Hershel Shanks, whose magazine uncovered ancient Israel, dies at 90
The magazine, Biblical Archaeology Review, which Shanks commanded for over 40 years until his retirement in 2017, popularized what was a rather arcane, technical and exclusive subject and made it digestible for tens of thousands of readers.
by Joseph Berger
(NYT NEWS SERVICE)
.- Hershel Shanks was neither an archaeologist nor a biblical scholar when the notion of creating a popular magazine devoted to biblical archaeology began to germinate in his mind; he was a real estate lawyer in Washington. But in 1972 he took a yearlong hiatus and traveled with his wife and two daughters to Israel, where he became captivated by the wealth of archaeological digs.
Hershel Shanks, Whose Magazine Uncovered Ancient Israel, Dies at 90
For more than 40 years at Biblical Archaeology Review, Mr. Shanks simplified esoteric scholarly articles and crowned them with tantalizing headlines.
Hershel Shanks in 1972 in Hezekiah’s Tunnel, beneath the City of David in Jerusalem. Mr. Shanks became fascinated with biblical archaeology while visiting Israel that year and later founded a magazine devoted to the subject.Credit.Biblical Archaeology Society
Published March 7, 2021Updated March 13, 2021
Hershel Shanks was neither an archaeologist nor a biblical scholar when the notion of creating a popular magazine devoted to biblical archaeology began to germinate in his mind; he was a real estate lawyer in Washington. But in 1972 he took a yearlong hiatus and traveled with his wife and two daughters to Israel, where he became captivated by the wealth of archaeological digs.