If his parents hadn’t moved from New York to Israel in 1969, noted Israeli archeologist Aren Maeir would more likely be holding a stethoscope than a shovel. ”In Jewish suburbia, 90-odd percent of people are doctors, lawyers or accountants,” muses the Bar-Ilan University professor of biblical and ancient Near Eastern archaeology. “The range of out-of-the-box professions is rather small, so the chances of my becoming an archeologist would have been smaller.” Instead, arriving in Jerusalem at the age of 11, Maeir developed a robust Israeli zest for the great outdoors. His family visited archeological sites, including exciting new excavations then taking place in the vicinity of Jerusalem’s Western Wall, whetting his appetite for exploring history hidden among the rocks.
Go read the rest. It’s really nicely done.
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About Jim
I am a Pastor, and Adjunct Professor of Biblical Studies at Quartz Hill School of Theology
