Bar-Ilan University, Israel
Prof. Dr. Aren M. Maeir
The Louise and Moshe Trakman Professor of Archaeology
The Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology
Faculty of Jewish Studies
Official University Profile: Bar-Ilan University – Aren M. Maeir
Expertise: Biblical Archaeology; Archaeology of Ancient Israel; Philistine Culture; Iron Age Levant; Near Eastern Archaeology; Tell es-Safi/Gath Excavations; Archaeological Methodology; Bronze and Iron Age Civilizations; Ancient Material Culture.
CURRICULUM VITAE
Academic Profile
Prof. Dr. Aren M. Maeir is The Louise and Moshe Trakman Professor of Archaeology in the Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology at Bar-Ilan University. He is internationally recognized as one of the leading archaeologists of the ancient Near East and serves as the director of the Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project, one of the largest and most influential excavations in Israel.
His research focuses on the archaeology of the southern Levant during the Bronze and Iron Ages, with particular emphasis on Philistine culture, the Kingdom of Judah, and the interaction between neighboring societies in the biblical world. His interdisciplinary approach combines archaeology, history, anthropology, environmental studies, and advanced scientific techniques to reconstruct ancient societies.
Prof. Maeir’s work has significantly contributed to understanding Philistine origins, urbanization, daily life, technological development, and cultural interaction in the eastern Mediterranean. The discoveries at Tell es-Safi/Gath, identified with the biblical city of Gath, have attracted worldwide scholarly attention and have reshaped discussions concerning the historical background of the Hebrew Bible.
QUALIFICATIONS
B.A., Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
M.A., Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Ph.D., Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Postdoctoral Research, George Washington University.
ACADEMIC POSITIONS AND APPOINTMENTS
The Louise and Moshe Trakman Professor of Archaeology, Bar-Ilan University.
Professor, Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology.
Director, Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project.
Head of the Archaeological Laboratories, Bar-Ilan University.
Member of numerous international archaeological organizations and editorial boards.
Visiting Professor and Lecturer at universities and research institutes throughout Europe and North America.
RESEARCH
Prof. Maeir’s research investigates the archaeology and history of the southern Levant from the Bronze Age through the Iron Age. His work integrates excavation data, material culture, environmental evidence, archaeometry, and historical sources to reconstruct the political, economic, and cultural development of ancient societies.
A major focus of his scholarship is the Philistines and their interactions with neighboring peoples, including the Israelites, Canaanites, Egyptians, and Phoenicians. Through the Tell es-Safi/Gath excavations, he has uncovered important evidence concerning urban planning, domestic architecture, cultic practices, craft production, trade, and warfare.
His research also explores biblical archaeology, settlement patterns, ancient technology, foodways, mobility, identity formation, and cultural exchange in the eastern Mediterranean.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Biblical Archaeology
Archaeology of Ancient Israel
Philistine Archaeology
Tell es-Safi/Gath
Iron Age Levant
Bronze Age Levant
Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology
Material Culture
Archaeological Science
Settlement Archaeology
Urbanism
Cultural Interaction
Environmental Archaeology
History of the Southern Levant
ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP
Director, Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project.
Professor, Bar-Ilan University.
Member of numerous international archaeological advisory boards.
Editor and reviewer for leading journals in archaeology, biblical studies, and Near Eastern history.
Organizer of international conferences and collaborative archaeological research projects involving scholars from universities around the world.
PRIZES AND AWARDS
Recipient of numerous competitive research grants from the Israel Science Foundation.
Principal Investigator of several international collaborative archaeological projects.
Recognized internationally for his contributions to the archaeology of the biblical world and the ancient Near East.
PUBLICATIONS
Selected Publications
Tell es-Safi/Gath I: The 1996–2005 Seasons.
The Philistines and Other “Sea Peoples” in Text and Archaeology.
Excavating Philistine Gath: The Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project.
Archaeology and History of the Southern Levant in the Biblical Period.
Editor and co-editor of numerous scholarly volumes on biblical archaeology, Philistine studies, and the archaeology of the ancient Near East.
Author of more than 300 scholarly publications, including books, edited volumes, encyclopedia entries, and peer-reviewed articles on biblical archaeology, Philistine culture, Iron Age Israel, archaeological methodology, and the archaeology of the eastern Mediterranean.