Shmarya Guttman ( he, שמריה גוטמן; 1909–1996) was an Israeli archaeologist.

Early years

Shmarya Guttman was born in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

. His parents were Russian immigrants. The family

immigrated Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...

to Palestine when he was three. At the age of 17, he moved to Kibbutz Na'an, where he worked as a farmer.

Career

In the 1930s, he served as an emissary to Jewish communities in Eastern Europe. Before the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, he headed an intelligence unit of the Haganah. Later he was involved in diplomatic negotiations and took part in operations to bring Iraqi Jews to Israel.

Archaeology career

In the 1960s and 1970s, Guttman was on the team that excavated

Masada Masada ( he, מְצָדָה ', "fortress") is an ancient fortification in the Southern District of Israel situated on top of an isolated rock plateau, akin to a mesa. It is located on the eastern edge of the Judaean Desert, overlooking the D ...

, which he had climbed with two friends in 1932. Guttman initiated and directed the excavations at

Gamla Gamla, alt. sp. Gamala ( he, גַּמְלָא, The Camel) was an ancient Jewish city on the Golan Heights. It is believed to have been founded as a Seleucid fort during the Syrian Wars which was turned into a city under Hasmonean rule in 81 B ...

.Ultimate Devotion: The Historical Impact and Archaeological Expression of Intense Religious Movements
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Guttman, Shmarya Israeli archaeologists Israeli Jews Kibbutzniks