The American Schools of Oriental Research
The American Schools of Oriental Research supports and encourages the study of the peoples and cultures of the Near East, from the earliest times to the present. Founded in 1900, ASOR is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization. It is apolitical and has no religious affiliation.
ASOR communicates news of the latest research findings in its publications and through lectures at its Annual Meeting, while its overseas institutes host scholars working in the Middle East. ASOR's book series and journals such as Near Eastern Archaeology and the Bulletin of ASOR, are aimed at both a lay audience and specialist archaeologists, historians, and Biblical scholars. ASOR's Annual Meeting brings together scholars from around the world to present their latest findings and discuss their research. Our independent overseas institutes in Cyprus, Israel, and Jordan facilitate research in the field by students and scholars. Fellowship programs are available to provide funds for work at these institutes as well as for Mesopotamian studies and student travel to the Annual Meeting.
About ASOR—Purpose
The purpose of the organization was spelled out in its initial letters of incorporation and remains the same today:
The main object of the Schools is to enable properly qualified persons to pursue Biblical, linguistic, archaeological, historical, and other kindred studies and researches under more favorable conditions than can be secured at a distance from the Holy Land. The School is open to duly qualified applicants of all races and both sexes, and is free from obligations or preferences in respect to religious preference. Furthermore, ASOR is apolitical.
Recommended reading
For more information on ASOR's history, please see the following two volumes:
King, Philip J. 1983. American Archaeology in the Mideast: A History of the American Schools of Oriental Research. Philadelphia, ASOR.
Seger, Joe D., ed. 2001. An ASOR Mosaic: a Centennial History of the American Schools of Oriental Research, 1900-2000. Boston, ASOR.
ASOR's mission statement
Founded in 1900, ASOR is a non-profit organization dedicated to the archaeology of the Near East. ASOR's mission is to initiate, encourage and support research into, and public understanding of, the peoples and cultures of the Near East from the earliest times
• By fostering original research, archaeological excavations, and explorations
• By encouraging scholarship in the basic languages, cultural histories and traditions of the Near Eastern world.
• By promoting the educational goals of Near Eastern studies disciplines and advocating high academic standards in teaching and interdisciplinary research.
• By maintaining an active program of timely dissemination of research results and conclusions.
• And by offering educational opportunities in Near Eastern history and archaeology to undergraduates and graduates in North American colleges and universities, and through outreach activities to the general public.
ASOR's Public Policies