In Joshua's Altar, Milt Machlin narrates the gripping story of a physically disabled archaeologist who literally crawled across a desert to unearth this incredible site at Mount Ebal. Steeped in controversy, the book unveils the first archaeological discovery of an actual physical location that corroborates a biblical reference. Illustrations. 16 pages of black-and-white photos Editorial Reviews From Library Journal Machlin chronicles the discovery by Adam Zertal of ruins that could shed new light on the historical reliability of the Old Testament. If the find is Joshua's altar, the earliest Israelite cultic shrine, the limits of verifiability are pushed back, forcing scholars to reconsider the historicity of Joshua, the Exodus, and the occupation of Canaan. Despite scholarly debate regarding Zertal's identification of the site, the story Machlin tells is interesting in its own right. Both Zertal's discovery and the tenacious archaeologist himself are impressive. In addition, there are insights into the often poorly understood field of archaeology. In light of his quest for the historical Joshua (and his altar), Zertal's reconstruction of the occupation of Canaan will not satisfy everyone. However, Machlin's interest in his subject translates into interesting reading. Recommended. - Craig W. Beard, Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.