Council for British Research in the Levant
A UK charitable research organization supporting humanities and social-science scholarship in the Levant.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Council for British Research in the Levant, commonly known as the CBRL, is a United Kingdom charitable and scholarly organization that promotes, supports, and disseminates research concerning the Levant. Its work spans archaeology, history, cultural heritage, anthropology, politics, society, and contemporary culture. Rather than operating as a commercial brand, the CBRL functions as an institutional platform connecting British and international researchers with academic communities, archives, field sites, and research infrastructure in the region. The organization was established in 1998 through the amalgamation of two predecessor institutions: the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem and the British Institute at Amman for Archaeology and History. The Jerusalem institution is now known as the Kenyon Institute, while the Amman institution operates as the British Institute in Amman, or BIA. The merger created a broader regional body whose remit extended beyond the archaeological priorities of its predecessors to encompass the history, culture, and societies of the Levant as a whole. The CBRL is sponsored by the British Academy. The CBRL's institutional presence is centered on the Kenyon Institute in Jerusalem and the British Institute in Amman in Jordan. These institutes support research activity, academic exchange, lectures, seminars, fellowships, and access to regional expertise. The organization has also considered expanding its institutional network to Damascus, but plans for a CBRL institute there were suspended in the context of the Syrian Civil War. Publishing is a central part of the CBRL's mission. Its principal journal, Levant, began publication in 1969 under the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem and later became associated with the CBRL. The journal publishes archaeological research concerning the Levant and appears three times a year. Since 2004, the organization has also issued research monographs through the Levant Supplementary Series. In 2016, the CBRL launched Contemporary Levant, a journal focused on contemporary political, social, and cultural research in the region. The organization additionally produces an annual Bulletin, formerly called the CBRL Newsletter, which records institutional activity and reports on research supported during the preceding year for a broad readership. The CBRL's identity is therefore defined by research support, regional knowledge, scholarly publishing, and long-term institutional relationships rather than by consumer products. Its activities help preserve and circulate knowledge about a geographically and historically diverse area that includes the eastern Mediterranean and adjacent parts of the Middle East. Through its institutes and publications, the CBRL provides continuity between archaeological and historical scholarship and newer research into contemporary societies and political conditions. The available reference material does not establish a commercial ownership structure, public listing, revenue figures, or a single founder.
History
The Council for British Research in the Levant was established in 1998 by bringing together two earlier British institutions: the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem and the British Institute at Amman for Archaeology and History. Both predecessors had primarily supported archaeological work in their respective locations. The merger created a single organization with a wider geographic and intellectual remit, sponsored by the British Academy and concerned with the history, culture, and society of the Levant. The Jerusalem predecessor became the Kenyon Institute, while the Amman institution became the British Institute in Amman. These two institutes remain the principal centers associated with the CBRL. Their activities provide researchers with regional academic connections, opportunities for collaboration, and institutional support for fieldwork and scholarship. The CBRL's scope is not limited to archaeology: its work also encompasses the humanities and social sciences, including research into historical change, cultural heritage, contemporary politics, and social life. The council has maintained a significant publishing program. Levant, an archaeological journal first published in 1969 by the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem, later became a CBRL publication and is issued three times each year. From 2004, the organization expanded its monographic output through the Levant Supplementary Series. In 2016, it added Contemporary Levant, a journal intended to cover contemporary political, social, and cultural research. The CBRL also produces an annual Bulletin, previously titled the CBRL Newsletter, which serves both as an institutional record and as a public-facing account of research supported during the previous year. The organization has contemplated establishing a third institute in Damascus. Those plans were suspended because of the Syrian Civil War, illustrating how regional political conditions affect the practical organization of research. The CBRL's institutional history has otherwise been marked by continuity through successive directors: Alison McQuitty from 1998 to 1999, Bill Finlayson from 1999 to 2018, Carol Palmer from 2018 to 2024, and Jane Humphris from 2024 onward. The available sources do not provide a detailed account of individual programs, budgets, governance bodies, or the precise legal form of the charity.
