Head of the Institute of Archaeology; Associate Professor in the Classical Archaeology department

Research Interests

The archaeology of Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine Galilee; Second Temple-period Jerusalem; Archaeological Surveys: Theory and Practice; Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine pottery; Settlement patterns and Demographic trends in the Southern Levant during the Classical periods; Ancient Synagogues, Ancient Jewish Art; Ancient economy; Talmudic realia.

Teaching

Introductory courses of Classical Archaeology with emphasis on the Land of Israel; Ancient pottery; Archaeology and texts; Landscape archaeology; Ancient Jewish Art and Architecture

Ongoing Projects

• The Hellenistic Galilee Project: The purpose of the research is to study the material culture, settlement patterns, economy and above all, to try to shed light on the ethnic and religious identity of the population of the Galilee during the Hellenistic period. The project is based on two complementary field studies: an archaeological survey of a strip of the Lower Galilee from the Akko Plain in the west to the Sea of Galilee in the east; and an extensive excavation of the Hellenistic site of Kh. el-'Eika in the Eastern Lower Galilee.

• The Ophel excavations, Ancient Jerusalem: The Ophel area, at the southern foot of the Temple Mount, was a central public hub during the Biblical and the Second Temple-periods, adjacent to the main gates that lead to the Temple precinct. A dense neighborhood stood here in the Byzantine period and a series of palaces were built here during the Early Islamic period. Large scale excavations were carried out here by the Hebrew University, led by Benjamin Mazar and later by the late Eilat Mazar. The current project, headed jointly with Dr. Orit Peleg-Barkat, focuses on Second Temple-period remains in the eastern part of the Ophel, including a monumental public structure, ritual baths and sophisticated subterranean systems. 

Previous Projects

• Khirbet Wadi el-Hamam is a Roman-period village located west of the Sea of Galilee. In an attempt to shed new light on a number of topics concerning village-life in Roman Galilee, primarily the debated question of the date of ‘Galilean’-type synagogues, the site was excavated between 2007–2012. In addition to the synagogue and its surroundings, excavations were carried out in a series of domestic structures, agricultural installations and public spaces in the village, as well as along a massive fortification located on the summit of Mt. Nitai above the site, accompanied by a survey of numerous caves in the cliffs between the village and the mountaintop. The rich remains opened a wide window onto the material culture of rural Roman Galilee, enabling us to delineate the history of a typical local village from its establishment in the Hasmonean period until its final abandonment at the beginning of the Byzantine era. The findings bear implications for various aspects in the study of ancient Galilee: the beginning of Jewish settlement in the region in the Second Temple period, the Jewish revolts against Rome, ancient economy, rural life and livelihood, communal organization, domestic architecture, household utensils, ancient diet, and above all the art, architecture and date of the ‘Galilean’-type synagogues. Excavation report
• The Eastern Galilee Survey: an archaeological survey of Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine sites in the Eastern Lower Galilee, when this region played an important role in the development of both Judaism and Christianity. In an attempt to draw a historical reconstruction based on systematic data, a test case area in the heart of ancient Galilee was chosen for this research. Two distinct disciplines were used: the study of the relevant historical sources and the advanced archaeological field survey. Greek, Latin, Hebrew and Aramaic sources concerning settlements in the region were translated and discussed. Some fifty archaeological sites from the periods under discussion were identified and surveyed. The analysis of the finds enabled to draw a detailed portrait of settlement – including periods of construction, abandonment, prosperity and decline in each site and in the region as a whole. Publication of survey results

Publication List

For the full publication list, please enter the following link

Graduate Students