Beyond the River: Ottoman Transjordan in Original Photographs [Hardcover]

'it is immediately apparent that Beyond the River is a specialist work, in particular a visual treasure trove for anyone of archaeological inclinations- and, one might add, including the industrial archaeology of bygone photographic technology….this elegant production is uncompromisingly a reference book for scholars or expert amateurs. Such types will undoubtedly thrill to the visual revelations contained within its covers.' --Ramsay Wood in 'PEQ: Palestine Exploration Quarterly' July 2008.

During the 19th and early 20th century, the rugged, mountainous land through which the River Jordan flows, was a region of untouched beauty and deeply held tribal traditions. Beyond the River gathers over 200 black-and-white photographs of Transjordan from the collections of the Palestine Exploration Fund in London, taken during the dying days of the Ottoman Empire, through the First World War, and the establishment of the Hashemite Emirate of Jordan in 1921 from which the modern Kingdom evolved. These beautiful images of the peoples, monuments, and landscapes of Transjordan, capture the powerful spirit of the place, and provide an unsurpassed documentation of the region's archaeological heritage, and a unique visual record of a crucial moment in Levantine history. The pictures are set in context with an introductory text and detailed captions, researched and written by the distinguished Jordanian historian, Dr. Raouf Sa'd Abujaber, and archaeologist and Curator of the PEF's collections, Felicity Cobbing.

Dr Raouf Sa'd Abujaber, distinguished historian of nineteenth century Transjordan, has conducted original research on the region during the Ottoman period. He has written widely on the subject. He has written widely on the subject. He has published five books and is the author of over fifty articles in English and Arabic. Aside from his activities as a scholar, Dr Abujaber is a leading industrialist, several times president of the General Arab Insurance Federation and the Jordan Insurance Federation and head of a number of philanthropic associations in Jordan. He was for 35 years Honorary Consul General of the Netherlands in Jordan. Felicity Cobbing is an archaeologist and Curator of the Palestine Exploration fund's unique archives in London. She has taken part in excavations in Britain and in the Levant, notably that of the British Museum at Tell es-Sa'idiyeh in Jordan. She is the author of several articles relating to the excavations at Tell es-Sa'idiyeh, and to the development of archeology in the Levant during the nineteenth and early twentieth century.