Biographical Issues of Dr. Avraham Biran - Research Paper Example

? Avraham Biran Avraham Biran Introduction In words by Shanks Avraham Biran was the best example of a successful excavator of his time. The author was part of a chain of authors who share the same sentiments. Different from many excavators, he based his work on originality. He came up with just more than samples of objects excavated. He knew how to locate excavation sites and what to look for. These features made him a hero of his times as he became a person whom upcoming excavators wanted to become. In his home country, Biran was viewed as a local and international hero. To embellish his achievement, he also made it as the head of several archeology bodies both in Israel and the United States. He also had great interest in biblical archeology. This trait he always said he obtained from his mentor who also shared similar perceptions in biblical archeology. His vast knowledge of and interest in archeology made his speaking abilities more elegant. By then lectures had no importance as students and the general public were not regular attendants. Lectures and talks involving Avraham Biran used to be full to capacity as thousands of people flocked to grasp part of his knowledge. According to General Books LLC,2 it was only a person sharing the same features as Avraham Birian who was capable of achieving what he did with so many factors against his success. He was among the first archeology to help nurture a generation of well informed and knowledgeable archeologists. What made Biran an exceptional archeology is the fact that he gave a lot back to his country. This saw him achieve major awards in his home country. He unraveled the archeology potential of Israel. He also has in his name numerous articles and publications on archeology. Avraham Biran was born on 1909 in Petah Tivkah, part of the Ottoman Empire. Before changing his surname to Biran, he had the surname Bergman. He and his family moved to Rosh Pina which was a land of his ancestors. This made him adapt to the name Mayflower Israeli. He had his roots in Palestine where his great grandfather had first settled. In his youth his family moved to Egypt. His father managed to obtain a small farm in which he managed and produced some products for their support. His great grandfather had granted them the Palestinian roots after settling there and forming a political Zionism in 1897.3 However, he was Romania-born. A few years later, his father died. After which his family moved back to Palestine and spent his life in times with his grandparents until he reached the age of 13. Mr. Biran studied at the Hebrew Reali School of Haifa. It is from the school that he got the inspiration he needed in life. In his own words, he said that the impression the school left in him was lifelong. It was the time he spent at Reali School of Haifa that made him gain interest in archeology. The influence his principal had in him was very great. The principal Mr. Arthur Biram taught him the Bible and ancient history. At this time he attended many hikes in which he never left his Bible behind. They visited ancient Samaria, Jerusalem, Hebron and the Western Wall. With his Bible and exposure to ancient sites, his interest in archeology grew even greater.4 At times he used the Bible to relate to the archeological sites he visited. It was this great interest and passion that made Professor Albright, one of the greatest archeologists, call him to study with him. He then moved to Israel and continued his studies at the David Yellin Teacher’s College in Jerusalem. He then went back to teach in Haifa where his education started. In 1930 he moves to the United States to continue his studies. He enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. A year later, he enrolled as a student in Near Eastern studies under Professor Albright at John Hopkins University in Baltimore. It was from the two institutions that he received his MA in 1934 and a PhD in 1935 respectively. He retired from his archeology career at the age of 93 when he moved back to Jerusalem.5 A month prior to his 99th birthday, Mr. Avraham Biran met his death. He had married Ruth Frankel. From the marriage they were blessed with three children. Archeology career Mr. Avraham Biran went back to Palestine, Jerusalem in 1935. He served as a Fellow at the American School of Oriental Research for 2 years. He participated in several archaeological digs. The digs included Tel Halifa in Aqaba, excavations near the cities of Baghdad and Mosul in Iraq, Jordan in the city of Irbid and in Ras El Haruba outside the city of Jerusalem. He was then requested by Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, who then headed the Jewish National Council and later became the president of Israel, to inscribe a feedback to an anti-Zionist area written by Dr. Tawfik Canaan. He was then appointed the departmental head of Antiques and Museums which was under the Ministry of Education and Culture. The appointment was between the years of 1961 and 1934.6 He instigated the publishing of the journal Archaeology News both in Hebrew and English. In 1967, Israel was successful in the capturing of the West Bank. Biran took this opportunity and initiated archeological analysis in both Judea and Samaria. He was also in the Israeli team in the Hague Convention. He usually attended UNESCO seminars in which he greatly advocated archeological activities in the Western Wall and the Jewish parts in the city of Jerusalem. He will also be greatly remembered for his instrumental role in the foundation of the Jerusalem bound Israeli Museum. He also had a major role in the renovation of the Rockefeller Museum. He also aided in the refurbishment of the Shrine of the Book which contains the Qumran Scrolls. Since 1974, Avraham Biran has been the head of the Nelson Glueck School of Biblical Archaeology at the Hebrew Union College located in Jerusalem. He then planned and organized a conference based on the subject of Temples and High Places in Biblical Times in 1977.7 In 1981, he published the results of the conference in a book he authored under the same title. Between the years of 1984 and 1990 he served as a significant member of the organizing committee of the International Conference of Biblical Archeology. In 1966, Biran indulged in a project he will forever be remembered by. He started the excavations of Tel Dan in the northern parts of Israel. In this project he dug for 30 years. This project identified his true and real passion for archeology.8 To date, the project will be identified with him. The Tel was a mound which was 5,000 years old. It was formed by layers of remains formed from civilizations that were once located in the site. The Tel remains the largest and