'Amihai "Ami" Mazar' (born
1942) is an
Israeli
archaeologist. Born in
Haifa,
Israel (then in
Palestine), he is currently (since 1994) Professor at the Institute of Archaeology of the
Hebrew University of
Jerusalem, holding the
Eleazer Sukenik Chair in the Archaeology of Israel.
Mazar has directed archaeological excavations at a number of sites in
Israel that include:
★
Tel Qasile
★
Timnah (Tel Batash) - from 1977 - 1989
★
Bet She'an - from 1989 - 1996
★
Rehov (Tel Rehov) - from 1997 onwards (ongoing)
Mazar is a widely-recognised author in the field of
Biblical archaeology, his ''Archaeology of the Land of the Bible'' being a well-received text in many universities worldwide.
Mazar is married with three children and resides in
Jerusalem. He is the nephew of
Benjamin Mazar, one of the first generation of pioneering Israeli archaeologists after Independence, and cousin to fellow archaeologist
Eilat Mazar.
Ancient beeshives
Archaeologist Amihai Mazar of
Jerusalem's
Hebrew University said that findings in the
ruins of the city of
Rehov (with 2,000 residents at that time,
Israelites and
Canaanites) include 30 intact hives, 900 B.C., an
evidence that an advanced
honey industry existed in the
Holy Land at the time of the
Bible or 3,000 years ago. The beehives, made of
straw and unbaked
clay were found in orderly rows, with 100 hives. Ezra Marcus,
expert of
Haifa University, said the finding was a glimpse of
ancient beekeeping seen in texts and ancient
art from the
Near East.
Religious practice was evidenced by an
altar decorated with
fertility figurines found alongside the hives.
[1]
Publications
Monographs
★ ''Archaeology of the Land of the Bible, 10,000 - 586 B.C.E.'', Anchor Bible Reference Library, Doubleday, 1990. ISBN 0-385-23970-X (Hbk) ISBN 0-385-42590-2 (Pbk)
Articles
★ [1990], “The Excavations at Tel Beth-Shean”, ''Eretz-Israel'' 21 (1990), pp.197-211 (יברית).
★ [1992], “Temples of the Middle and Late Bronze Ages and the Iron Age”, in Kempinski, A. & Reich, R. (eds), ''The Architecture of Ancient Israel from the Prehistoric to the Persian Periods - in Memory of Immanual (Munya) Dunayevsky'', Jerusalem:
IES, 1992, pp.161-187.
★ [1993a], “The Excavations at Tel Beth-Shean in 1989-1990”, in Biran, A. & Aviram, J. (eds), ''Biblical Archaeology Today, 1990 - Proceedings of the Second International Congress on Biblical Archaeology'', Jerusalem, 1990, Jerusalem:
IES, 1993, pp.606-619.
★
1993b, “Beth Shean in the Iron Age: Preliminary Report and Conclusions of the 1990 - 1991 Excavations”, ''
IEJ'' 43.4 (1993), pp.201-229.
★ [1994], “Four Thousand Years of History at Tel Beth-Shean”, ''Qadmoniot'' 27.3-4 (1994), pp.66-83 (יברית).
★ [1997a], “Four Thousand Years of History at Tel Beth-Shean - An Account of the Renewed Excavations”, ''
BA'' 60.2 (1997), pp.62-76.
★ [1997b], “The Excavations at Tel Beth Shean during the Years 1989-94”, in Silberman, N.A. & Small, D. (eds), ''The Archaeology of Israel – Constructing the Past, Interpreting the Present'', [JSOT Supplement Series 237], Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1997, pp.144-164.
External links
★
Hebrew University Departmental Page for Amihai Mazar - includes a link to a summary of publications
★
Tel Rehov Excavations - page includes volunteer information, preliminary reports and an image gallery.
References
1. Yahoo.com, Archaeologists discover ancient beehives