Jerusalem is a central place for three world religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and since the middle of the 19th century no other city on earth has been explored more thoroughly by scientific (and other forms of) archaeology. But disagreements have only intensified along with investigation.

Unlike any other city, Jerusalem’s archaeology goes off in many directions, not only down and to the sides, but up to the heavens above and around the world. This paper explores how scholarly, nationalist, religious and commercial agendas intersect and compete on rocky ground that is uniquely fixed in the gaze of peoples worldwide.