Tikvah
Editors’ Pick

March 16, 2026

The Making of a Biblical Archaeologist

It started when a teenage girl fell in love with Israel.

Today, Jodi Magness is one of the most important scholars studying ancient Israel, having written books on Masada and the Dead Sea Scrolls, and having led important excavations of the land’s ancient synagogues. She reflects here on her career, and what led her to these pursuits: 

SaveGift