Milestone: Emanuel Hausman (1923–2022)

Emanuel Hausman passed away in Jerusalem on January 18, 2022, two weeks before his 99th birthday. Although many BAR readers may not be familiar with his name, they doubtless are the beneficiaries of his life’s work through the publishing house Carta Jerusalem. Hausman was a pioneer in the historical cartography of the land of Israel.

In 1958, Hausman and his late partner Amnon Superman founded the Carta Company, which provided mapping services to various institutions. In 1960, an innovative idea matured in the mind of Hausman: to map the land of Israel, its sites, settlements, and roads, and to gather all the information into one guide. The result was the Carta Guide to the Roads of Israel, first published in 1962. The Carta Atlas of the Biblical Period (1964), edited by Yohanan Aharoni, one of the most prominent archaeologists in Israel at the time, followed. It would become the most widely published biblical atlas ever sold.

Hausman was a visionary figure who continued his daily work well after the age of 90. May his memory continue to be a blessing for all those who have been touched by his work and life.