Jerusalem Journal of Archaeology

Jerusalem Journal of Archeology

From the site:

JJAR is a peer-reviewed online journal dealing with studies related to the archaeology of the Levant and adjacent relevant regions, from the Protohistoric era to the end of the Hellenistic period (6th - 1st millennium BCE). It is distributed free of charge via the Internet.

Chronologically, JJAR covers the periods which were often associated with ‘biblical archaeology’. While the journal covers all aspects and themes related to this long era, we particularly welcome the following themes:

 

Contributions dealing with the intersection between the archaeology and the textual sources. This includes not only the debates over the historicity of certain events or figures, but also studies about the historical locus of some texts and/or sources, as well as studies illuminating the contribution of archaeology to an understanding of the texts, and vice-versa. Methodological studies dealing with the intersection between the disciplines are especially welcome.

 

Contributions dealing with social and anthropological issues. While such studies are the bread and butter of most sub-field of the archaeological discipline, they were never a main theme in the archaeology of the Levant. Still, given the large archaeological datasets available from the region, greatly exceeding that of any other part of the world, Levantine archaeology has the potential to contribute to the study of all aspects of the human experience. We hope that such studies would help bridge the gap between Near Eastern archaeology and other branches of the discipline.

 

Given the new opportunities opened by the digital format, JJAR will not limit the number of words or illustrations of a publication, as long as the peer-review process does not point to overlapping or irrelevant material. This aspect is most relevant to large and long-term field projects that wish to present an interim report for every 3–4 years of fieldwork. Such a presentation can easily end up with 30,000 words and 50 illustrations, and the journal will be happy to consider the publication of preliminary reports, on the basis of their merit alone.

 

JJAR will also consider requests for publication of conference proceedings. In such cases, a special issue will be dedicated to the articles stemming from the conference. The organizers of the conference will serve as guest editors of the special issue. Once a contribution is accepted (after the peer-review process and proofreading), the editor(s) could decide whether to wait for the other contributions of the special issue, or to publish it online immediately. Choosing this option means that late submission of contributions will not delay the entire publication. This new approach will encourage scholars to submit their contribution as early as possible.

 

The digital format carries with it additional benefits. As an open-access online journal, JJAR will allow the authors to receive the maximum possible exposure, without commercial or legal obstacles. While most journals today belong to large conglomerates and restrict the authors’ ability to use and disseminate their own work, JJAR allows the contributors to distribute their papers as they see fit.
 

Finally, JJAR aims at reducing the time that passes between the acceptance of the article and its final publication. Once a paper is accepted and the technical aspects of graphic design and proofreading are completed, it will be immediately published (unless the paper is part of a collection, and see below).

Submission guidelines for authors are detailed on the JJAR website.