significant religious site that has ever been found and forms the Israelite period. These excavations were evidence of the existent fragments which date back to the times when Canaanites from the line of Laish were re-settled by the Israelite line of Dan. These claims were based on the biblical approach, but no point whatsoever has proven this. Biran then excavated an arched gate which was believed to exit in the then period of the patriarchs. Dating back to this period, Biran also excavated a huge dirt wall which went all round the city. His prowess in excavating enabled him to also excavate artifacts dating back to the Jewish Monarchy. They included high places at the gate, gate, walls as well as the city’s defenses. Avraham’s most significant discovery was the Tel Dan Stele. These were writings on a stone tablet of basalt. They consisted of 13 scribbled lines in old Canaanite writings which mentioned The House of David. According to George,9 this discovery was recognized worldwide as many confessions and believers became his significant audience. The fact that most of his discoveries were biblical made many people believe and appreciate him for his prowess in excavations. In this particular discovery, the inscription dated back to around 800 BCE. Biran was certain that it was written in regard to a king from The House of David who was killed during a duel with the Arameans. This inscription is the only biblical discovery that was found and hinted on David’s kingdom. It was also viewed as a very significant biblical discovery which was proof of the existence of David, and this denotes him as an existing historical figure. This evidence was contradicting to several English researches who termed the existence of David and Solomon as just literary inventions. After this discovery, authors, researchers and other archeologists believed that David’s dynasty truly existed and it is not made up to fulfill biblical theories.10 In 1937, Avraham Biran took a long break from academics and archeological activities. He took up a public appointment as District Officer in the district of Afula and later the Jezreel Valley. In referring to his change of activity, Biran said that it was after pleads from Jewish settlers who requested for Jewish District Officers rather than the British. In this case the Jewish would not have to enter cities and regions with a large Arabic population to deal with technical affairs. He was then offered the position and he wondered how an archeologist would be useful in such a position. To his satisfaction the district offered to him to govern was the Jezreel Valley which was said to have rich ancient roots. For this reason he did not decline the offer.11 In collaboration with Ruth Berndstadler-Amiran, Biran began archeological activities and survey in the Beit Shean Valley. It was during these archeological activities that his life was saved miraculously. In this occasion his jeep veered into a landmine as he headed to Kibbutz Tirat Zvi. According to George,12 this accident was death sentence, but his survival was evidence that he was not through with his quest for excavation. His appointment as District Officer in Jerusalem District came in 1946. From the same year he also served as a member of the Jerusalem City Council until Israel gained its independence in 1948. Using his influence during the end of the British mandate in 1948, Biran took wealth deeds of many Jewish people. The deeds belonged to land and houses. He did this to ensure that the Jewish would reclaim back their property after the forecasted war. According to Finkelstein and Silberman,13 this activity was similar to another Jew who placed wealth deeds for safety in the Judean deeds during the reign of the Roman Empire about 200 years ago. After attainment of independence by Israel, Biran was selected to the cabinet. He was appointed for the post of assistant to the cabinet secretary. Additionally to this appointment, Biran was the Assistant Military Governor of Jerusalem. It was at this time that he changed his name from Biran to Bergman. Till 1955, he has been a member of the committee which was managing a truce with Jordan. In 1955, he headed back to the United States but on official duty as a counsel general of Israel in Los Angeles, CA. In Biran’s view, archeology is very significant in the modern day Israel. Considering Israel as a rich biblical land, it is very important to know the occupants of our land since the existence of its topography.14 Biran believed that every biblical story and theory was connected to Israel. This interest of discovering of this connection gave him the exposure he needed to know how good he was at archeology. In an argument by Coogan,15 Biran always believed in the existence of historical artifacts in the land of Israel. He further argued that it is for this reason his thirst for excavating was never quenched. Awards Schimmel Prize for Archeology in 1984. Israel Prize for archeology in 2002. Yakir Yerushalayim in 1996. (This award was also known as the worthy citizen of Israel award.) Conclusion The life and times of Avraham Biran will be forever remembered by all Israelites. He proved to his home country that he had more than just archeological skills. He also displayed amazing leadership skills which saw him rise in the ranks of governance. Evolving from just a district officer up to Counsel General of Israel in California is evidence of his success in administrative skills. A focus on his career is evidence on how exceptional Biran was as an archeologist. In words by Athas,16 Biran opened up a window of opportunities for other archeologists to look into. Some authors argue that if it was not for the efforts by Biran, some historical existence would till now remained as literary creations. If this was the impact displayed by his works, Biran would be forever regarded as the father of archeology in Israel. 17As years pass by after his death, his legacy will continue to be significant and respected Bibliography Finkelstein, Israel, and Neil Asher Silberman. The Bible Unearthed. New York: Free Press, 2001. General Books LLC. Israeli Archeologists: Avraham Biran, Eilat Mazar, Gaby Mazor, Ehud Netzer, Ronny Reich, Yigael Yadin, Amir Drori, Aren Maeir. Memphis: Author, 2010. Athas, George. The Tel Dan Inscription: A Reappraisal and a New Interpretation. London: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2006. Chancey, Mark. The Myth of a Gentile Galilee. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002. Coogan, Michael. The Oxford History of the Biblical World. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001. Shanks, Hershel. Celebrating Avraham: Avraham Biran, the Excavator of Dan at 90. Washington: Biblical Archeology Society, 1999. Read More