Lee I. Levine is an American-born

Israeli Israeli may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel * Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel * Modern Hebrew, a language * ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008 * Guni Israeli (b ...

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as '' semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form o ...

, archaeologist and historian of classical

Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in th ...

. He is a strong believer in the ability of the Jewish people and Judaism to adapt to local settings as a key to survival. He is the author of ''Judaism and Hellenism in Antiquity'' and ''The Ancient Synagogue'', one of the most comprehensive texts on the subject. Levine is a professor of

Jewish history Jewish history is the history of the Jews, and their nation, religion, and culture, as it developed and interacted with other peoples, religions, and cultures. Although Judaism as a religion first appears in Greek records during the Hellenisti ...

and archaeology at the

Hebrew University of Jerusalem The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Dr. Chaim Weiz ...

. He received degrees at the

Jewish Theological Seminary of America The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) is a Conservative Jewish education organization in New York City, New York. It is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studie ...

(JTS), where he was ordained as a Conservative rabbi, and

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

. He was a student of Gerson Cohen. In 1961, Levine married Mira Karp, whom he met at

Camp Ramah Camp Ramah ( he, מחנה רמה, Machaneh Ramah) is a network of Jewish summer camps affiliated with the Conservative Movement. The camps operate in the United States, Canada, and Israel. All Ramah camps serve kosher food and are ''Shabbat''-obs ...

. Levine has also taught at

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the w ...

and the Seminary of Judaic Studies in Jerusalem. He has directed several archaeological digs, among them a dig in

Caesarea Caesarea () ( he, קֵיסָרְיָה, ), ''Keysariya'' or ''Qesarya'', often simplified to Keisarya, and Qaysaria, is an affluent town in north-central Israel, which inherits its name and much of its territory from the ancient city of Caesar ...

and the excavation of the Hurvat Amudim Synagogue.

Published work

* ''The Ancient Synagogue: The First Thousand Years'', Second Edition, Yale University Press, 2005 * ''Jerusalem: Portrait of the City in the Second Temple Period (538 B.C.E.-70 C.E.)'', Jewish Publication Society of America, 2003 * ''Judaism and Hellenism in Antiquity: Conflict or Confluence?'', Hendrickson Publishers, 1999 * ''Rabbinic Class of Roman Palestine in Late Antiquity'', Jewish Theological Seminary of America, 1990

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Levine, Lee I. Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Israeli archaeologists Columbia University alumni Historians of Jews and Judaism Israeli historians of religion Jewish Theological Seminary of America alumni