Bar-Ilan University, Israel
Prof. Dr. Avraham Faust
Professor
The Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology
Faculty of Jewish Studies
Official University Profile: Bar-Ilan University – Avraham Faust
Expertise: Archaeology of Ancient Israel; Biblical Archaeology; Iron Age Levant; Bronze Age Archaeology; Settlement Archaeology; Social Archaeology; Judah and Israel; Historical Archaeology; Archaeological Theory; Ancient Near Eastern History.
CURRICULUM VITAE
Academic Profile
Prof. Dr. Avraham Faust is Professor in the Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology at Bar-Ilan University. He is internationally recognized for his research on the archaeology of ancient Israel and the southern Levant, particularly the archaeology of the Iron Age and the historical development of the Kingdom of Judah.
His scholarship integrates archaeological excavation, settlement archaeology, historical geography, anthropology, and social theory to investigate the emergence and development of ancient Israelite society. Through extensive fieldwork and interdisciplinary research, he has contributed significantly to debates concerning the formation of Israel, state development, identity, and daily life in the biblical period.
Prof. Faust has directed and participated in numerous archaeological excavations, including the long-running Tel ʿEton Archaeological Project, which has produced important discoveries relating to Judah during the Iron Age and has reshaped scholarly understanding of the biblical kingdom.
QUALIFICATIONS
B.A., Bar-Ilan University.
M.A., Bar-Ilan University.
Ph.D., Bar-Ilan University.
Postdoctoral Research, Institute of Archaeology, University College London.
ACADEMIC POSITIONS AND APPOINTMENTS
Professor, Bar-Ilan University.
Faculty Member, Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology.
Director, Tel ʿEton Archaeological Project.
Former Head, The Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology.
Member of numerous international archaeological and biblical studies organizations.
Editorial board member and reviewer for leading journals in archaeology and biblical studies.
RESEARCH
Prof. Faust’s research focuses on the archaeology of ancient Israel from the Bronze Age through the Iron Age, with particular emphasis on the emergence of Israelite society and the development of the Kingdom of Judah.
A central component of his work is the application of social archaeology to questions of identity, ethnicity, settlement organization, economy, and political development. His excavations at Tel ʿEton have yielded significant evidence concerning urban planning, domestic architecture, administrative systems, and everyday life during the biblical period.
His scholarship also addresses archaeological methodology, historical reconstruction, biblical archaeology, and the interaction between archaeological discoveries and biblical traditions.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Archaeology of Ancient Israel
Biblical Archaeology
Iron Age Archaeology
Bronze Age Archaeology
Kingdom of Judah
Settlement Archaeology
Social Archaeology
Historical Archaeology
Archaeological Theory
Ancient Near East
Historical Geography
Material Culture
Identity Formation
Ancient Israelite Society
ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP
Professor, Bar-Ilan University.
Director, Tel ʿEton Archaeological Project.
Former Head, Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology.
Principal Investigator of major archaeological research projects funded by the Israel Science Foundation and other international agencies.
Member of editorial boards and international scholarly committees in archaeology and biblical studies.
PRIZES AND AWARDS
Recipient of multiple competitive research grants from the Israel Science Foundation.
Recipient of international research grants supporting archaeological fieldwork and historical archaeology.
Recognized internationally for contributions to the archaeology of ancient Israel and biblical archaeology.
PUBLICATIONS
Selected Publications
Israel’s Ethnogenesis: Settlement, Interaction, Expansion and Resistance. Equinox, 2006.
The Archaeology of Israelite Society in Iron Age II. Eisenbrauns, 2012.
Judah in the Neo-Babylonian Period: The Archaeology of Desolation. Society of Biblical Literature, 2012.
The Neo-Assyrian Empire in the Southwest: Imperial Domination and Its Consequences. Oxford University Press. (Co-editor.)
The Bible, Archaeology and the Future. (Editor.)
Author of numerous books, edited volumes, and peer-reviewed articles on biblical archaeology, settlement archaeology, Iron Age Judah, archaeological theory, social archaeology, and the archaeology of ancient Israel published in leading international journals and academic presses.