Aren Maeir
Aren Maeir[1] is a highly prominent archaeologist, and professor of Archaeology at the Martin Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology at the Bar-Ilan University. Aren Maeir is most well known for being the director of excavations at Tell es-Safi (biblical Gath),[2] the hometown of Goliath.
Education
Aren Maeir first received a B.A. in Archaeology and Jewish History from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1986. In 1997, he then received a Ph.D. in Archaeology from the Hebrew University. In 2003, he engaged in Post-Doctoral Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[3]
Career
Aren Maeir has been part of the staff of Bar-Ilan University since 1992, and eventually became a professor there in Archaeology. Aren Maeir has participated in excavations in numerous sites, including Hazor, Jerusalem, Beth Shean and Qasile, and has directed archaeological excavations and surveys in multiple sites including the Western Wall Tunnels, Mamilla, Kikar Safra, Malha, Tell es-Safi/Gath, the Beth Shean Valley and Tel Yavneh. Aren Maeir has published more than 100 scholarly papers, and has written and edited several books as well, including his TELL ES-SAFI/GATH, VOL. I: The 1996–2005 Seasons, Vols. 1 and 2, which won the 2013 Biblical Archaeology Society Award for the best scholarly book in archaeology.[4] In 1996, an archaeological team lead by Aren Maier commenced a project to begin conducting excavations at Tell es-Safi (Gath), and the actual excavations begun in 1997. Aren Maeir is still the director of the ongoing excavations at this site, which have revealed countless findings.[5]
Significant Works
Some of the significant publications of Aren Maeir include the following;
- The 1996–2005 Seasons, Vols. 1 and 2
- Late Philistine Decorated Ware (" Ashdod Ware"): Typology, Chronology, and Production Centers
- The Historical Background and Dating of Amos VI 2: An Archaeological Perspective from Tell eṣ-Ṣâfī/Gath
- Scratching the surface at Gath: implications of the Tell es-Safi/Gath surface survey