Benjamin Adam Saidel, at The Blogs

Benjamin Adam Saidel

An archaeologist cynical of both archaeology and academia.

Feb 15, 2025, 3:04 AM

Merchandise tossed on the floor of the Educational Bookstore

I have been a patron of the Educational Bookshop since the 1990s, visiting whenever I am in Israel. The Muna family owns three bookstores—two on Salah ed-Din Street and one at the American Colony. One of their Salah ed-Din...

Sep 13, 2023, 6:16 PM

The Michael Steinhardt Spoon and Politics of Repatriation

The repatriation of the Michael Steinhart Spoon, or Steinhardt spoon, to the Palestinian Authority was a problematic and politicized endeavor that has little to do with scientific archaeology. Michael Steinhardt, a billionaire hedge fund manager, and philanthropist surrendered his...

About Me

Benjamin Adam Saidel is a Full Professor in a Department of Anthropology at a public university in the southeastern U.S. He earned an A.M. and Ph.D. in Anthropology from Harvard University and also holds a Master’s in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School. He completed his undergraduate studies at Brandeis University. Saidel has directed multiple archaeological projects in Israel and has published over 50 works in the field.

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