2024-12-31-accounts

ANGLO-ISRAEL ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT 2024 Prepared for the AGM held 5 April 2025

The 61st AGM of the Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society (unincorporated association) was held on 5 April 2024 by videoconference. This AGM will be the third AGM of The Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), Charity Reg no. 1195866.

The Society exists to advance education relating to the archaeology of Israel and its neighbours. It regularly holds lectures on topics of archaeological interest concerning the region, funding travel grants to Israel for students and publishing its peer-reviewed journal, Strata . All these activities were carried out in 2024, along with other one-off activities, and are described below.

Lecture Summaries for 2024

Our on-line lecture programme continues to attract large worldwide audiences which frequently exceed over 100 attendees. The Society hosted 14 lectures throughout the year and this included supporting the Oded Lipschits Lecture Tour. The following is a summary of lectures in 2023, which are all available to view on the website.

23 January 2024: Online

Professor Hugh Williamson (University of Oxford) Scrolls and Scribes: How Well Has the Bible Survived?

27 February 2024 Online

Professor Orly Goldwasser, Professor Rollston and Professor Garfinkel (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) Dawn of the Aleph-Bet

25 March 2024: Online

Professor Joan Taylor (Kings College London) Recovering Saint Salome: Khirbet Qasra Revealed

17 April 2024: Online

Professor Steven Ortiz (Lipscomb University) Searching for Solomon’s City: Recent Excavations at Tel Gezer

22 May 2024: Online

Dr. Cynthia Shafer-Elliott (Baylor University) Home Sweet Home: Ancient Israelite Households in Context

26 June 2024: Online

Paul Collins (British Museum) and Professor Hindy Najman (University of Oxford) Origins and Resilience: The Vitality of Judaism in Archaeology, Art and Texts

22 July 2024: Online

Professor Erich Gruen (University of California) Ancient Judaism: a Nation, an Ethnicity, or a Religion?

10 October 2024: Online

Professor Erez Ben-Yosef (Tel Aviv University) King Solomon’s Mines Revisited: 10 Years of Excavations in the Timna Valley

11 November 2024: Online

Dr Eyal Baruch (Bar-Ilan University) Ritual Baths (Mikvehs) in Synagogues: Between Law (Halakhah) and Piousness

29 June 2023: In person, Wiener Library Professor Tessa Rajak University of Reading) Exploring the Holy Land with Josephus in Hand

Student Travel Grants

Due to the ongoing challenges affecting Israel, our usual student travel grant opportunities have been temporarily suspended. We will closely monitor the situation and aim to resume this programme, or a comparable initiative, at the earliest appropriate time

Strata Volume 41

This edition of the journal seeks to expand its scope by covering a broader range of subjects and historical periods. The outgoing Editor-in-Chief, Professor Ken Dark, provides an insightful Editorial reflecting on the global significance of Jerusalem's archaeology. Greg Jenks examines coins from Et-Tell and their implications for the archaeology of early Christianity. Yosef Spiezer employs Geographical Information Systems to trace the city walls from the Roman Period and assess adjacent sites. Leah Di Segni contributes new findings from the extensively studied Masada, while Joan Taylor and Boaz Zissu offer a substantial examination of Ḥorvat Qasra and the Christian chapel of Salome. Joshua and Stephen Errington revisit the work of early explorers of the ‘Tomb of the Kings,’ and Yana Tchekhanovets and Doron Ben-Ami discuss the re-excavation of a trench originally excavated by Dame Kathleen Kenyon.

Volume 41 also contained an obituary of Ammon Ben-Tor, five book reviews, and summaries of some 15 lectures delivered by leading scholars as part of the Society’s annual lecture series. And we feature reports from our Student Travel Grant programme celebrating our (belated) Diamond Jubilee year.

All the authors are sincerely thanked for their contributions to Strata 41. Special thanks are extended to our editors at the time Professor Ken Dark and Dr Rachael Sparks, for assembling and editing the volume, and to Dr Rebekah Welton for collating the book reviews.

Finance

A separate Annual Statement of Accounts for 2024 has been circulated with the Agenda for this AGM.

Publicity

The Society’s website is an important focus for information about AIAS events, archaeological news from Israel, recordings of lectures and for selecting back copies of Strata. The website attracts considerable interest and sincere thanks are extended to Dr Rachael Sparks for maintaining and keeping the information up to date. The Society’s Facebook page is maintained by Dr Rachael Sparks and gives links to, and comments on, the latest archaeological discoveries and publicity about AIAS’s latest lectures (www.facebook.com/IsraelArchaeologyLondon). AIAS is also on - Twitter: @AIAS_Strata, and our grateful thanks are extended to Dr Rebekah Welton for administering the Twitter account.

