I have arrived in Jerusalem and settled into a studio apartment about a 12 minute walk from Albright Institute.

I have met Emily the head librarian, who oriented me to the library and assigned me a desk in the newly renovated library basement. The room is also home for most of the periodical collection.  The library is non-circulating. But we can keep volumes at our desk after we place a “ghost card” with pertinent information in the slot from which we withdrew the book.

During my first week, I have been reading much background material on the architectural forms and appointments in byzantine basilical churches.  Watch for a coming post in which I discuss some rethinking of room identification in the Northeast Church.

My next steps will be to gather excavation reports and build on some 85 sites initially chosen for the project. I will begin with those sites in Palaestina Secunda.  As I work through the sites, I will post data and initial evaluation to the Archaeology of Liturgy website.