It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of the founder and director of the Leon Levy Expedition to Ashkelon, Lawrence E. Stager.
Lawrence E. Stager (1943-2017), historian, archaeologist, mentor
Larry was our intellectual guide from the moment that he imagined the Leon Levy Expedition as something that could reach across time and recover profound truths about our shared human history. He controlled so many fields of ancient history and was so widely read that he could immediately recognize which discoveries would make a difference. His eye was so true that we all checked with him in our research to see if we were tracking the right things.
Working with Larry was an adventure in every sense. For those of us who worked with him closely, it is hard to imagine that such a force of intellect and personality has fallen silent. The staff of the expedition continues to work with the material he excavated, to fulfill the promise of his excavations and to see that his work lives on.
We are profoundly grateful to Larry for showing us how scraps from the past could teach us about humanity. He turned our heap of broken images into something of real value. We will miss him.
Obituary in the New York Times