What is the advantage of an index without the complete set of volumes?
There are many. First, some have access to the Survey of Western Palestine volumes in a local library and having their own electronic index facilitates use of those volumes. Second, the 26 maps of the SWP are now available electronically in the Historic Views of Holy Land CD series. This Index is a useful companion to navigating those maps. Third, the name list is a handy way of determining the meaning of the Arabic place names. For instance, you can see that ’Ain Jidy [Ein Gedi] is “the spring of the kid” and Kh. el Meshsh means “the ruin of the water-pits.” Many of the names of the sites in Palestine in the 19th century are quite fascinating. Fourth, the general index often gives some helpful identifying information, especially for sites that have multiple names. For example, “Beisn (Sh. 9, Pk) represents the ancient Bethshean and the later Scythopolis,” and “Bene Hazr, the tomb of, traditionally called the grotto of St. James.” Also, “Geba of Benjamin, the ancient, identical with Je
