Archaeology of the Ostraca House at Israelite Samaria

Robert J. Bull began the excavation of a vault on the south side of the Inner Harbour of Caesarea Maritima, Israel. The vault was one of a row of warehouses built to store goods unloaded from the harbour built by Herod the Great.

Begins with an introduction to the excavation process; the study of the stratigraphy (analysis of the order and position of layers of archaeological remains) considers the later excavations of the adjoining vault, and includes new photographs, plans, and section drawings. The original construction phase, the vault's transformation into a Mithraeum (a sanctuary or temple of the god Mithras), abandonment, and final use as a "charnel house" are discussed in detail.

Also, includes detailed studies of the fragmentary wall paintings depicting Mithraic iconography, and of the medallion found inside the vault, in the context of the practices of Mithraism in the ancient world. The reconstruction of the ceiling splay and the interpretation in terms of astrological symbolism important to Mithraism are also detailed.

A second volume describing the structure of the vault and the material culture found is planned.

Robert Jehu Bull was the emeritus director of the Drew University's Institute for Archaeological Research, later the Joint Expeditions to Caesarea Maritima, where he excavated from 1971 to 1996, exposing major parts of the city's street plan, warehouse complex, a residential quarter, and parts of the hippodrome. Before excavating at Caesarea, he excavated and led excavations at Shechem, Balatah, Ai, Pella, Tell er-Ras, and Khirbet Shema'.

Andrew H. Bobeck His book "Techniques for Improving Digital Photographs" by OutSkirts Press covers in depth the graphics technique he used to recover the faded colours of the Caesarea fresco.

Jane DeRose Evans is a Professor of Art History and is affiliated with the Department of Greek and Latin Classics at Temple University. She has excavated in Greece, Italy, England, Israel, and France. Currently, she is the specialist numismatist for the Archaeological Exploration of Sardis (Harvard and Cornell universities) and Bir Madkhour (George Washington University).

Robert S. Fritzius has published the Introduction and First Part of an English translation of Walter Ritz's "Recherches critiques sur l'Électrodynamique Générale", and served as staff artist for the excavations at Elusa, Israel.  He is a member of the American Astronomical Society, the Committee on Space Research, and the Venus Exploration and Analysis Group.

Alexandra L. Ratzlaff is a Fellow at the Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem and a University Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Maritime Civilizations at the University of Haifa. She recently completed a two-year Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Haifa. Her research and publication projects focus on the Roman army, Roman and Byzantine ceramics, the Late Antique maritime economy and trade networks of the Mediterranean world.