Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land” (edited by Negev & Gibson) for under $20 at Amazon (check with the seller to confirm the publication date so you don’t end up with a 1990 edition). It makes for a good general reference to archeological sites in the Bible.
Sorry, here’s the correct ASIN link to the 2003 paperback edition; the one in my previous message was to the earlier hardcover.