“As in the previous two monographs, the reader of this third volume turns into a visitor – indeed, a kind of pilgrim – invited to interweave history, art, tradition and even spirituality; among the spaces and monuments of Machaerus hovers always the figure of the Baptist, and his voice echoes with that vehement imperative recorded by the evangelist Mark: “you are not allowed” (6,18). We speak of a “visit” because the pages that follow are illustrated with almost two thousand images and graphics whose colors almost allow the reader to dwell in those places and premises, admiring them, locating them on the maps and feeling, indirectly, the breath of the desert which envelops them. Yes, because this latest stage of the excavation – which is, suggestively, part of a permanent project and not of an occasional survey as often happens – has provided a treasure-trove, full of surprises.”