Beno Rothenberg
Beno Rothenberg | |
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Archaeologist, photographer and one of the founders of archaeometallurgy . |
Beno Rothenberg (
Early life and education
Beno Rothenberg was born in a wealthy
Military career; early work as photographer
Three years after his arrival in Palestine, he joined the
Photography, philosophy and poetry
Rothenberg is considered as one of the important photographers of the last pre-state and early post-independence years of Israel, who resonated with the romantic pioneering spirit of the time, and had access to important Israeli personalities of whom he took remarcable portraits.[1][2] His artistic talent, coupled with his equal passion for scientific exploration, gave his illustrated books their specific quality and made them very popular.[2] In the same vein, Rothenberg also published a number of notable philosophy articles, along with a book of poetry.[2]
Scientific work
Once he signed on in 1952 as photographer for the
Rothenberg took about 32,000 photos from 1947 to 1957.[4] They are now preserved in the Meitar Collection at the National Library of Israel.[1]
His photography led him to work with American archaeologist
In 1968, Rothenberg joined American Theodore Wertime, "on a long reconnaissance journey through Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan in search of the origins of pyrotechnology".[3][6]
Though he worked for many years in the Tel Aviv University, he did not get a permanent position there, and in 1973,[2] Rothenberg together with Mortimer Wheeler founded the Institute for Archaeo-Metallurgical Studies at the University College London to support his work. He partnered with academic institutions in the UK and Germany, establishing archaeometallurgy as an academic field.[3]
Rothenberg trained many students who became leaders in archaeometallurgy. He lectured into his nineties, and gave his last lecture in 2008, at 94. Rothenberg died in Ramat Gan at the age of 97, on March 13, 2012.[3]
Publications
- Rothenberg, Beno (1961). God's Wilderness: Discoveries in Sinai. Thames and Hudson. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- Rothenberg, Beno (1972). Timna; Valley of the Biblical Copper Mines. Thames and Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-39010-8. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- Rothenberg, Beno (1972). Were These King Solomon's Mines?: Excavations in the Timna Valley. Stein and Day. ISBN 978-0-8128-1506-1. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- Rothenberg, Beno; Weyer, Helfried (1979). Sinai: Pharaohs, Miners, Pilgrims, and Soldiers. Binns. ISBN 978-0896740020.
- Rothenberg, Beno (1988). The Egyptian Mining Temple at Timna. Institute for Archaeo-Metallurgical Studies [and] Institute of Archaeology, University College, London. ISBN 978-0-906183-02-1. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- Levene, Dan; Rothenberg, Beno (2007). A Metallurgical Gemara: Metals in the Jewish Sources. Institute for Archaeo-Metallurgical Studies, Institute of Archaeology, University College. ISBN 978-0-906183-04-5. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "The Meitar Collection: worth 200 million words". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2 February 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Erez Ben-Yosef. "In Memoriam: Professor Beno Rothenberg". www.tau.ac.il. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Thilo Rehren, with Hans-Gert Bachmann & Tim Shaw (14 March 2012). "Professor Rothenberg Obituary". The Times, 3 April 2012, p. 45. Retrieved 4 November 2023 – via website of the Institute for Archaeo-Metallurgical Studies, University College London (UCL).
- ^ "Galia Gur Zeev – projects: Beno Rothenberg". galiagurzeev.com. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- ^ "Endnote 1 - Fifteen Years in Sinai". The BAS Library. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
- ^ Arab, Roya, and Thilo Rehren. "The pyrotechnological expedition of 1968." Proceedings of International Conference, Persia's Ancient Splendour, Mining, Handicraft and Archaeology, Stöllner T., Slotta R. and Vatandoust, A. (eds.), Deutsches Bergbau-Museum, Bochum. 2004.