Milestones: Vassilios Tzaferis (1936–2015)

016

The New Year rang in sad tidings this year: Biblical archaeologist Vassilios Tzaferis passed away on January 1, 2015, at age 78. He died on St. Basil’s Day (Agios Vasilios), the nameday of the saint whose name he bore.

Originally from the island of Samos, Greece, Tzaferis left his home and moved to Jerusalem in 1950—at the age of 14—to study theology with the intention of becoming a monk. At the age of 20, he took the vow of monasticism and became an ordained deacon in the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate.

After serving in the Greek Orthodox Church in Nazareth, he pursued a degree in Biblical studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, specializing in the history of ancient Israel and archaeology. Later he earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in classical archaeology.

In 1964, while still studying at the Hebrew University, Tzaferis recanted his vow of monasticism—but remained a devout Greek Orthodox—and pursued a career in archaeology. Much of his scholarship focused on early Christian periods: He wrote about monks and monasteries of the Byzantine period, and his Ph.D. dissertation, which was submitted to the Hebrew University in 1970, examined the development of the cross as a Christian symbol.

After leaving the deaconate, he married and had two children.

Tzaferis directed and participated in excavations at sites throughout Israel, including Ashkelon, Beth Shean, Capernaum, Banias, Tel Dan and Jerusalem. He also excavated the impressive Byzantine church at Kursi on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, commemorating the swine miracle recorded in all three Synoptic Gospels (Mark 5:1–20; Luke 8:26–39; Matthew 8:28–34).^a

One of his most famous discoveries came from Giv’at Ha-Mivtar, a suburb of Jerusalem. While excavating a first-century A.D. tomb there, he uncovered the remains of a crucified man with the nail still in his ankle.^b The man, whose name was Yehohanan, had been 20 years old when he was crucified under Roman rule. Just how he was nailed to the cross remains a matter of debate.

From 1971 to 1991, Tzaferis served as deputy director in the department of research and excavations of the Israel Department of Antiquities and Museums, precursor to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). After the IAA was established, he served as director of excavations and surveys from 1991 to 2001. In addition to his position with the IAA, he lectured at the University of Haifa (1976–1982), curated the Museum of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem (1984–2002) and authored many articles and books.

A life of archaeology taught him many things. In the July/August 2006 issue of BAR, he shared some of his insight with us: “In my professional career I have been aware of three important axioms: First, archaeology is not an exact science. Second, the interpretation of finds is usually subjective. Third, the final conclusions need to be substantiated through multi-disciplinary collaboration. If these axioms are not carefully observed, the results of a dig may lead to historical perversions.”^c Vassilios Tzaferis’s contributions to the field of Biblical archaeology were numerous, and his advice—and caution—for the field still ring true.

The IAA organized a day in remembrance of Vassilios on February 22, 2015, at Yad Ben Zvi, with lectures and speeches.

The New Year rang in sad tidings this year: Biblical archaeologist Vassilios Tzaferis passed away on January 1, 2015, at age 78. He died on St. Basil’s Day (Agios Vasilios), the nameday of the saint whose name he bore.