Education:
1997–2003 Doctoral studies, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Dissertation: The Synagogues of Hurbat Ma‘on and Hurbat ‘Anim and the Jewish Settlement in Southern Hebron Hills. Supervisors: Profs. Gideon Foerster and Yehoshua Schwartz
1989–1996 Master’s degree (magna cum laude) in archaeology, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Thesis: Ritual Baths from the Second Temple Period in the Hebron Hills. Supervisor: Prof. Yoram Tsafrir
1986–1989 Bachelor’s degree (cum laude) in archaeology and general studies, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
1983 Yeshiva of the Religious Kibbutz Movement
Languages:
Hebrew –mother tongue fluency
English – foreign language fluency
Ancient Greek – basic proficiency
Awards and fellowships:
1998: Rachel Yanait Fellowship from Yad Ben-Zvi and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (to assist in dissertation preparation)
1996: Carasso Award from the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University
1995: Günter Award from the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University
1993: Avraham Negev Award from the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University
1986–1989: Dean’s List, the Hebrew University
Employment:
2007 - : Scientific Advisor at the Jerusalem Region Office
1999– 2007: Deputy Director, Excavations and Surveys Department, Israel Antiquities Authority
1997: Head of Excavation Branch, Israel Antiquities Authority
1989–1996: Excavator and Research Archaeologist, Israel Antiquities Authority
1984–1985: Secretary of Kibbutz Kefar Etzion
1970–1982: Director and Researcher at the Kefar Etzion Field School
Director of Archaeological Excavations:
2005: Excavations of monasteries from the Byzantine and Early Arab periods in the Morasha (Musrara) neighborhood of Jerusalem
2004: Excavation project at Horvat Burnat (northern Shephela): settlement from the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods
2000–2002: Historical and Archaeological study of a Medival Jewish cemetery in Eghegis, Armenia (with Prof. Michael Stone)
1999–2000: Excavation project on the east flank of Mount Scopus: quarry and underground stone-vessel workshops from the Second Temple period; Monastery and pilgrims’ inn from the Byzantine and early Muslim periods
1993–2003: Excavation project at Mazor-Elad (northern Shephela): settlement from the Roman and Byzantine periods; Hellenistic-period farm; agricultural facilities; graves
1991–1992: Excavations of monasteries and graves from the Byzantine and Early Arab periods in the Morasha (Musrara) neighborhood of Jerusalem
1989–1990: Excavations in the Hebron hills: MB II burial caves in Efrat and Elazar; Iron Age farm in the Hebron hills (Kh. el-Qatt, Kh. Jurish); Byzantine-period tannery in Hebron (Kh. Dah-Dah); Ottoman hamlet near Wadi Fukin (Kh. Hamsa); farm from the Second Temple period, the Bar Kokhba Revolt, and the Byzantine period at Horvat Hillel; ritual bath from the Second Temple period near Alon Shevut; refuge cave from the Bar Kokhba Revolt (Cave of the Sela) in the upper portion of Nahal Hever
1988–1989: Excavation (with the late Zvi Ilan, codirector) of synagogues in Ma‘on and ‘Anim in the southern Hebron hills
Field Experience:
Was involved in running excavations at Horvat Berakhot (1976) and Horvat Shilha (1981); served as an Area Supervisor in the excavations of Sepphoris (1987)
1970s: Participated in excavations of Herodium, Susiya, Jericho, and the ?En ?Arrub caves in the Hebron Hills.
Archaeological Surveys:
Ritual baths from the Roman and Byzantine periods in Judea
The aqueducts of Jerusalem, Herodium, Nahal Perat (Wadi Kelt), Cypros fortress, Dok fortress, Alexandrium fortress, Qumran, Beit Guvrin, Hebron, Horvat Kefira
Ancient roads in the Hebron hills and the Judean Desert
Jewish sites from the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods in Yutta (southern Hebron hills) and the environs
The Seleucid siege wall at Beth Bassi (South-east of Bethlehem).
Edited Books:
1. D. Amit, Y. Hirschfeld and J. Patrich (eds.), The Aqueducts of Ancient Palestine, Jerusalem 1989 (335 pp.; Hebrew).
2. D. Amit and R. Gonen (eds.), Jerusalem in the First Temple Period (Collection of Articles), Jerusalem 1990 (232 pp.; Hebrew).
