About two years ago, Finkelstein authored together with Neil Asher Silverman the book "Rashit Israel" in which he refers to the historical reliability of parts of the Bible * He will share the prize worth a million dollars with the archaeologist Professor Graham Barker from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom
Avi Blizovsky
Prof. Finkelstein.
The international steering committee of the "Dan David Prize" announced last night (Saturday) the winners for 2005. The prize - worth one million dollars in each field - has been awarded since 2002 in recognition of an extraordinary achievement in a particular field chosen in one of the three dimensions of time: past, present and future. The prize, a joint initiative of the Dan David Foundation and Tel Aviv University, is awarded to individuals and institutions with outstanding and unique achievements and a proven contribution to humanity. The winners donate 10% of the prize money to a scholarship fund.
In the past time dimension, two researchers won: the archaeologist Professor Israel Finkelstein from Tel Aviv University, and the archaeologist Professor Graham Barker from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
Prof. Finkelstein won the award "for his innovative research methods, which present a revolutionary interpretation of the history and archeology of the Land of Israel during the Bronze and Iron Ages", reasoned the members of the award committee. In 1992, Finkelstein initiated the excavation project at Tel Megiddo. About two years ago he published a book called "The Beginning of Israel", in which he claimed that the biblical stories have no archaeological evidence, and tried to explain how the biblical text was born after all.
The "Haaretz" newspaper adds that in an article published in 2003 in the "Haaretz" supplement, Finkelstein claimed that the infrastructure for the stories of the Bible are the ideologies and theology of the seventh century BC, in which, according to him, most of the Bible was written. His conclusion is that the stories of the conquest of the land, the existence of a large-scale unified kingdom during the time of David and Solomon, the settlement and origin of the Israelis, and the attempt to strengthen the kingdom of Judah compared to the northern kingdom (Israel), are nothing more than a religio-political manifesto, and not a historical truth. (See link at the bottom of the article).
Prof. Finkelstein: Archaeological research is carried out in groups
In a conversation with the Hidan website, Prof. Finkelstein said: "The most important thing about this award is the recognition above all else."
In response to the question of how he gains academic freedom despite the fact that his research apparently upsets these or other establishments: "I'm not trying to upset anyone. I make a complete separation between research and tradition. We ourselves in the family are not detached from tradition. I have no anti-this or pro-this agenda. The university never interfered in my affairs. On the contrary, only supported all the studies. Happily, there is no thought police in Israel. Even those who do not really agree with all my views are not completely on the other side of the fence. Some time ago Prof. Amichai Mazar and Anouchi appeared in lectures and we were presented as opponents, in the lecture there was a great deal of agreement between us, even though I am considered more radical and he is more conservative. Archeology in Israel sees the correct picture. There is good and dynamic archeology in Israel engaged in high-level research in all the universities in Israel, and I am very happy about that."
What exactly is the debate about?
"It's a debate that has lasted maybe 200 years. Regarding how we understand what is narrated in the historical chapters in the Bible. 40 years ago they argued about the period of the ancestors, 30 years ago - about the occupation of the land. Today the United Kingdom is being debated. There are looser insights about who wrote, when he wrote, for what need he wrote. I deal with it from the archaeological side. Of course, this is not the only thing I did in archaeology."
Since when does the Tanach become a history book?
The book of the Tanakh is not a historical book but deals with the relationship between the God of Israel and the people of Israel - theology. Therefore his views and his interests are also theological. From the 9th century BC onwards, the storyteller in the Bible has clear reinforcements in the extra-biblical documents, so the framework of the story from the 9th century is quite accurate. The books of Kings XNUMX and XNUMX, the House of Omri and onwards
But I think also about earlier materials in the biblical story, the fragments of history. There may not have been a kingdom, but the characters are historical and it is possible that some of the texts preserve more or less dim historical memories. You can't deal with this matter in black and white. You have to examine everything on its merits, the book I wrote with Neil Silverman, Israel's Beginnings dealt with these matters. We tried to find out the questions through the glasses of archaeology, which gives evidence of the time.
Can you tell us a little about other interesting studies you've done?
Prof. Finkelstein: "I did many things, I worked with many good people, Prof. David Oshiskin and myself excavated in Megiddo - the crown jewel of Israeli archeology from the Karaite. It serves us as a lever for a better understanding of the entire archaeological system and history - also from the Bronze Age. I am doing work with Prof. Eliezer Pisatsky on matters of carbon 14. An important work that has received resonance in the world: Prof. Yuval Goren, Prof. Nadav Naaman and myself, who examined the Al-Amarna certificates from the 14th century to conduct a microscopic examination to locate the source of the certificates, According to the mineralogy of the pottery. We also looked into kingdoms that were lost and did not know where they were, such as the Bronze Age kingdom of Alsheya, Medina cities in the Land of Israel who did not know where they were. We went to the museums in the world where the certificates are located, Prof. Goren performed the microscopic examination. I did a big survey in the mountain in the eighties. All in all, I have been in archeology for many years and this is the result."
Teamwork
Although the award is individual, all of this could not exist without a serious and deep foundation of research around it. One person cannot achieve this. We work in groups, in cooperation. I am a screw in a well-oiled system of archeology and historical research. I think they have done wonderful things in Israel."
The other winners
Graham Barker, an extremely important figure in European and global archeology since the 70s, studies the relationship between landscape and society. Unlike most scholars in his field, who focus on a certain region and period, Barker studies many periods and regions - from early prehistory to the historical period, and in areas spanning Europe, Africa and Asia. His approach is interdisciplinary, and draws from methods of the humanities, social sciences and exact sciences. His research focuses on the relationship between the landscape and humans and the tension between nature and culture, a tension that was, and still is, unique to the human race.
In the present time dimension, the British theater man Peter Brook from Great Britain won, "for his extraordinary contribution to the art of theater and opera, for his impressive growth as an artist over more than six decades of valued work, for his influence as a writer and for his ability to draw inspiration and spiritual nourishment from the world that serves him on stage." In 1971 Brock established the "International Center for Theater Research" in Paris and in 1974 established his permanent base at the Theater Bouffes du Nord. The operas he directed include Le Boheme, Boris Godunov, Salome, The Marriage of Figueroa and Faust. His films include "Baal-Zebuv", "Marhasad", "King Lear", The Mahabharata and Meetings with Remarkable Men.
In the future time dimension, three scientists won. Professor Robert Langer from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the USA (MIT), one of the pioneers and leaders of tissue engineering research; Professor George Whitesides from Harvard University in the USA, "for bridging the fields of chemistry, chemical engineering and biology, and for advancing them to new heights by developing new systems and functional materials"; and Prof. Sen. Rao from the Jawaharlal Nehru Center in India, for his scientific achievements in the chemistry of materials and solid state.
The awards will be presented at a ceremony to be held in May at Tel Aviv University. Dan David, who provides the money for the prize, is a Jewish millionaire born in Romania. He invented the automatic photo booth, and serves as the chairman of Photo-Me-International PLC, which owns 90% of the entire world market in automatic photo booths.
