Vassilios Tzaferis (Greek:Βασίλης Τζαφέρης;Hebrew:וסיליוס צפֵיריס; 1 April 1936 – 1 January 2015) was a Greek–Israelibiblical archaeologist andOrthodox monk, best known for his discovery of theremains of a crucified man atGivat HaMivtar. He was the director of surveys and excavations at theIsrael Antiquities Authority (1999–2001) and the curator of thePatriarchal Museum in Jerusalem (1984–2004).
Tzaferis was born on 1 April 1936 on the Greek island ofSamos. He began studyingtheology at theGreek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem in 1950.[1] He took monastic vows[2] and was ordained adeacon in 1956 and apriest in 1958.[1] Considering leaving the priesthood to study in Athens, he instead obtained permission fromBenedict I of Jerusalem to studyhistory andarchaeology at theHebrew University of Jerusalem whilst retaining his monastic habit.[1]
Tzaferis left the church in 1964, in order to marry. Now required to performmandatory military service in Greece, he also renounced his Greek citizenship in order to remain in Israel. He continued his studies at the Hebrew University and began working as a field archaeologist for the Israel Department of Antiquities (now known as theIsrael Antiquities Authority).[1]
Tzaferis went on to obtain an MA and PhD in classical archaeology from the Hebrew University.[2] He was awarded his PhD in 1971,[1] with a dissertation on the "development of the cross as a Christian symbol".[2] He continued working at the Department of Antiquities for the rest of his career, being appointed first deputy director (1971) and then director (1999) of its Division for Surveys and Excavations, and retiring in 2001. He also served as the curator of thePatriarchal Museum in Jerusalem from 1984 to 2002[1] and was a member of theSupreme Archaeological Council of Israel.[3]
Tzaferis excavated at various sites in Jerusalem, as well as atAshkelon,Beth She'an,Caesarea Philippi,Capernaum,Kursi, andTel Dan. He made his best known discovery in 1968 atGivat HaMivtar: the remains of acrucified man namedYehohanan bar Hagkol, the only certain physical evidence of Roman crucifixion known until the discovery of the Fenstanton victim. .[1] He also published research onByzantine monasticism.[3]
Tzaferis died on 1 January 2015.[1]
Media related toVassilios Tzaferis at Wikimedia Commons