ARCHAEOLOGY
THE MARTIN (SZUSZ) DEPARTMENT OF LAND OF ISRAEL STUDIES
ARCHAEOLOGY
THE MARTIN (SZUSZ) DEPARTMENT OF
LAND OF ISRAEL STUDIES
LINKING TO AN ANCIENT PAST
Bringing Biblical Narrative to Life
SIFTING THROUGH THE
SANDS OF TIME
Courses of study include historical geography, archaeology and material culture during the Biblical Period, the Temple Period, the Middle Ages, all the way to the present. The Department offers courses leading to B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees that qualify graduates to work in research, education or even as tour guides. It also provides certification, as required by the Israel Antiquities Authority, for archaeologists wishing to direct archeological excavations.
With the extensive and comprehensive knowledge of Israel’s geography and history, this department truly serves to strengthen national pride and Jewish identity.
REVEALING THE WORLD
OF ANTIQUITY
Ancient and modern Israel intersect at the Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology, where evidence of Jewish Life from the past serves as confirmation that Judaism was – and is – a continuation of whom and what existed from so many centuries ago.
Through the discovery of age-old artifacts coupled with the use of up-to-date technology, students bring biblical narrative to life. They finding evidence of our ancient past – the First and Second Temples and the Medieval and Modern Periods – as they pore over ancient culture in the field, the laboratory and the library.
ProfessorAron
Maeir
lead archaeologist
land of israel studies and
ARCHAEOLOGY
"One thing we are trying to do
at Bar-Ilan University
is utilize the findings
for educational purposes.
When a young student learns
the book of Samuel,
and he reads about the story of
Samson and Delilah,
if we can have him pick up a Philistine shard
from the time of Samson
he will remember the story
in a much more tangible way."
In
Focus
ProfessorAron
Maeir
lead archaeologist
land of israel studies and
ARCHAEOLOGY
"One thing we are trying to do
at Bar-Ilan University
is utilize the findings
for educational purposes.
When a young student learns
the book of Samuel,
and he reads about the story of
Samson and Delilah,
if we can have him pick up
a Philistine shard
from the time of Samson
he will remember the story
in a much more tangible way."
In
Focus
Professor Aren Maeir, aka “Israel’s Indiana Jones”, is the lead Archaeologist in the Excavation Of The Biblical City Of Gath. He has been teaching at Bar-Ilan University since 1992.
Prof. Maeir has participated in and directed numerous archaeological excavations in Israel and unearthed a literal treasure trove of ancient pottery and other artifacts that date back some 3,000 years, many of which are on exhibit in his department of Land Of Israel Studies at Bar-Ilan.
His team has made some remarkable discoveries in the City of Gath – one of five Philistine city-states that is often mentioned in the Torah. Confirmed by ancient Egyptian inscriptions, it is said to be the home of the legendary Goliath as well as where the blinded Sampson knocked down the temple pillars. Their findings include a Philistine Temple, the ruins of a Crusader era castle and countless ritual items dating back to the Iron Age. The ruins of the city can now be found inside Tel Zafit, a major archaeological site.