COMMUNITY

SYDNEY JEWISH MUSEUM

Mankind has long sought to understand its history.

One such truth seeker is Professor Yosef Garfinkel, Yigael Yadin Chair in Archaeology of Israel at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the former Head of the Institute of Archaeology at Hebrew University.

Having directed excavations in the Judean lowlands (the Shephelah) at the sites of Khirbet Qeiyafa, Tel Lachish and most recently Khirbet al-Ra’I, Yossi is fresh off his recent excavation in January at Lachish, an ancient Canaanite and Israelite city. The three-week dig was organised by Dr Gill Davis and sponsored by the Australian Catholic University and the Roth Family. It included a cohort of 25 Australia archaeology students seeking to uncover the ancient history of the Kingdom of Judah.

Much of the field work Yossi undertakes with his students from Australia and America bi-annually is challenging. “You must examine where to excavate and review previous expeditions and what was learnt. You need to examine the topography and then you can only hope that you chose the right place to excavate,” he says.

Of course, the study of archaeology helps us understand the history of human civilisations and their development. It provides insights into the culture and behaviour of past societies and allows us