Email: michael.shenkar@gmail.com

Research Interests

Archaeology, art, religion, culture, numismatics and history of pre-Islamic Iranian world. Jews in pre-Islamic Iran and Central Asia

Academic Education

2008-present   PhD student in Archaeology, Hebrew University of          

                        Jerusalem. Dissertation topic: Anthropomorphic Iconography of Deities in the Pre-Islamic Iranian World. Advisors: Prof. Joseph Patrich and Prof. Shaul Shaked.                 

2005-2008       M.A. in Archaeology, magna cum laude, Hebrew University of          

                        Jerusalem. M.A. Thesis: Temple Architecture in the Iranian World

                        in the Hellenistic Period. Advisors: Prof. Joseph Patrich and Prof. Shaul Shaked.                 

2002-2005       B.A. in Archaeology and School of History, Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Teaching Experience

2008-2009        Introduction to the World History (27034), Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Publications

• Shenkar, M., “Yosef bar El‘asa Artaka and the Elusive Jewish Diaspora of pre-Islamic Iran and Central Asia”, in Shaked, S. and Rubanovich, J. (eds), Irano-Judaica 7, (forthcoming).
• Shenkar, M., “A seal of Bānūg (the Lady) of the Māhrād (family), 6-7 c. CE?”, Corpus Inscriptionum Iudaeae/Palestinae, vol. II: Caesarea and the Middle Coast: 1121-2160, pp. 960-963, (forthcoming).

• Shenkar, M., “Temple Architecture in the Iranian World in the Hellenistic Period”, in Kouremenos, A., Rossi, R., Chandrasekaran, S. (eds.), From Pella to Gandhara: Hybridisation and Identity in the Art and Architecture of the Hellenistic East, Oxford, 2011, pp. 117-140. (download)
• Shenkar, M. “The Coin of the ‘God on the Winged Wheel’”,  BOREAS. Münstersche Beiträge zur Archäologie 30/31, 2009, pp. 13-23. (download)
• Shenkar, M., “Phanebalos and the Evidence for the Cult of Goddess Tanit in Eretz-Israel”, in Cotton, H.M., Geiger, J., Stibel, G. (eds.), Israel’s Land: Papers Presented to Israel Shatzman on his Jubilee, (in Hebrew), 2009, Ra’anana, pp. 229-249. (download)   
• Shenkar, M., “Temple Architecture in the Iranian World before the Macedonian Conquest”, Iran and the Caucasus 11.2, 2007, pp. 169-194. (download)
• Shenkar, M., “Who was worshipped in Canaanite Hazor? The Divinity of the ‘Stelae Temple’ in Hazor in Light of the Punic Cult”, Hayo Haya- A Young Forum for History 6^th Issue, 2008, pp. 7-27 (in Hebrew).
• Shenkar, M., “The Archaeological Finds in the City of David”, Vostočnaya Kollekcija (Oriental Collection) 1/2008, pp. 105-108 (in Russian).
• Shenkar, M., “The God on the Winged Wheel – to the Identification of the ‘First Jewish Coin’”, Vestnik Drevnej Istorii (Journal of Ancient History) 2/2008, pp. 98-109 (in Russian).
• Shenkar, M., “The astodāns of Iran and Central Asia”, in Azband, M., (ed.), About Life and Death: Death and Burial in Israel and in the World; Historical, Cultural and Archaeological Aspects, Proceedings of Young Researchers  Conference of the Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies, Thursday, March 23, 2006, Ramat Gan, 2006, pp. 13-14, (Hebrew).

Presentations

• “Yosef bar El‘asa Artaka and the Elusive Jewish Diaspora of pre-Islamic Iran and Central Asia”, The Seventh Irano-Judaica Conference in Memory of Professor Amnon Netzer, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, October 11-14, 2010.
• “Religious Iconography in Pre-Islamic Iranian World: Between Aniconism and Anthropomorphism”, Researches in the History of Art in Memory of Robert H. Smith, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem 16.06.10.
• “Observations on the Phenomenon of Aniconism in the Pre-Islamic Iranian World”, The 39^th Annual Conference of the Israel Society for the Promotion of Classical Studies, University of Haifa, June 9-10, 2010.

• “Hellenism in the Iranian World: Archaeological, Cultural and Religious Perspectives”, Seminar of the Department of Classics, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 25.11.09.
• “The Temple Architecture in the Iranian World in the Hellenistic Period”, From Pella to Gandhara: Hybridisation and Identity in the Art and Architecture of the Hellenistic East, Ioannou Centre for Classical and Byzantine Studies, University of Oxford, 02.05.2009.

• “The Temple Architecture in the Iranian World in the Hellenistic Period”, Young Researchers Seminar, Institute of Archaeology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 01.04.2009.
• “The God on the Winged Wheel - Mystery of the ‘First Jewish Coin’”, The Numismatic Society, Jerusalem branch, 05.03.2008.
•  “Hellenism in the Iranian World”, guest lecture at course History and Culture in Iran till the Beginning of the 20^th century, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, February 2008.
• “The Army of Carthage from the Earliest Period to the Punic Wars”, New Researches in Ancient Military History, June 2006, Hebrew University.