During Summer 2024, we conducted a member survey to gain deeper insights into our members' preferences and expectations. The findings indicated widespread satisfaction with the Society’s activities, particularly lectures. Suggestions included improving the website, introducing curated visits, and newsletters. In response, AIAS launched a biennial newsletter starting Summer 2024, with ongoing efforts to enhance the website. The committee is actively exploring further improvements to enrich the member experience.

Trustee meetings

The Trustees convened three times in 2024; in March, July and November. In addition to the topics covered above, there were discussions on our investment policy, updating our privacy policy, reducing the annual deficit, grant programme, and regular financial updates from the Honorary Treasurer.

There were changes to the Trustee membership in 2024. We warmly welcomed Dr Arjen Bekker and Dr Sandra Jacobs.

Administrative support

Upon the retirement of Mrs. Sheila Ford in December 2024, Mrs. Claire Wilkins has assumed responsibility for all administrative duties, including the coordination of events. The Society extends its heartfelt gratitude to Mrs. Ford for her years of dedicated and invaluable service.

Final words

The Society deeply appreciates the many generous donations received in the last year from members and nonmembers. We would also like to offer our sincerest thanks to our Honorary Solicitor, Mr Ian Burman, for his advice and support, and to our Independent Examiner, Mr Paul Felton, for the examination of the 2024 Accounts.

Please contact the Administrator if you are able to help support our activities in any way ([e-mail]).

THE ANGLO-ISRAEL ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY

TREASURER’S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2024

In 2024, we hosted 9 public lectures, 8 of which were virtual, attracting on average over 100 attendees. We also hosted a members-only lecture and reception at the Weiner Institute in December in honour of the 100[th] birthday of Barabara Barnett, our Vice President and Founding Member. Strata Vol. 41, our top-quality peer-reviewed journal, was published during the year. However, because of the political situation in Israel, we decided to suspend our student travel grant programme for 2024 but will review the position in 2025.

Total receipts this year amounted to £14,789, compared with last year’s receipts of £155,492. However, in 2023 we received two significant legacies totaling £135,000 and a £7,500 grant in respect of our Jubilee Appeal, totaling £142,500. When last year’s income is adjusted for this, the comparable figure for 2023 is £12,992.

Receipts from individual members paying subscriptions totaled £4,035 (£3,895 2023), albeit £323 related to 2025, comparable with the previous year’s 2024 receipts of £302. When these adjustments are made, income from subscriptions for 2024 was broadly the same as 2023. Income from the publication of the Society’s journal, Strata, was £761 (2023 £1,225), a decrease of 38%, because a significant number of institutional subscribers failed to renew. Income from our two investments in COIF Funds, managed by CCLA Fund Managers, into which our non-cash reserves are invested, provided dividend income of £5,077 (2023 £3,810) and interest income of £226 (2023 £200), the significant increase in dividend income resulting from the effect of a full year’s investment of significant legacy funds received during 2023.

We have again this year benefitted from a number of generous donations. £1,000 was received from Dr Alan Brenner and £1,000 from the S & P Sephardi Community. The Society also received 2 donations over £200 totaling £1,200 and a further £526 from 11 individuals. We are extremely grateful to all these benefactors.

In respect of virtual lectures in 2024, our expenses for the year were minimal.

Strata Volume 41 (2023) was published during the year. Total costs were £3,832 (2023 £4,365), a 12% decrease resulting from using a different supplier of printing and distribution services.

Administration expenditure has reduced from £10,575 in 2023 to £9,706 in 2024, consequent on there being no overlap between administrators in 2024.

We have spent £2,626 in 2024 on IT, compared with £2,676 in 2023.

Finance charges from our Worldpay credit card account amounted to £393 in 2024, compared with £360 in 2023

Office costs were £1,154 in 2024, compared with £368 in 2023. The increase arose because, for 2024, we incurred a full year’s virtual office charges, together with Royal Mail redirection costs.

In aggregate, expenditure exceeded receipts by £3,367, almost entirely attributable to an excess of Strata publication costs over institutional income.

The Society’s reserves have increased from £215,359 at the beginning of the year to £216,587 as at 31[st] December 2024. The Society’s reserves, other than those represented by cash and a tax refund due in respect of Gift Aid, less accrued expenses, are held as investments in two COIF Funds. The principal fund, the COIF Charities Investment Fund (IF), invests in a range of liquid investments of which approximately 70% are equities. The other, the COIF Charities Short Duration Bond Fund

(SDBF), invests principally in a mixture of Government and Non-Government bonds. Total nonmonetary investments increased from £191,137 to £195,524 over the 12 months.

We have, as in previous years, asked for an Independent Examiner’s report in the format prescribed by the Charity Commission, and our sincere thanks are due to Mr Paul Felton for fulfilling that role.

Lastly, may I add to the Chair’s thanks my own thanks to Mrs. Sheila Ford, who retired at the end of 2024 after many years as Secretary to the Society. My role as Treasurer has been immeasurably assisted by Sheila and I am extremely grateful for her support since my taking on the role.

Dr. Anthony Rabin Hon. Treasurer

21[st] March 2025

ANGLO ISRAEL ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR TO 31ST DECEMBER 2024 1. RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT

Receipts Subscriptions Donations Publications - Strata Sundries Investments - Interest Investments - Dividends Tax refund on Gift Aid Total receipts Payments Student Travel Grants Direct Expenditure Lectures Strata Insurance Other Expenditure Administrators’ fees Printing Postage Jubilee Event 2023 Lecture Tour IT and Web costs Telephone and sundry Bank charges Ofce Total Expenditure Net Receipts (outgoings) Cash 31st December 2024 Cash 31st December 2023	2024	2023
	Unrestric ted Restric ted Total Funds Funds 4,035.00 4,035.00 2,726.25 1,000.0 0 3,726.25 760.62 760.62 18.08 18.08 226.21 226.21 5,076.69 5,076.69 945.85 945.85	Unrestricte d Restricte d Total Funds Funds 3,895.00 3,895.00 116,858.0 0 28,349.5 2 145,207. 52 1,224.75 1,224.75 34.09 34.09 200.44 200.44 3,809.75 3,809.75 1,120.32 1,120.32
	13,788.7 0 1,000.0 0 14,788.7 0	127,142.3 5 28,349.5 2 155,491. 87
		1,500.00 13,000.0 0 14,500.0 0
	0.00 0.00 3,832.02 3,832.02 444.49 444.49	0.00 0.00 4,365.88 4,365.88 427.23 427.23
	4,276.51 4,276.51	4,793.11 0.00 4,793.11
	9,706.08 9,706.08 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 2,626.24 2,626.24 0.00 0.00 393.24 393.24 1,154.11 1,154.11	10,575.00 10,575.0 0 0.00 0.00 50.00 50.00 0.00 0.00 320.83 1,887.00 2,207.83 2,675.66 2,675.66 162.79 162.79 360.47 360.47 368.12 368.12
	13,879.6 7 13,879.6 7	14,512.87 1,887.00 16,399.8 7
	18,156.1 8 18,156.1 8	20,805.98 14,887.0 0 35,692.9 8
	- 4,367.48 1,000.0 0 - 3,367.48	106,336.3 7 13,462.5 2 119,798. 89
	19,666. 81 1,000. 00 20,666. 81 5,694.07 18,365. 35 24,059.4 2

ANGLO ISRAEL ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR TO 31ST DECEMBER 2024

2. STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT 31ST DECEMBER 2024 (£)

Total 2023 Monetary Assets Funds Bank and Cash Balances COIF Charities Deposit Fund 250.33 238.13 Bank Accounts 20,416.4 8 23,783.96 Cash Float 37.33 Total Cash at Bank and In Hand 20,666.8 1 24,059.42 Debtor Tax refund due on Gift Aid subscriptions and donations 1,000 1,000 Monetary Liabilities (incurred before the accounting date but settled later) Unrestricted Funds Credit Card Charges for Dec. 2024/3 199.70 27.94 Accrued administration remuneration 404.17 808.84 603.87 836.74 Non-Monetary Assets Holding Market Gross (units) Value (£) Income (£) COIF Charities Investment Fund 9,190.24 186,500.30 5,076.69 T Income Units COIF Charities Fixed Interest Fund 7,158.58 9,024.11 226.21 B income Units As at 31st December 2024 195,524.4 1 5,302.90 As at 31st December 2023 191,136.6 9 4,010.19 Restricted Funds Some of our funds derive from donations and legacies which have been donated for specifc purposes. A list of the purposes and the balance of these funds is given below. Balance 31 Dec 2024 (£) Student Summer Excavation grants (location in Israel unspecifed) 3,515.35 Student Summer Excavation grants (location specifed) 15,850.00		Total 2023 Funds 250.33 238.13 20,416.4 8 23,783.96 37.33
		20,666.8 1 24,059.42
		1,000 1,000
		199.70 27.94 404.17 808.84
		603.87 836.74

Mike Sommer Legacy

16,060. 90 35,426.25

PROF. SARAH PEARCE

For and on behalf of the Trustees 21[st] March 2025