Tel Rehov, an excavation in the Beth Shean Valley south of the Sea of Galilee, is becoming known as the literary dig.
Among its senior staff is John Camp, who writes under the name John Sanford; he is one of the world’s best-selling
mystery writers (the titles of his novels always contain the word “Prey”). Now a long-time volunteer at the dig
has also tried his hand as a novelist, albeit with less success.
Jim Lever’s novel, Ophrah’s Gate,1 centers on an archaeological excavation named Tel Kefar, a barely concealed Tel
Rehov. Many figures well known in the archaeological world are referred to by name in the novel, often given fictional
dialog. Others are given barely falsified names. For example, Israel Antiquities Director Shuka Dorfman is Shmuel
Dormann.
The real dig director of the Tel Rehov excavation is a prominent archaeologist from The Hebrew University, Amihai
Mazar. In the novel, he is named Moshe Benjamin. When I telephoned Mazar, he answered the phone. “Moshe
Benjamin?” I asked.
“Who?” he replied. I repeated the name.
“No, this is Ami Mazar. You must have the wrong number.”
When I asked him if he knew who was calling, he recognized my voice. But he did not know who Moshe Benjamin was. The
novel’s author, apparently fearful, had not sent him a copy. Mazar had seen only the cover of the book, which features
a picture of—what else?—Tel Rehov.
In the novel, the diggers are led to the prize find by a theory of a beautiful grad student named Sarah Bergman. When a
representative of the IAA comes to the dig to take possession of the prize find, he bids farewell to
dig director Benjamin with these words:
“I’m happy for you, my friend. After all the years of grunt work … Looks like you’ve finally wound
up on that glamour dig. And if Hershel Shanks gets so much as a glimpse of young Miss Bergman up there, you’ve got
yourself a Biblical Archaeology Review cover for sure.” Moshe chuckled at the allusion to the old
editor’s affinity for salting the magazine with glamour.
Author Jim Lever has found a sure-fire way of getting a mention in BAR.—H.S.
Tel Rehov, an excavation in the Beth Shean Valley south of the Sea of Galilee, is becoming known as the literary dig.
Among its senior staff is John Camp, who writes under the name John Sanford; he is one of the world’s best-selling
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