3. D. Amit and H. Eshel (eds.), The Hasmonean Period (Collection of Articles), Jerusalem 1995 (334 pp.; Hebrew).
4. H. Eshel and D. Amit (eds.), Refuge Caves of the Bar Kokhba Revolt, Tel Aviv 1998 (241 pp.; Hebrew).
5. D. Amit, J. Patrich and Y. Hirschfeld (eds.), The Aqueducts of Israel, (JRA Supplementary Series No. 46), Portsmouth, Rhode Island 2002 (459 pp.).
6. H. Amit and D. Amit (eds.), Reference Points: Touring with Hebrew Sources in Northern Israel, Jerusalem 2004 (228 pp.; Hebrew).
7. Y. Eshel, E. Netzer, D. Amit and D. Cassuto (eds.), And Let Them Make Me a Sanctuary: Synagogues from Ancient Times to the Present Day, Ariel 2004 (173 pp.; Hebrew).
Scientific Articles
1979 – 1. The Water Supply of the Cypros Fortress, Qadmoniot 12, pp. 67–77 (Hebrew, with Z. Meshel).
1984 – 2. The “Border Road” between Michmash and Jericho and Excavations at Horvat Shilhah, Eretz-Israel 17, pp. 236–250 (Hebrew, with A. Mazar and Z. Ilan).
1988 – 3. Ancient Water Systems in the Southern Shefelah, in E. Stern and D. Urman (eds.), Man and Environment in the Southern Shefelah—Studies in Regional Geography and History, Giv‘atayim, pp. 180–188 (Hebrew).
1989 – 4. Aqueducts Leading from the Hebron Area to Beth Gubrin (Eleutheropolis), in D. Amit, Y. Hirschfeld and J. Patrich (eds.), The Aqueducts of Ancient Palestine, Jerusalem, pp. 205–214 (Hebrew).
5. Water Supply to the Alexandrium Fortress (Sartaba), ibid., pp. 215–221 (Hebrew).
6. The Water System of Dok Fortress (Dagon), ibid., pp. 223–228 (Hebrew).
7. Water Supply to Cypros Fortress, ibid., pp. 229–242 (Hebrew, with Z. Meshel).
8. The Aqueduct of Kumran, ibid., pp. 283-288 (Hebrew, with Z. Ilan).
1990 – 9. A Marble Menorah from an Ancient Synagogue at Tel Ma’on, in Proceedings of the Tenth World Congress of Jewish Studies, B/1, Jerusalem, pp. 53–60.
10. The Ancient Synagogue at Maon in Judah, Qadmoniot 23, pp. 115–125 (Hebrew, with Z. Ilan).
1991 – 11. The Second Temple Period Water Supply System of Horvat Kefira, Qadmoniot 24, pp. 56–59 (Hebrew, with H. Eshel).
12. A Tetradrachm of Bar Kokhba from a Cave in Nahal Hever, Israel Numismatic Journal 11 (1990–91), pp. 33–35 (with H. Eshel).
1992 – 13. Hebron–En Gedi, Survey of Ancient Road, Eretz-Israel 23, pp. 345–362 (Hebrew).
14. “The Curtain Would Be Removed for Them” (Yoma 54a) in Ancient Synagogue Depictions, Tarbiz 61, pp. 571–575 (Hebrew).
1993 – 15. The Source of the Architectural Plans of the Synagogues in Southern Judea,Cathedra 68, pp. 6–35 (Hebrew).
16. Maon (in Judea), in E. Stern (ed.), The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land Vol. 3, pp. 942–944 (with Z. Ilan).
17. Anim, Horvat, ibid, Vol. 1, pp. 62.
18. Discoveries in the Study of the Bar Kochba Revolt, in Judea and Samaria Research Studies—Proceedings of the Second Annual Meeting 1992, Kedumim–Ariel, pp. 215–228 (Hebrew).
19. Excavations at an Early Armenian Monastery in the Morasha Neighborhood of Jerusalem, Qadmoniot 26, pp. 52–56 (Hebrew, with S. Wolff).
1994 – 20. Iconoclasm in Ancient Synagogues in Eretz Israel, in Proceedings of the Eleventh World Congress of Jewish Studies, B/1, Jerusalem, pp. 9–16 (Hebrew).
21. Ritual Baths (Mikva’ot) from the Second Temple Period in the Hebron Mountains, in Judea and Samaria Research Studies—Proceedings of the Third Annual Meeting – 1993, Kedumim–Ariel, pp. 157–189 (Hebrew).
22. An Armenian Monastery in the Morasha Neighborhood, Jerusalem, in H. Geva (ed.), Ancient Jerusalem Revealed, II, Jerusalem, pp. 293–298 (with S. Wolff).
