Congratulation to Julian M. Hirsch, a PhD candidate in the Institute of Archaeology, who won the Sean W. Dever Memorial Prize 2024, awarded by The William F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem! 

Hirsch's paper, "Religion, Politics, and Change at Early Bronze Age Megiddo," was presented at the Conference of the British Association for Near Eastern Archaeology in Glasgow, Scotland. This paper meticulously examines small shifts across different phases of Early Bronze Age Megiddo to extrapolate broader trends in ritual and political life at the site. Drawing on findings from the many excavations at Megiddo, it moves beyond mere chrono-stratigraphical analysis to explore broader aspects of Early Bronze Age social life. While the primary focus is on Megiddo, the study's insights offer potential implications for understanding socio-political life and transitions throughout the broader Early Bronze Age period.