Jodi Magness,
Archaeologist

I am a Classical and Biblical archaeologist specializing in ancient Palestine (modern Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian territories) from the time of Jesus up to the tenth century. My research interests include Jerusalem, Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls, ancient synagogues, Masada, the Roman army in the East, ancient pottery, the Byzantine-early Islamic transition, and Diaspora Judaism in the Roman world. I have participated on over 20 excavations in Israel and in Greece, including co-directing the 1995 excavations in the Roman siege works at Masada. Since 2011, I have directed excavations at Huqoq in Israel’s Galilee, which are bringing to light a monumental Late Roman (fifth century) synagogue paved with stunning mosaics (for more information visit: Huqoq.

My most recent books are Jerusalem Through the Ages: From Its Beginnings to the Crusades (2024) and Ancient Synagogues in Palestine: A Reevaluation Nearly a Century After Sukenik’s Schweich Lectures. The Schweich Lectures of the British Academy 2022 (2024). I am a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and Past President of the Archaeological Institute of America.