23. What was the Source of Herodion’s Water?, Cathedra 71, pp. 3–20 (Hebrew).
24. What was the Source of Herodion’s Water? Liber Annuus 44, pp. 561–578.
1995 – 25. Architectural Plans of Synagogues in the Southern Judean Hills and the ‘Halakah’, in D. Urman and P.V. Flesher (eds.), Ancient Synagogues: Historical Analysis and Archaeological Discovery, I–II, Leiden–New York–Köln, pp. 129–156.
26. The Hebron Aqueduct, in Judea and Samaria Research Studies—Proceeding of theFourth Annual Meeting 1994, Kedumim–Ariel, pp. 237–246 (Hebrew).
1996 – 27. A Byzantine Painted Tomb North of Damascus Gate, Jerusalem, Atiqot 29, pp. 71–75 (Hebrew, with V. Tzaferis and N. Sarig).
28. The Bar Kokhba Revolt in the Southern Hebron Mountains, Eretz-Israel 25, pp. 463–470 (Hebrew, with H. Eshel).
29. Hurvat Shilhah: An Iron Age Site in the Judean Desert, in J.D. Seger (ed.), Retrieving the Past: Essays on Archaeological Research and Methodology in Honor of Gus W. van Beek, Winona Lake, Indiana, pp. 193–211 (with A. Mazar and Z. Ilan).
1997 – 30. New Armenian Inscriptions from Jerusalem, Cathedra 83, pp. 27–44 (Hebrew, with M.E. Stone).
31. Ritual Baths (Miqva’ot) of the “Jerusalem Type” from the Second Temple Period in the Hebron Hills, in Y. Friedman, Z. Safrai and J. Schwartz (eds.), Hikrei Eretz: Studies in the History of the Land of Israel (Dedicated to Prof. Yehuda Feliks), Ramat Gan, pp. 35–48 (Hebrew).
32. Kh. Umm Halasa: An Additional Monastery in the Wilderness of Ziph, in Judea and Samaria Research Studies—Proceedings of the Sixth Annual Meeting 1996, pp. 259–270 (Hebrew).
33. The Northern Water System of Beth Guvrin (Eleutheropolis), ibid., pp. 245–258 (Hebrew, with N. Sagiv and B. Zissu).
1998 – 34. A Marble Menorah from the Ancient Synagogue at Ma’on, in Judea and Samaria Research Studies—Proceedings of the Seventh Annual Meeting 1997, Kedumim– Ariel, pp. 155–168 (Hebrew).
35. The Nature of the Refuge Caves in the Judean Desert, in H. Eshel and D. Amit (eds.), Refuge Caves of the Bar Kokhba Revolt, Tel Aviv, pp. 13–21 (Hebrew, with H. Eshel).
36. The Bar Kokhba Period Finds from the Tetradrachm Cave, ibid., pp. 189–204 (Hebrew, with H. Eshel).
1999 – 37. An Aramaic Inscription from the Hellenistic Period at Horvat Mazor, Eretz-Israel 26, pp. 129–131 (Hebrew).
38. A Miqveh Complex near Alon Shevut, Atiqot 38, pp. 75–84.
39. More about the Tendrils in Depiction of the Menorot, Qadmoniot 32, pp. 53–54 (Hebrew).
2000 – 40. The Essenes Did Not Live above Ein Gedi (A Reply to Y. Hirschfeld), Cathedra 96, pp. 57–68 (Hebrew, with J. Magness).
41. Not a Settlement of Hermits or Essenes (A Response to Y. Hirschfeld, A Settlement of Hermits above ‘En Gedi), Tel Aviv 27 , pp. 273–285 (with J. Magness).
42. “The Curtain Would Be Removed for Them” (Yoma 54a): Ancient Synagogue Depictions, in L. I. Levine and Z. Weiss (eds.) From Dura to Sepphoris: Studies in Jewish Art and Society in Late Antiquity (JRA Supplementary Series No. 40), Portsmouth, Rhode Island, pp. 231–234.
43. Stone Vessel Workshops of the Second Temple Period East of Jerusalem, in H. Geva (ed.), Ancient Jerusalem Revealed (reprinted and expanded edition), Jerusalem, pp. 353–359 (with J. Seligman and I. Zilberbod).
2001 – 44. Die Wasserleitung nach Qumran, in W. Dierx und G. Garbrecht (eds.) Wasser im Heiligen Land: Biblische Zeugnisse und archäologische Forschungen, Mainz, pp. 159–164 (with Z. Ilan).
