author
Elihu Grant
1873–1942
A Methodist minister turned scholar of Palestine, he wrote from firsthand experience after years spent in Ramallah and Jerusalem. His books blend close observation, biblical learning, and a lively interest in everyday village life.
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About the author
Born in Pennsylvania in 1873, he studied at Boston University, became a Methodist minister in 1900, and soon went to Palestine. From 1901 to 1904 he served as superintendent of the American Friends Schools in Ramallah and al-Bireh near Jerusalem, an experience that shaped much of his later writing.
After returning to the United States, he taught biblical literature at Smith College and later at Haverford College, where he remained until retiring in 1938. He was known as a scholar, teacher, and writer whose work connected academic study with direct knowledge of the places and people of the eastern Mediterranean.
He is especially remembered for books on Palestine, including The Peasantry of Palestine and its expanded version, The People of Palestine, as well as later archaeological work at Ain Shems. He died in 1942, leaving behind writings that still interest readers for their mix of travel, cultural description, and biblical context.