Michael Heltzer
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Michael Heltzer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | May 1, 1928 |
| Died | June 6, 2010 (aged 82) |
| Citizenship | Israeli |
| Occupations | Orientalist; historian of the Ancient Near East |
| Employer | University of Haifa |
| Known for | Studies on ancient Israel (esp. Persian period), Phoenicia, Ugarit; biblical epigraphy |
| Awards | Order of the White Star, 4th Class (2001) |
Michael Heltzer (1 May 1928 – 6 June 2010) was an Estonian-born Israeli orientalist and historian of the Ancient Near East. He served as a professor of Ancient Near Eastern history at the University of Haifa and was a long-term visiting lecturer/professor at the University of Tartu's Faculty of Theology.[1][2] In 1998, the University of Tartu awarded him an honorary doctorate in theology,[3] and in 2001 he received Estonia's Order of the White Star, 4th Class.[4]
Early life and education
[edit]Heltzer was born in Tallinn. His schooling began in Estonia, but during the Soviet period he was deported[citation needed] with his family to Tatarstan, where he continued his education.[1] In 1945 he began higher education at Leningrad University, studying Ancient Near Eastern history and Semitic studies.[1]
Academic career
[edit]After graduation, political circumstances prevented him from remaining at the university, and he worked as a teacher in Estonia in the early 1950s.[1] From 1958 he worked at the Vilnius Pedagogical Institute (later as an associate professor), defended a doctoral dissertation in Moscow in 1969, and became a professor in the early 1970s.[1] In 1972, Heltzer emigrated to Israel and was affiliated for many years with the University of Haifa as a professor (later emeritus) of Ancient Near Eastern history.[1][2]
In the 1990s–2000s he taught at the University of Tartu's Faculty of Theology as a long-term visiting lecturer/professor and participated in Assyriology-related conferences held in Tartu.[2][1]
Research
[edit]According to contemporary profiles, Heltzer published hundreds of scholarly works. His research focused particularly on ancient Israel (including the Persian period), Phoenicia and Ugarit, as well as epigraphy and the biblical period.[1][2]
Honours and recognition
[edit]- Honorary Doctorate (Theology), University of Tartu (1998).[3]
- Order of the White Star, 4th Class (Estonia), 2001.[4]
A scholarly festschrift volume edited by Yitzhak Avishur and Robert Deutsch was published in 1999 in his honour.[5]
Selected works
[edit]- The Rural Community in Ancient Ugarit. Wiesbaden, 1976.
- Goods, Prices and the Organization of Trade in Ancient Ugarit. Wiesbaden, 1978.
- The Internal Organization of Ugarit. Wiesbaden, 1982.
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Nõmmik, Urmas; Annus, Amar (2010). "Michael Heltzer (01.05.1928–06.06.2010)". Universitas Tartuensis (in Estonian).
- 1 2 3 4 "Kuidas ida lähemale jõudis ehk Eesti orientalistika 1955–2015". ERR Novaator (in Estonian).
- 1 2 "Honorary Doctors of the University of Tartu". University of Tartu.
- 1 2 "Riiklike autasude andmine". Riigi Teataja (in Estonian). 2001-02-02.
- ↑ "Michael. Historical, Epigraphical and Biblical Studies". Israel Exploration Society. 1999.