- 2024
Jane Humphris begins directorship
[1]Jane Humphris succeeded Carol Palmer as director.
- 2016
Contemporary Levant launched
[1]The CBRL launched a second journal devoted to contemporary political, social, and cultural research in the Levant.
- 2004
Levant Supplementary Series begins
[1]The CBRL began publishing research monographs under the Levant Supplementary Series.
- 1998
CBRL established
[1]The CBRL was created through the amalgamation of the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem and the British Institute at Amman for Archaeology and History.
- 1969
Levant begins publication
[1]The archaeological journal Levant was first published by the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem, one of the CBRL's predecessor institutions.
Products and positioning
A UK-sponsored regional research council linking archaeological, historical, humanities, and social-science scholarship with academic institutions and researchers in the Levant.
Research institute · 1998
Kenyon Institute
The Kenyon Institute in Jerusalem is the successor to the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem and forms one of the CBRL's two principal research institutes. It supports scholarship connected with the Levant, building on the archaeological and historical role of its predecessor while operating within the CBRL's broader humanities and social-science remit.
Research institute · 1998
British Institute in Amman
The British Institute in Amman, commonly abbreviated as BIA, is the CBRL's Jordan-based research institute. It succeeded the British Institute at Amman for Archaeology and History and provides a base for research, academic exchange, and engagement with scholarship concerning Jordan and the wider Levant.
Academic journal · 1969
Levant
Levant is the CBRL's archaeological research journal. It originated in 1969 under the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem and continued under the CBRL after the 1998 institutional merger. The journal publishes research on the archaeology of the Levant and is issued three times annually.
Research monograph series · 2004
Levant Supplementary Series
The Levant Supplementary Series is the CBRL's monographic publishing program. Introduced in 2004, it provides a venue for substantial research studies related to the archaeology, history, and cultures of the Levant.
Academic journal · 2016
Contemporary Levant
Contemporary Levant is a journal launched by the CBRL in 2016. It broadens the organization's publishing profile beyond archaeology by covering contemporary politics, society, and culture in the Levant.
Institutional bulletin
Bulletin of the Council for British Research in the Levant
The annual Bulletin of the Council for British Research in the Levant serves as the organization's documentary record and includes reports on CBRL-supported research. It was previously issued under the name CBRL Newsletter and is written for a general as well as an academic readership.
Brand decisions
2016
Launch Contemporary LevantProduct launchBackground
The CBRL's established publishing activity was strongly associated with archaeology and historical research, while the organization also supported broader humanities and social-science scholarship.
Action taken
The council launched Contemporary Levant as a journal focused on current politics, society, and culture.
Aftermath
The publication expanded the CBRL's visible scholarly remit into contemporary regional studies.
1998
Broaden the council's regional and disciplinary remitStrategyBackground
The predecessor institutions were principally focused on archaeology in Jerusalem and Amman. Their merger created an opportunity to build a coordinated organization serving research on the wider Levant.
Action taken
The CBRL was formed with responsibility for research into the history, culture, and society of the Levant, in addition to archaeological research.
Aftermath
The new structure linked the Kenyon Institute and British Institute in Amman under a single regional research organization.
- Suspend plans for a Damascus instituteStrategy
Background
The CBRL considered opening an institute in Damascus to extend its regional institutional network.
Action taken
Plans were suspended because of the ongoing Syrian Civil War.
Aftermath
The CBRL's established institutional presence remained centered on Jerusalem and Amman.
Recent events
- 2024
Jane Humphris becomes CBRL director[1]
Leadership change
Jane Humphris succeeded Carol Palmer as director of the Council for British Research in the Levant.
- 2016
CBRL launches Contemporary Levant journal[1]
Product launch
The organization introduced Contemporary Levant as a journal addressing contemporary politics, society, and culture in the region.
- 1998
Council for British Research in the Levant formed through institutional merger[1]
Other
The British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem and the British Institute at Amman for Archaeology and History were amalgamated to create the CBRL, with a remit extending across the humanities and social sciences of the Levant.
Sources2 sources
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