Particularly valuable to students of archaeology in the ancient Near East are the old accounts of cities uncovered by archaeologists and historians of the nineteenth century. Basing his work initially on the groundwork of K. B. Stark, who wrote before the advent of either Assyriology or biblical criticism, Meyer offers as comprehensive a history of Gaza as the material of his time would allow. An ambitious dissertation, this account covers what was known of Gaza in Palestine from the earliest records up through the nineteenth century. Meyer divides his treatment into two parts: the first looking at the population and historical periods of the city; the second concerned with concepts and physical remains: cults; deities; the Gaza calendar; inscriptions; coins; and other artifacts. The reader interested in the history of cities in the region of ancient Israel will find that this classic history remains an informative source.

Martin Abraham Meyer (1879-1923) earned his doctorate at Columbia University. He was Rabbi at Temple Israel in New York City and then at Temple Emanuel in San Francisco.