Pessah Bar-Adon
Encyclopedia
Pessah Bar-Adon was a Polish-born, Israeli archaeologist and writer.
, Poland
, to a Zionist, ultra-orthodox family, he was educated in a Jewish orthodox school and in Yeshiva
s. He immigrated to Israel in 1925. While working in housing and road construction to support himself, he studied for a degree in Middle-Eastern studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
.
, Bet She'an
, and Kuneitra in order to learn their lifestyle. Part of his motivation for this endeavor was to understand why many of the ancient Kings of Israel were originally shepherds. During this period he wore traditional Bedouin clothing and went by the name Aziz Effendi.
During the 1929 Palestine riots
and the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine, he was an active member of the Haganah
Jerusalem. Later he also took part in the Aliyah Bet.
In 1932 he participated in one of the first movies made about the Jewish Yishuv
in Palestine, called "Sabra", directed by Aleksander Ford
.
In 1939, he married Dorothy Kahan, an American author who fell in love with the Land of Israel, and the two moved to the Blumenfeld house in Moshav
Merhavia
.
Bar-Adon was involved in many archeological excavations, among them: Bet Shearim, Tel Bet Yerah, and the discovery of the Nahal Mishmar
hoard. He engaged in archaeology until the age of 70.
Early life
Born Pessah Panitsch in KolnoKolno
Kolno is a town in northeastern Poland, located in the Podlaskie Voivodeship, about 150 km northeast of Warsaw. It is the seat of Kolno County, and the seat of the smaller administrative district called Gmina Kolno, but it is not part of this district, as the town has gmina status in its own...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, to a Zionist, ultra-orthodox family, he was educated in a Jewish orthodox school and in Yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
s. He immigrated to Israel in 1925. While working in housing and road construction to support himself, he studied for a degree in Middle-Eastern studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
.
Career
For a period, he lived amongst Bedouins near AmmanAmman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
, Bet She'an
Bet She'an
is a city in the North District of Israel which has played an important role historically due to its geographical location at the junction of the Jordan River Valley and Jezreel Valley...
, and Kuneitra in order to learn their lifestyle. Part of his motivation for this endeavor was to understand why many of the ancient Kings of Israel were originally shepherds. During this period he wore traditional Bedouin clothing and went by the name Aziz Effendi.
During the 1929 Palestine riots
1929 Palestine riots
The 1929 Palestine riots, also known as the Western Wall Uprising, the 1929 Massacres, , or the Buraq Uprising , refers to a series of demonstrations and riots in late August 1929 when a long-running dispute between Muslims and Jews over access to the Western Wall in Jerusalem escalated into violence...
and the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine, he was an active member of the Haganah
Haganah
Haganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...
Jerusalem. Later he also took part in the Aliyah Bet.
In 1932 he participated in one of the first movies made about the Jewish Yishuv
Yishuv
The Yishuv or Ha-Yishuv is the term referring to the body of Jewish residents in Palestine before the establishment of the State of Israel...
in Palestine, called "Sabra", directed by Aleksander Ford
Aleksander Ford
Aleksander Ford born Mosze Lifszyc was a Polish film director; and head of the Polish People's Army Film Crew in the Soviet Union. Ford became director of the nationalized "Film Polski" company at the end of World War II...
.
In 1939, he married Dorothy Kahan, an American author who fell in love with the Land of Israel, and the two moved to the Blumenfeld house in Moshav
Moshav
Moshav is a type of Israeli town or settlement, in particular a type of cooperative agricultural community of individual farms pioneered by the Labour Zionists during the second aliyah...
Merhavia
Merhavia (moshav)
Merhavia a moshav in northern Israel. It falls under the jurisdiction of Jezreel Valley Regional Council and in 2006 had a population of 722. Founded in 1911, it was the first modern Jewish settlement in the Jezreel Valley....
.
Bar-Adon was involved in many archeological excavations, among them: Bet Shearim, Tel Bet Yerah, and the discovery of the Nahal Mishmar
Nahal Mishmar
Nahal Mishmar is one of the smaller seasonal streams in the Judean Desert.-Geography:Nahal Mishmar begins in the Hebron hills, running east towards the Dead Sea...
hoard. He engaged in archaeology until the age of 70.