From travelers' descriptions of the holy land to the survey of western palestine. An integrative approach for the study of sacred sites in the Galilee

Ancient sacred sites that are still functioning are usually closed to archeological excavations, which might otherwise have revealed their history by exposing their early strata. The present article investigates the history and development of a series of sacred sites in the Lower and Upper Galilee. The sites selected for the study are believed to be the burial places of well-known Jewish sages. The selection of the sites is qualified by two aspects: (a) Detailed descriptions left by ancient travelers; (b) an unequivocal identification on the ground. The article suggests a new approach for the study of sacred sites by integrating the evidence of the ancient sources, descriptions left by researchers who visited them in modern times, old photographs, and a close look at the sites today. It seeks to demonstrate that a combination of these observations enables scholars to trace the stages of the sites' development - or indeed to demonstrate that certain travelers' descriptions refer to a different site rather than to the site identified today.