Review Reports

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The bulk of the article is very strong. There are a few moments, though, where the author speculates on the connections of their findings to other areas of research (e.g. other ANE religions or the Hebrew Bible). The speculations either need to be made more lightly, or they need greater evidential support.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Occasional punctuation editing needed. Some awkward sentences. All noted in the pdf.

Author Response

Thanks for your comments. The relation of the desert with the religions of the fertile Near East is discussed in other papers of mine, one is referred to in line 608. Since this paper is anyway long, I refrained from repeating discussions. Also to the editors’ request I deleted paragraphs which were too similar to previous publications.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

I enjoyed reading this article on Prehistoric cult sites along the desert roads

The issue of dating is not addressed in detail: Are all shrines shown dare to prehistoric times? For few C14 dating is mentioned, but are other similar ones are also assumed to date similarly according to typology?

What is the date of the seal impression in Figure 13?

p. 11 lines 142-3: the statement is rather generalistic (on an-iconic theology of desert people), there are exceptions

p. 15 l. 217- the notion of standing un-iconic stones as a religious principle originating in the desert (and less sow in settled land)- this may probably related to difference in subsistence between the regions

pp. 22-24 Fig. 28 Type C Figs 33-36: why are the rounded stones circles (type C) interpreted as shrines and not animal pens? (no specials finds from these sites are shown in the article, save from the fossil bones, allegedly brought to it)

pp. 25-27- same question for the ‘plaza sites’

pp. 27-28 – while the interpretation of single cairns as cultic make sense, the cairns field with ‘aligned lines’ of cairns can represent collection of stones for clearing the road or an area

p. 29 l. 499-502 – no scientific proofs or references are given for the statement on the ‘residue’ color on the stones

Fig 47: were nos. b and c found as shown? (‘miniature houses’)

Summary: Aside from the issue of road sanctuary function as protection for the traveler, the sanctuaries are found near roads since in this region there were the only place people went through. Since there are now settlements for long distances people cannot go off the road if they want to survive. People traveling the roads and visiting or building the sanctuaries are not necessarily pilgrims (they travel the road from A to B for a different reason), but they may not be locals, and thus bring over non-local artifacts

The figures are low resolution, especially the maps (not readable). No credits are given to photographs.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf