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Yadin to Hunt for Ancient Library

The August 1981 issue of Discovery features an article about Yigael Yadin’s return to archaeology after five years in politics, the last four as Deputy Prime Minister. The reform party which Yadin organized had captured 15 seats in the 1977 elections, making it the third largest party in Israel. But the Democratic Movement for Change, as it was called, soon split, then disintegrated and finally dissolved. Yadin chose not to run for the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) in the 1981 election. Instead, the former Chief of Operations during Israel’s 1948 War of Independence, will return to archaeology.

Yadin has excavated Masada and Hazor and more recently edited the Temple Scroll, the latest-to-be-discovered and the longest of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

According to the article in Discovery, Yadin hopes to continue excavating at Hazor because he is convinced a royal library is still buried there. (See “American Tourist Returns ‘Hazor Tablet’ to Israel After 13 Years,” BAR 02:02) Yadin intends to find it,” says the Discovery article. The article refers to Yadin as Israel’s “premier archaeologist” and quotes Yadin on his intention of finding the buried library at Hazor: “It’s just a matter of time, perhaps two seasons,” he says.