In less than a week, I will be back in Jerusalem to conduct further research on the western hill of the city now known as Mount Zion. The area surrounding the Cenacle, the so-called Upper Room of the Last Supper sitting atop the presumed Tomb of David, is my primary area of interest. Together with Dr. Shimon Gibson, acclaimed archaeologist and expert on ancient Israel, we will comb through a variety of archives containing unpublished data from a number of excavations that were conducted on the southern part of the hill. It is our hope to collect enough data to publish a valuable resource that other experts can draw upon when conducting their own research.

While in the city, I have plans to meet with a number of folks who were so helpful to me during the research phase for my book, The Upper Room and Tomb of David: The History, Art and Archaeology of the Cenacle on Mount Zion. I will visit the National Library of Israel, the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, the Benedictine Abbey of the Dormition, the Israel Antiquities Authority, and other organizations and individuals who, in one way or another, have connections with Mount Zion and its history.

Hopefully, while I’m there, I will have time to post several blog entries with new photographs for all of you to enjoy. Stay tuned…