45. Quarry and Workshop for the Production of Stone Vessels on the Eastern Slope of Mount Scopus, Qadmoniot 34, pp. 102–110 (Hebrew, with J. Seligman and I. Zilberbod).
46. An Iron Age II Cemetery and Wine Presses at an-Nebi Danyal, Israel Exploration Journal 51, pp. 171–193 (with I. Yezerski).
2002 – 47. The Aqueducts of Israel: An Introduction, D. Amit, J. Patrich and Y. Hirschfeld (eds.), The Aqueducts of Israel (JRA Supplementary Series No. 46), Portsmouth, Rhode Island, pp. 9–20 (with J. Patrich).
48. The Aqueducts of Eleutheropolis (Beth Govrin), ibid., pp. 168–176.
49. The Northern System of Eleutheropolis, ibid., pp. 177–186 (with N. Sagiv and B. Zissu).
50. New Data for Dating the High-Level Aqueduct, and the Wadi el Biyar Aqueduct, and the Herodion Aqueduct, ibid., pp. 253–266.
51. The Aqueduct to the Fortress of Alexandrion, ibid., pp. 306–312.
52. The Water-Supply Systems of Cypros Fortress, ibid., pp. 313–329 (with Z. Meshel).
53. The Aqueduct of the Fortress of Dok (Dagon), ibid., pp. 330–335.
54. The Aqueduct of Qumran, ibid., pp. 380–386 (with Z. Ilan).
55. The Water Supply System of Horvat Kefira, ibid., pp. 417–422.
2003 – 57. The “Monastery of Theodorus and Cyriacus” on the Eastern Slope of Mount Scopus, Jerusalem, in G.C. Bottini, L. Di Segni and D. Chrupcala (eds.), One Land—Many Cultures: Archaeological Studies in Honour of S. Loffreda, Jerusalem, pp. 139–148 (with J. Seligman and I. Zilberbod).
58. Tur-Safa Cave: A Refuge Cave of Bar Kokhba Revolt in Western Hebron Mountains, Israel, in Judea and Samaria Research Studies—Proceeding of the Twelfth Annual Meeting 2002, Kedumim-Ariel, pp. 157–161(Hebrew, with A. Frumkin).
59. Two Winepresses from Kfar Sirkin and Mazor, Atiqot 44, pp. 253–266(with N. Sidi and U. Ad).
2004 – 60. Another Miqveh near Alon Shevut, Atiqot 48, pp. 96–98(with Y. Peleg).
61.Priests and the Memory of the Temple in the Synagogues of Southern Judaea, in L. I. Levine (ed.), Continuity and Renewal: Jewishand Judaism in Byzantine-Christian Palestine , Jerusalem (Hebrew).
62. A Jewish Cemetery in the Middle Ages in Eghegis in Southern Armenia, Peamim 98–99, pp. 67–119 (Hebrew, with M. E. Stone).
2005 – 63. A Tumulus Tomb at Mazor–Elad (Site 96), Atiqot 49, pp. 9–15(with I. Zilberbod and A. Golani).
2006 – 64. A Persian Wheel (Saqiya) Well at Nahal Timna, in E. Baruch, Z. Greenhut and A. Faust (eds.), New Studies on Jerusalem, 11, pp. 297–306 (Hebrew, with I. Zilberbod).
65. New Excavations in the Vicinity of the Third Wall, in E. Baruch, Z. Greenhut and A. Faust (eds.), New Studies on Jerusalem, 11, pp. 7*–11* (with D. A. Sklar-Parnes, A. De Groot and R. Bar Nathan).
66. The Second and Third Seasons of Research at the Medieval Jewish Cemetery in Eghegis, Vayots Dzor Region, Armenia, Journal of Jewish Studies 57, pp. 99–122 (with M. E. Stone).
67.Miqwa'ot at Kfar Othnai near Legio, Israel Exploration Journal 56, pp. 57–66 (with B. Zissu and Y. Tepper).
68. Ancient Jewish Bread Stamps, in N. Ben-Yossef (ed.), Bread: Daily and Divine, The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, pp. 188–189.
2007 - 69. The Haliftan Inscription on a Storage Jar from the En-Gedi Excavations, in Y. Hirschfeld, En-Gedi Excavations II: Final Report (1996–2002), Jerusalem, pp. 615–616.
70. Remains of Jewish Settlements from the Second Temple Period near Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem, Eretz-Israel 28, pp. 152–158 (Hebrew).
