{"174511":{"#nid":"174511","#data":{"type":"news","title":"In \u0022Solomon\u0027s Temple\u0022 Dean Alan Balfour explores Myth, Conflict, and Faith","body":[{"value":"\u003Ch4 class=\u0022body1\u0022\u003ESolomon\u0027s Temple: Myth, Conflict and Faith\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022body1\u0022\u003ECollege of Architecture Dean Alan Balfour\u0027s highly original history of Solomon\u2019s Temple and Islam\u2019s Dome of the Rock doubles as a social and cultural history of the region. \u0022I write cultural history from the evidence of building and cities,\u0022 Balfour says,\u0026nbsp;\u0022and I focus on settings of significant conflict to examine the underlying causes.\u0022 The Temple Mount, the site of numerous structures and shrines considered holy both by Christians and Muslims, is certainly one of the most contested places on earth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022body1\u0022\u003EDean Balfour\u0027s erudite but highly accessible work is based on sources located in religious texts,\u0026nbsp;archives and museums in the Middle East and elsewhere, and most significantly at the sites of the holy places themselves. For example he writes that \u0022I reconstructed the events leading up to Christ\u0027s arrest by walking over and over again the paths that He would have travelled. . .\u0022\u0026nbsp; An integral feature of the book-- one that betrays Balfour\u0027s roots in architectural history -- is its lavish illustrations. Particularly in the impressive Kindle edition, readers can explore a set of incredibly rich reproductions of lithographs, paintings, and architectural drawings. Far from just being \u0022eye candy,\u0022 the meanings, symbolism, and sometimes distortions conveyed by these images contribute to the overall arc of the narrative.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022body1\u0022\u003EThe book is available in hardcover or as a \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Solomons-Temple-Conflict-Faith-ebook\/dp\/B008UYKXNW\/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;qid=1355165467\u0026amp;sr=8-2\u0026amp;\u0022\u003EKindle edition at amazon.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022body1\u0022\u003ESolomon\u0027s Temple: Myth, Conflict and Faith on\u0026nbsp; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Solomons-Temple-Myth-Conflict-and-Faith\/380580165362445\u0022\u003EFacebook\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"New book by Dean of College of Architecture is a cultural history centered on an iconic structure."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENew book by Dean of College of Architecture is a cultural history centered on an iconic structure.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New book by Dean of College of Architecture is a cultural history centered on an iconic structure."}],"uid":"27202","created_gmt":"2012-11-30 14:36:16","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:13:18","author":"David Morton","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-12-03T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2012-12-03T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"174501":{"id":"174501","type":"image","title":"\u0027Solomon\u0027s Temple\u0027 by Alan Balfour","body":null,"created":"1449179012","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:43:32","changed":"1475894816","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:56","alt":"\u0027Solomon\u0027s Temple\u0027 by Alan Balfour","file":{"fid":"195967","name":"solomon3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/solomon3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/solomon3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":224486,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/solomon3.jpg?itok=DtdnSefw"}}},"media_ids":["174501"],"groups":[{"id":"1221","name":"College of Design"}],"categories":[{"id":"42941","name":"Art Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1683","name":"history"},{"id":"51931","name":"Middle East history"},{"id":"3149","name":"religion"},{"id":"47321","name":"top"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:david.morton@coa.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EDavid Morton\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["david.morton@coa.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}