In 1961, when Lee Israel Levine graduated from both Columbia College in New York, majoring in philosophy, and Jewish Theological Seminary, majoring in Talmud, this accomplishment was only a precursor to the brilliant career that would follow. While researching his Columbia University dissertation in Jerusalem, Levine established close ties with members of the Institute of Archaeology at Hebrew University and Prof. Yigael Yadin, who recognized the need for an interdisciplinary approach that would give graduate archaeology students a solid base in Jewish history and rabbinic sources to supplement their archaeological training. Levine accepted Yadin’s invitation to return to Israel after graduation to teach at the Institute of Archaeology and later was granted a joint appointment in the Institute of Archaeology and the Department of Jewish History. In 1985, he was promoted to the rank of Full Professor, and since 2003, he has held the Rev. Moses Bernard Lauterman Family Chair in Classical Archaeology at the Hebrew University.
Levine was instrumental in founding and developing the TALI (an acronym for Tigbur Limudei Yahadut, Enriched Jewish Studies) track of Israel’s state school system. He was also a founding member of the Seminary of Judaic Studies in Jerusalem (now known as the Schechter Institute for Jewish Studies), which opened its doors in 1984. In addition to teaching, Lee headed the Schechter Institute (first as dean and then as president) from 1987 to 1994. Lee was an active member of the Masorti Movement in Israel and represented it abroad as Director of the Foundation for Masorti Judaism (1986–87) and Vice-Chancellor of Israel Affairs at the Jewish Theological Seminary (1987–94).
The honoree has published 12 monographs, 11 edited or coedited volumes, and 180 articles. His scholarship encompasses a broad range of topics relating to ancient Judaism, especially archaeology, rabbinic studies, and Jewish history. Within these disciplines he has dealt with a variety of subfields, including ancient synagogues and liturgy, ancient Jewish art, Galilee, Jerusalem, Hellenism and Judaism, and the historical geography of ancient Palestine. He is one of the first major scholars to draw on and integrate data from all of these fields in order to afford a better understanding of ancient Judaism. The 32 contributions to this volume by 35 authors are a tribute to his influence on this field of study and reflect the broad spectrum of his own interests. The 26 English and 6 Hebrew essays are divided into sections on Hellenism, Christianity, and Judaism; art and archaeology—Jerusalem and Galilee; rabbis; the ancient synagogue; sages and patriarchs; and archaeology, art, and historical geography.
Biography of Lee I. Levine
Publications of Lee I. Levine
Abbreviations
Part 1: Hellenism, Christianity, and Judaism
Hellenism and Judaism before and after World War II: Two Case Studies—A. D. Momigliano and E. J. Bickerman; Albert I. Baumgarten
The Name of the Ruse: The Toss of a Ring to Save Life and Honor Shaye J. D. Cohen
Jesus and the Galilean Am ha-Aretz: A Reconsideration of an Old Problem Sean Freyne
Hellenism and Judaism: Fluid Boundaries Erich S. Gruen
Porphyry on Judaism: Some Observations Pieter W. van der Horst
The Bishops of Sepphoris: Christianity and Synagogue Iconography in the Late Fourth and Early Fifth Centuries Hillel I. Newman
The Humanistic Evaluation of Religion E. P. Sanders
Part 2: Art and Archaeology: Jerusalem and Galilee
The Observance of Ritual Purity after 70 c.e.: A Reevaluation of the Evidence in Light of Recent Archaeological Discoveries David Amit and Yonatan Adler
The Tomb of Jason Reconsidered Dan Barag
The Hippo-Stadium/Amphitheater in Jerusalem Amos Kloner and Sherry Whetstone
Aramaic Ostraca of the Late Second Temple Period from a Farmhouse North of Jerusalem Ronny Reich and Eli Shukron
An “Encore” on the Bar Kochba Tetradrachm: A Re-vision of Interpretation Elisheva Revel-Neher
Burial Practices in Beth She’rim and the Question of Dating the Patriarchal Necropolis Zeev Weiss
Part 3: The Rabbis
Abbaye’s Family Origins: A Study in Rabbinic Genealogy Aaron Demsky
The Miracle of the Septuagint in Ancient Rabbinic and Christian Literature Richard Kalmin
The Rabbinic Class Revisited: Rabbis as Judges in Later Roman Palestine Hayim Lapin
Rabbis, Preachers, and Aggadists: An Aspect of Jewish Culture in Third- and Fourth-Century Palestine David Levine
Rabbi Judah ha-Nasi and Babylonia: Ties and Tensions Aharon Oppenheimer
The Religious Orientation of Non-Rabbis in Second-Century Palestine: A Rabbinic Perspective Adiel Schremer
Martyrdom, the Middle Way, and Mediocrity (Genesis Rabbah 82:8) Daniel R. Schwartz
Sinai—Mountain and Desert: The Desert Geography and Theology of the Rabbis and Desert Fathers Joshua Schwartz
Rabbinic and Roman Honor and Deference: Berakot 5.1, 9a, and Y. Bikkurim 3.3, 65c–d Seth Schwartz
Part 4: The Ancient Synagogue
The Dura-Europos Synagogue Wall Paintings: A Question of Origin and Interpretation Rachel Hachlili
Priests and Purity in the Dura-Europos Synagogue Jodi Magness
The Problem of the Scarcity of Synagogues from 70 to ca c.e.: The Case of Synagogue 1 at Nabratein (2nd–3rd Century c.e.) Eric M. Meyers
The Synagogue as Foe in Early Christian Literature Leonard V. Rutgers
Hebrew Section
Part 1: Sages and Patriarchs
Epistles of the Patriarchs in Talmudic Literature Isaiah Gafni
On Aggadic Midrashim: Formation, Editing, Survival Moshe David Herr
Part 2: Archaeology, Art, and Historical Geography
Gader, Migdal Gader, Hammat Gader: Historical and Geographical Considerations in Interpreting a Talmudic Sugya in rubin Motti Arad
The Zodiac and Helios in the Synagogue: Between Paganism and Christianity Rina Talgam
Was King Herod Indeed a Megalomaniac? In Light of Kasher and Witztum’s New Book, King Herod: A Persecuted Persecutor—Ehud Netzer
Is “Bezer in the Wilderness” (Deut 4:43) Bozrah (Bostra, Roman Arabia)?On the Intricacies of a Rabbinic Tradition Oded Irshai
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