71. Village Synagogues from the Second Temple Period, Michmanim, 20, pp. 21–32 (Hebrew).
72. Revisiting the 1913–1914 Weill Expedition: Recent Excavations in the City of David, in E. Meiron (ed.), City of David: Studies of Ancient Jerusalem II, pp. 69–81 (Hebrew, with Y. Adler).
73. Winepresses with Integrated Rolling Stones from South of Mount Hebron, in Y. Eshel (ed.), Judea and Samaria Research Studies 16,pp. 299–322 (Hebrew, withY. Baruch).
74. The Dating of Ancient Synagogues, Cathedra 124, pp. 6–12 (Hebrew).
75. A Numismatic Update on the Northwestern Extent of the Territo
2008 - 76. Hurvat Burnat, A Jewish Village in the Lod Shephelah during the Hellenistic and Roman Periods, Qadmoniot 41, pp. 96–107 ( (Hebrew, with H. Torgü and P. Gendelman).
77. Stone Vessel Production Caves on the Eastern Slope of Mount Scopus, Jerusalem, in Y. M. Rowan and J. R. Ebeling (eds.), New Approaches to Old Stones: Recent Studies of Ground Stone Atifacts, London and Oakville, pp. 320–342 (with J. Seligman and I. Zilberbod).
78. Remains from the Iron Age at Hurvat Anim, in S. Bar (ed.), In the Hill-Country, and in the Shephelah, and in the Arabah (Joshua 12, 8): Studies and Researches Presented to Adam Zertal in the Thirtieth Anniversary of the Manasseh Hill-Country Survey, Jerusalem, pp. 133–145 (Hebrew, with R. Cohen-Amin and R. Cohen).
79. Menorah Fragment from Khibet ed-Duheisha, in M. Fischer and I. Taxel, Rural Settlement in the Vicinity of Yavneh in the Byzantine Period: A Religio-Archaeological Perspective, BASOR 350, pp. 15–16.
80. Common Judaism, Common Purity, and the Second Temple Period Judean Miqwa'ot (Ritual Immersion Baths), in W. O. McCready and A. Reinhartz (eds.), Common Judaism: Explorations in Second-Temple Judaism, Minneapolis, pp. 47–62, 237–242 (with B. Zissu).
81. Jerusalem, Excavations in the Vicinity of the Ancient City: [a] Stone-Vessel Production Caves on Mount Scopus, [b] The Monastery of Theodorus and Cyriakos on Mount Scopus, in E. Stern (ed.), The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land Vol. 5, pp. 1825–1827 (with J. Seligman and I. Zilberbod).
2009 – 82. Wine and Oil Presses from H. Mazor and Surrounding Region, in E. Ayalon, R. Frankel and A. Kloner (eds.), Oil and Wine Presses in Israel from the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine Periods (BAR International Series 1972), Oxford, pp. 213–215.
83. Oil Presses and a Wine Press at Kh. Marah el- Jum‘a (Nebi Daniel), ibid, pp. 339–341.
84. A Wine Press at Kh. Umm Halasa, ibid, pp. 397–398.
85. Wine Presses with Stone Rollers: An Ancient Phenomenon Seen in a New Light, ibid, pp.429–440 (with Y. Baruch).
86. The Location of Jewish Carmel during the Mishnaic and Talmudic Period, in L. Di Segni, Y. Hirschfeld, J. Patrich and R. Talgam (eds.), Man near a Roman Arch: Studies Presented to Prof. Yoram Tsafrir, Jerusalem, pp. 57–63.
87. The Remains of a Water System from the First Temple Period in Mamila: Is This the “Upper Pool Canal”?, in E. Meiron (ed.), City of David: Studies of Ancient Jerusalem, Vol. 4, Jerusalem, pp. 65–79 (Hebrew).
88. Water Supply to the Upper City of Jerusalem during the First and Second Temple Periods in Light of the Mamilla Excavations, in D. Amit, G. D. Stiebel and O. Peleg-Barkat (eds.), New Studies in the Archaeology of Jerusalem and its Region: Collected Papers, Vol. III, Jerusalem, pp. 94–108 (Hebrew).
Book Reviews
1. Review of R. Frankel, S. Avitzur and E. Ayalon, History and Technology of Olive Oil in the Holy Land. In Qadmoniot 31 (1998), p. 68 (Hebrew).
2. Review of A. Segal, The History and Architecture of the Theaters in Roman Palestine. In Zion 67 (2002), pp. 72–77 (Hebrew).
3. Review of Y. Hirschfeld, En-Gedi Excavations II: Final Report (1996–2002), In Qadmoniot 41 (2008), pp. 132–133 (Hebrew).