This book is a collection eleven papers delivered at a University of London Institute of Archaeology symposium, in April of 1981. The first three chapters are on three sites: Buseirah (near Petra), Wadi el Hasa (north of Buseirah), and Iron Age burial practices throughout the Jordan area. The second section has papers on Tayma, Edomite and Midianite pottery. The third section, on metallurgy, contains the results of a lab reconstruction of an ancient copper smelting furnace, and a look at iron working and its perception in Biblical Israel. Section 4 is on Social and Political History subjects, with the first one being on the campaign against Moab in 2 Kings 3 (and the identification of the kings involved), the second examines the relationship between the Midianites and Ishmaelites, and the third paper discusses the extent of Midian holdings and the possibility that Gideon was a Midianite.

The font used make the text look like it was typed on a typewriter, with the illustrations being few and primitive. As for the articles, they are quite interesting, but sadly written in an academic style, which makes them less interesting to the casual reader. That said, the articles are quite interesting, and well worth reading. The papers I found most interesting in this book are Professor Khair Yassine’s took at Iron Age burial practices, and Professor John Sawyer’s look at iron in Biblical Israel. I found the latter work quite interesting.

Therefore, I give this book a rather qualified recommendation.