This ninth archaeological report of the Leon Levy Expedition presents the material remains of Ashkelon’s Hellenistic-period occupation. Drawing together contributions from a range of specialists, it adduces the evidence from Ashkelon’s material record to address larger economic, cultural, and political questions of the Hellenistic era. From dense urban neighborhoods to monumental public spaces, this volume presents a survey of the city’s architecture and a detailed analysis of its ceramic assemblage alongside specialist studies of coins, botanical and faunal remains, and small finds. It provides a reconstruction of Ashkelon’s historical arc and economic networks and explores the material evidence for cultural and political influence throughout the Ptolemaic, Seleucid, and early Roman empires. In so doing, it explores Ashkelon’s transition from being a Phoenician city under the Persians to a nominally Greek city under the Ptolemies or Seleucids. Featuring more than twenty-six chapters written by experts in the field and a wealth of detailed color and black-and-white illustrations, Ashkelon 9 is an essential contribution to the study of Hellenistic archaeology in Israel. It will be a valuable resource for archaeologists, biblical scholars, and Hellenists specializing in this period both in Israel and in the broader Mediterranean. In addition to the author, the contributors to this volume are Donald Ariel, Deirdre N. Fulton, Omri Lernau, John M. Marston, and Anastasia Shapiro.
An in-depth archaeological exploration of Ashkelon’s transition from being a ‘Phoenician’ city under the Persians to a nominally ‘Greek’ city under the Ptolemies or Seleucids.
