Ehud Netzer (1934-2010), scholar

Ehud Netzer (1934 - 2010) was an Israeli scholar and archaeologist. He was Professor emeritus at the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Netzer initiated and directed excavations at several building projects of Herod the Great, the ancient king of Judea. In the mid-1960s, Netzer was co-architect, together with Immanuel Dunayevsky, of the excavations at Masada, directed by Professor Yigael Yadin. During this period, Netzer also was responsible for the restoration of the Masada site on behalf of Israel's National Parks Authority. In 1968, Netzer initiated and directed large-scale excavations at the sites of Herodium and Jericho. In 1972-1978, Netzer completed his Ph.D. dissertation at the Hebrew University's Institute of Archaeology on the subject of Herod's palaces at Herodium and Jericho. He became a senior lecturer at the university in 1981 and a professor in 1990. The subjects he taught combined architecture and archaeology. From 1985 to 1993, Netzer directed the Hebrew University expedition to Sepphoris in the lower Galilee, which exposed a synagogue. On 25 October 2010, while leaning against a railing at the dig at Herodium, the railing collapsed and Netzer fell and was seriously injured. He died of his injuries three days later at Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital.

Works

Netzer was an expert on Herodian architecture. He led excavations at Masada, Sepphoris, Jericho, and the Herodium (where he located the tomb of Herod the Great).

Books

• Greater Herodium (1981 Netzer), book
• Armonot ha-Hashmonaim ve-Hordus ha-Gadol (1999 Netzer), book
  • Die Paläste der Hasmonäer und Herodes' des Grossen (1999 Netzer), book (German ed.)
  • The Palaces of the Hasmonaeans and Herod the Great (2001 Netzer), book (English ed.)
• Hasmonean and Herodian Palaces at Jericho (2001-2008 Netzer), book
• The Architecture of Herod, the Great Builder (2006 Netzer), book