Ehud Netzer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ehud Netzer
Born	13 May 1934 Jerusalem
Died	28 October 2010 (aged 76) Jerusalem
Occupation	Architect, archaeologist and educator

Ehud Netzer (Hebrew: אהוד נצר) was an important Israeli architect, archaeologist, and teacher. He was born in Jerusalem in 1934 and passed away in 2010. He is famous for his amazing discoveries at a place called Herodium. There, in 2007, he found what he believed was the tomb of Herod the Great. He also found a building that he thought might be the oldest synagogue ever discovered, known as the Wadi Qelt Synagogue.

Netzer was a professor at the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He was known worldwide as an expert on buildings designed by King Herod. He worked at Masada with another famous archaeologist, Yigael Yadin. Later, he finished the official report for the Masada site. He also led teams of archaeologists at places like the Herodian palace at Jericho. At Herodium, in the desert near Bethlehem, Netzer spent over thirty years digging and studying the ancient ruins.

Life Story of Ehud Netzer

Ehud Netzer was born in Jerusalem in 1934. His parents, Joseph and Puah Menczel, were teachers in Israel. It's said that Netzer changed his last name from Menczel to Netzer. This was because his original name was hard to spell correctly in Hebrew. He studied architecture at the Technion and graduated in 1958. While he was a student, Netzer spent his summer breaks helping with digs led by the famous archaeologist Yigael Yadin.

Netzer met his future wife, Devorah Dove, while working on excavations at Masada. She was an archaeology student. Later, he earned his Ph.D. in archaeology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He became a professor at the Institute of Archaeology at Hebrew University. Eventually, Netzer was recognized as the world's top expert on buildings from King Herod's time.

Netzer's Archaeology and Architecture Work

Ehud Netzer started and led many digs at building projects of Herod the Great. Herod was an ancient king of Judea. In the mid-1960s, Netzer helped design the excavations at Masada with I. Dunayevsky. These digs were led by Professor Yigael Yadin. After Yadin passed away, Netzer finished the final report about the buildings and architecture of Masada. He later led the restoration of the Masada site for Israel's National Parks Authority.

Netzer was also the main architect for restoring and digging in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem from 1967 to 1975. He planned the restoration of Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem, like Mishkenot Sha'ananim and Yemin Moshe. He even planned public buildings in Egypt.

In 1968, Netzer started and led large digs at the site of Herod's winter palace in Jericho. In 1972, he began digging at the huge palace complex of Herodium. This site is in the desert outside Bethlehem. His first period of work there lasted until 1987. He dug up many palace structures. He returned to the dig from 1997–2000, and again from 2000–2010. An ancient Jewish historian, Josephus Flavius, had written that Herod's tomb was at his strong palace of Herodium.

From 1972 to 1978, Netzer completed his Ph.D. paper at the Hebrew University. It was about Herod's palaces at Herodium and Jericho. He became a senior lecturer at the university in 1981 and a professor in 1990. He taught subjects that combined architecture and archaeology. From 1985 to 1993, he led the Hebrew University team at Zippori (Sepphoris) in the lower Galilee. There, they found a synagogue with a beautiful mosaic floor. This floor has been shown at the Jewish Museum in New York City.

Discoveries at Herodium

Herodium is a huge, cone-shaped mountain, partly made by people. It holds a fortress palace built by King Herod near Bethlehem. According to the ancient historian Josephus, Herodium was where Herod was buried. Inside the artificial hill was a fortress palace. Other archaeologists had dug there earlier, from 1962-67. Netzer started working on the large palace complex at the bottom of the hill. He called this area "Lower Herodium."

From 1972 to 1987, Netzer worked at Herodium, digging up the palace buildings. He continued his work there from 1997–2000, and again from 2000–2010. Starting in 2006, his digs uncovered a ramp that wound around the hill. It led from the lower palace complex and stadium. Along this path, they found a theater and a grand staircase. This staircase led past a platform and other remains. In May 2007, Netzer identified these as the likely tomb of King Herod. Netzer found the stone coffin "shattered into hundreds of pieces." Josephus had written that Jewish rebels broke it during a revolt against the Romans.

In October 2013, some archaeologists, Joseph Patrich and Benjamin Arubas, questioned if it was truly Herod's tomb. They thought the tomb was too simple for a king like Herod. However, Roi Porat, who took over leading the dig after Netzer's death, still believed it was Herod's tomb.

Work at Jericho

Netzer began digging at Jericho in 1973 and continued working there for over ten years. At the oasis of Jericho, he found new parts of Herod's winter palace. He also uncovered a Hasmonean winter palace. This palace had many swimming pools and gardens. This is a very important archaeological site from that time in Jewish history. The complex includes a building built around 70-50 BCE. In 1998, Netzer identified this building as a synagogue. This idea has been debated, but if it's true, it would be the oldest synagogue ever found. It is known as the "Wadi Qelt synagogue."

Personal Life and Passing

Ehud Netzer married Devora, and they had four children. All of their children, Chana, Ruti, Yael, and Yossef, live in Israel.

On October 25, 2010, Netzer was seriously hurt when a railing broke at the Herodium dig site. He fell and died from his injuries three days later. He passed away at Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital in West Jerusalem.