BIOGRAPHY WRITINGS PICTURES DISCUSSION JOURNAL EVENTS

Catalogue of the T. E. Lawrence Centenary Exhibition
held at the National Portrait Gallery, London, 1988-9

Lawrence of Arabia


 

74. THE SINAI SURVEY

Photographs by T. E. Lawrence (January - February 1914)

Lawrence, Woolley and Dahoum left Carchemish to join the Sinai Survey at the end of December 1913. When they reached Beersheba they discovered to their surprise that no equipment or stores had been provided for them, and they were therefore obliged to buy almost everything they would need for the six-week expedition.

Fortunately, Lawrence had taken his own camera and a supply of film.

These photographs were taken during the survey and show the arid nature of the flinty desert through which they travelled. They found little to interest biblical archaeologists, since the only substantial ruins were from the Byzantine period.

 

  

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 (i) Wadi Deira, rock-cut cistern
 

(ii) Raheiba, reservoir 
Note Dahoum, standing in the
reservoir to indicate its scale.

  (iii) Kurnub, capital and voussoirs of the west church

 

(iv) Esbeita, south church

Palestine Exploration Fund

Literature: C. L. Woolley and T. E. Lawrence, The Wilderness of Zin, Palestine Exploration Fund, London, 1914, ill. pls. xxxiii, xxxi, xix.

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From the catalogue compiled by Jeremy Wilson and others for the T. E. Lawrence Centenary Exhibition held at the National Portrait Gallery, London, 1988-9. Printed edition (National Portrait Gallery Publications, 1988) Copyright © N. Helari Ltd 1988. Web edition Copyright © J & N Wilson 1998. T.E. Lawrence Studies - www.telawrence.info - is edited by Jeremy Wilson. Its costs are sponsored by Castle Hill Press