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Benjamin Mazar (June
28,1906−September 9, 1995), born
Born Binyamin Zeev Maisler (Hebrew: בנימין
מזר,
June 28, 1906 – September 9, 1995)
Better known as Benjamin Mazar, born in
Ciechanowiec, Poland, was a leading Israeli
biblical archaeologist. Educated in Germany,
first at Berlin and then at Giessen
universities, he immigrated to then known
“British Mandate Palestine” which is modern
Israel (re-established 1948) at age 23. In
1943 he joined the faculty of the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem where he served as
Professor of Biblical History and
Archaeology of Israel from 1951 to 1977. He
became Rector of the University in 1952 and
served as its president in 1953. His tenure
as president lasted for eight years. He
oversaw the revival of the university at a
new site in west Jerusalem after as the
Mount Scopus campus had become isolated in
Jordanian-controlled Jerusalem following the
1948 first Arab-Israeli war. He served as
secretary of the “Jewish Palestine
Exploration Society” now the Israel
Exploration Society.
Mazar earned a formidable academic
reputation through leadership of a school of
thought combining a positive appreciation of
biblical history, critically evaluated, with
archaeological evidence. Extensive
excavations under the direction of Professor
Mazar were undertaken in the Ophel and the
southwestern corner of the Temple Mount
1968–1978. The Hebrew University of
Jerusalem and the Israel Exploration Society
together with Ambassador University
completed the excavations. The site was
inaccessible to Israeli archaeologists until
the capture of the Old City from Jordan in
the Six Day War of 1967.
Work began on the site early in 1968.
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