In Memory of Hershel Shanks
The Biblical Archaeology Society remembers the life and achievements of Biblical Archaeology Review’s founder and Editor Emeritus, Hershel Shanks, who passed away February 5, 2021 at the age of 90.
In 1974, Hershel envisioned BAR, creating a modest publication that reflected his deep personal interest in the biblical past. Over the following four decades, until his retirement in 2017, he transformed BAR into the world’s best-selling and most widely read biblical archaeology magazine, enjoyed by millions. He was firmly committed to making the latest archaeological discoveries—and scholarly controversies—accessible to the broader public, through well-written, beautifully presented, and engaging content that brought the biblical world to life. BAS is honored to carry on the tremendous legacy left to us by our friend, colleague, and mentor, Hershel Shanks.
Hershel Shanks: March 8, 1930—Feb 5, 2021
We have collected tributes from Hershel’s family and close friends, current and former BAS staff members, and scholars and colleagues from across the world. Please enjoy these memories and celebrate Hershel’s contributions to the fields of biblical archaeology and biblical studies. We also invite you to leave your own remembrances of Hershel’s life and legacy in the comments section below.
Additionally, you can read his obituaries (which may be behind paywalls) in The Washington Post and The New York Times.
“My Companion”
Judith Shanks
Hershel’s wife
“A Father and a Colleague”
Elizabeth Alexander
Hershel’s daughter
“A Healthy Dose of Mischief”
Julia Shanks
Hershel’s daughter
BAS Staff, Contributors, and Associates
“In the Giant’s Shadow”
Susan Laden
BAS, Publisher & President
“A Hero to His Readers”
John Merrill
BAS, Chairman Emeritus & Contributing Editor
“Even Before There Was BAR”
Suzanne Singer
BAR, Contributing Editor & Former Managing Editor
“Breathing Biblical Archaeology”
Janet Bowman
BAS, Administrative Assistant
“A Showstopping Act”
Robert R. Cargill
BAR, former Editor
“An Unexpected Mentor”
Glenn J. Corbett
BAR, Editor
“Lessons of the Red Pen”
Marek Dospěl
BAR, Associate Editor
“Sweet Memories”
Jennifer Drummond
BAS, Circulation Manager
“Challenging Norms”
Steve Feldman
BAR, former Managing Editor
“Expanding Knowledge of the Bible”
Janice Krause
BAS, former Travel/Study Manager
“Making the Arcane Accessible”
Molly Dewsnap Meinhardt
Bible Review, former Managing Editor
“An Armchair Adventure”
Heather Witte Metzger
BAS, Production Manager
“Enthusiastic Doer”
Bonnie Mullin
BAR, former Administrative Editor
“The Lone Red Pen”
Robin Ngo
BAS, former Web Editor
“Learning from a Legend”
Megan Sauter
BAR, Managing Editor
“My Longest Client”
Robert Sugar
AURAS Design, Inc.
“A World Without Hershel”
Ellen White
BAR, former Senior Editor
“Interesting and Interested”
Sarah K. Yeomans
BAS, Contributing Editor & former Educational Programs Director
Scholars and Colleagues
Note: These tributes originally appeared in Festschrift: A Celebration of Hershel Shanks, the special double issue of Biblical Archaeology Review that was published in 2018 on occasion of Hershel’s retirement as Editor of BAR.
“A Man for the People”
Christopher Rollston
The George Washington University
“Born in Our Living Room”
Eric and Carol Meyers
Duke University
“Larger than Life”
Eric H. Cline
The George Washington University
“The Archaeological Evangelist”
Amy-Jill Levine
Vanderbilt University
“The Face of BAR”
André Lemaire
École Pratique des Hautes Études at the Sorbonne University
“Scaling Ivory Towers”
Alan Millard
University of Liverpool
“Unwavering and Obstreperous”
William G. Dever
University of Arizona
Hershel Shanks founded the Biblical Archaeology Society in 1974 and published the first issue of Biblical Archaeology Review in 1975. He served as the editor of BAR until his retirement in 2017. In the very first issue, Hershel wrote, “The aim of The Biblical Archaeology Review is to make available in understandable language the current insights of professional archaeology as they relate to the Bible.” In his 43 years as editor, he did not deviate from this mission.
Hershel’s family requests that donations in memory of Hershel be made to the Biblical Archaeology Society.
Please share your memories of Hershel in the comments section below.
Hershel Shanks was a great man. He will be remembered..
I’ve enjoyed BAR since I started reading in 2006. I am so sorry to hear of his passing, as he seemed to be a real genuine guy who loved archaeology, the Bible, and educating people of both. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and those he impacted. May we continue by building on his legacy to educate.
Sending sincere condolences to his family.
The 1st issue of BAR was the ground floor of an edifice that is still being constructed, and which will always scrape the sky. Newcomers to it will fly like birds onto its latest roof-like floor and discover its many-layered history as they descend towards its ground floor to encounter Hershel’s legacy. Unlike the Babel tower, the BAR tower will keep on being built, reaching into the heavens.
I feel very sad. A long time BAR subscriber, I owe Hershel my avid interest in biblical archaeology. He shared his passion with enthusiasm, honesty and a constant open mind. In so doing, he not only helped a broad audience understand better Israel’s history but also created more identity awareness among many Jews. Thank you very much to you, Hershel. RIP.
Sincere condolences to his family.
While growing up & being raised in the Catholic Faith I always believed there were questions for me not being answered by the Church. Then I found BAR and Hershel Shanks. He helped to open my eyes and see that questions do have answers if you know where to look. Thank you Mr. Shanks for sharing the light.
Have been reading and learning from BAR for more than 30 years, Thank You, Hershel Shanks.
Hershel Shanks was a true leader in the effort to bring the discoveries of modern scholarship and archaeology to the amateur student of the Biblical world. He brought many top-flight scholars together to help with this wider dissemination of the exciting new insights made in our field. Mr. Shanks published my first article for BAR and helped me share the fruits of my labor as well. He will be missed.
My condolences to the Shanks family and also to the BAS family. I worked there for one year in 2005 and had the privilege to speak with Mr. Shanks a number of times. It was clear from the dedication of his staff that they believed in the mission of BAR and held Hershel in high esteem. 250,000 subscribers is quite a rare accomplishment, but his legacy will clearly be the emancipation of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Memory Eternal