Aren Maier is the Director Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project. He was born in Rochester, NY, in 1958, and immigrated to Israel in 1969. His primary expertise is Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology and has participated in excavations at numerous sites in Israel, including: Hazor, Jerusalem, Beth Shean, Qasile. In addition, Dr. Maier has directed archaeological excavations and surveys in Jerusalem (The Western Wall Tunnels, Mamilla, Kikar Safra, Malha), Tell es-Safi/Gath, the Beth Shean Valley, and Tel Yavneh. He has published more than 80 scholarly and popular studies in various journals and books, and currently serves as chairman of the Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology at Bar-Ilan University, where he teaches Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology.