ASOR, founded in 1900, is an international organization whose mission is to initiate, encourage, and support research into, and public understanding of, the history and cultures of the Near East and wider Mediterranean, from the earliest times, by:
Fostering original research, exploration, and archaeological fieldwork;
Encouraging scholarship in the region?s languages, texts, traditions, and histories;
Disseminating research results and conclusions in a timely manner, through a robust publication program, annual meeting, and other venues;
Adhering to the highest ethical standards of scholarship and public discourse;
Upholding the highest academic standards in interdisciplinary research and teaching;
Promoting educational opportunities for undergraduates and graduates in institutions of higher education around the world;
Developing engaging programs of outreach for the general public;
Supporting and participating in efforts to protect, preserve, and present to the public the historic and cultural heritage of the Near East and the wider Mediterranean and to raise awareness of its degradation.