Autor/-in: Varda Sussman

Varda Sussman was born in Palestine (now Israel) and graduated from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem (BA and MA) in the faculties of Prehistory and Archaeology. She majored in prehistory with Professor M. Stekelis, in Classical archaeology with Professor M. Avi Yonah, and in ancient history with Professor B. Mazar. She studied for one year in the Oriental Institute in Chicago (USA). From 1950, while studying and working at the Department of Antiquity (now the Israel Antiquities Authority), she participated in various archaeological excavations. In 1964 she became curator / keeper of all treasures (finds) discovered since 1948 and developed the system of storage which enabled students and scholars to obtain, examine and study the material which she had catalogued. Among the catalogued finds were many oil lamps which were objects of artistic and historical significance. Two exhibitions were held of the material: the first on Decorated Jewish Oil Lamps (with catalogue) in 1972 in The Israel Museum, the second illustrating the regional lamps of the northern part of the country in the University of Haifa Museum. These established the recognition of typical workshops which had fashioned special lamps for the use of the Jewish and Samaritan populations. The author's Ornamented Jewish Oil Lamps from the Fall of the Second Temple through the Revolt of Bar Kochba was published in Hebrew by Mosad Bialik and the Israel Exploration Society in 1972; it was translated into English and published by Aris & Phillips Ltd in 1982. She has also published other articles concerning various aspect of art derived from oil lamps, and a number of excavation reports. After retirement from the civil service, the author lectured for some eight years on 'the development of the lamps in Israel' at Bar Ilan University.