The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
Prof. Dr. Amihai Mazar, Emeritus
Eleazar Sukenik Professor of the Archaeology of Israel, Emeritus
Institute of Archaeology
Official University Profile: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem – Amihai Mazar
Expertise: Biblical Archaeology; Archaeology of Ancient Israel; Bronze Age Archaeology; Iron Age Archaeology; Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology; Biblical History; Historical Geography of the Biblical Period; Levantine Archaeology.
Member of Editorial Board of European Hebrew Journal
CURRICULUM VITAE
Academic Profile
Prof. Dr. Amihai Mazar is Professor Emeritus of Archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He formerly held the Eleazar Sukenik Chair in the Archaeology of Israel and is internationally recognized as one of the leading scholars of Biblical archaeology and the archaeology of the ancient Levant.
Throughout his academic career he has directed some of the most influential archaeological excavations in Israel, including Tell Qasile, Tel Batash (Biblical Timnah), Tel Beth Shean, and Tel Rehov. His work has significantly advanced the understanding of the Bronze and Iron Age cultures of the southern Levant and the relationship between archaeological discoveries and the historical background of the Hebrew Bible.
Prof. Mazar has authored numerous books and hundreds of scholarly publications and has played a central role in developing the chronology of Iron Age Israel. He is widely known for integrating archaeological evidence with biblical history while maintaining rigorous archaeological methodology.
QUALIFICATIONS
1966
B.A. in Archaeology and Biblical History, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
1972
M.A. in Archaeology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
1976
Ph.D. in Archaeology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
1979–1980
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Institute of Archaeology, University of London.
ACADEMIC POSITIONS AND APPOINTMENTS
Lecturer, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Senior Lecturer, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Associate Professor, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Eleazar Sukenik Chair in the Archaeology of Israel.
Professor Emeritus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Head of the Institute of Archaeology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Member, Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
Guest Professor, University of California, San Diego.
Research Associate, Harvard University.
Guest Scholar, University of Pennsylvania.
RESEARCH
Prof. Mazar’s research focuses on the archaeology of Israel and neighboring regions during the Bronze and Iron Ages. His work investigates settlement patterns, urban development, architecture, material culture, chronology, and the historical geography of the biblical period.
A major component of his scholarship explores the relationship between archaeological discoveries and the historical narratives of the Hebrew Bible. His excavations at Tel Beth Shean and Tel Rehov have become fundamental reference points for the archaeology of Iron Age Israel and the chronology of the ancient Near East.
He has also contributed extensively to the study of ancient Near Eastern art and architecture, archaeological methodology, and interdisciplinary approaches combining archaeology, history, and biblical studies.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Biblical Archaeology
Archaeology of Ancient Israel
Bronze Age Archaeology
Iron Age Archaeology
Levantine Archaeology
Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology
Biblical History
Historical Geography
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Ancient Architecture
Archaeological Chronology
Field Archaeology
ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP AND MEMBERSHIPS
Member, Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
Former Head, Institute of Archaeology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Former Co-editor, Israel Exploration Journal.
Former Editor, Qadmoniot.
Director of the Tel Rehov Excavations.
Director of the Beth Shean Valley Archaeological Project.
PRIZES AND AWARDS
Israel Prize in Archaeology.
Israel Museum Schimmel Prize for Archaeological Research.
Member, Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
PUBLICATIONS
Selected Publications
Archaeology of the Land of the Bible, Volume I: 10,000–586 B.C.E. Doubleday.
The Complete Guide to the Archaeology of the Land of the Bible.
The Quest for the Historical Israel: Debating Archaeology and the History of Early Israel. (with Israel Finkelstein).
Excavations at Tel Beth Shean (multiple excavation reports).
Excavations at Tel Rehov (multiple excavation reports).
The Archaeology of the Biblical Period.
Numerous articles on Iron Age chronology, Biblical archaeology, Tel Rehov, Tel Beth Shean, and the archaeology of ancient Israel published in leading international journals.