For this, the third edition of "The Holy Land", Father Jerome Murphy O'Connor has revised, updated and expanded the book. It presupposes little knowledge of history or archaeology and gives directions about how to find sites and monuments of interest - from Stone Age caves, the grandiose buildings of Herod the Great, Roman roads, Byzantine churches and synagogues, to the hunting places of Arab princes, Crusader fortifications and decorated Mameluke houses. The author also encourages visitors to range off the beaten track and includes reports of recent excavations as well as numerous detailed site plans and maps.