'Caananites’ at Bethlehem

By writing his popular book on Canaanites for the British Museum, Jonathan offered an enlightening synthesis of the pre-classical cultures of the Levant and an overall interpretation of the archaeology of Syria-Palestine. His definition of ‘Canaanite’ culture was inclusive and extended well beyond the traditional Biblical interpretation. Despite the prevalent misleading terminology, Jonathan illustrated vividly and completely elements of continuity and change across the Levant, viewed from a field archaeological perspective, by one who had handled some of the most representative of collections, those held in the Department of the Middle East in the British Museum. He has developed wide experience during his excavations of sites such as Tell es-Sa’idiyeh and Tiwal esh-Sharqi in Jordan, and over his career has succeeded in contextualising finds in a historical reconstruction.