Archeologists: Shimon Gibson

Gibson is a British-born, world-renowned archaeologist who completed his Ph.D. on ancient landscapes in the Levant at the Institute of Archaeology, University College, London. Specializing in the Holy Land, Gibson is the author of more than 100 research articles and the co-author of two scientific monographs on the antiquities of Jerusalem. Gibson is also the co-editor of the Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land and author of the groundbreaking The Cave of John the Baptist. He is also the editor of The Illustrated Dictionary & Concordance of the Bible.

Gibson was co-director of the landmark Mount Zion dig in 1980 that discovered the Jesus ossuary, as well as the ossuaries of Jesus’ family members. Gibson’s discovery made him the first surveyor in the tomb to record the layout. Shimon Gibson has also worked with fellow archaeologist and academic James Tabor on an archaeological dig in the area of Ein Kerem, outside of Jerusalem, at Suba, which appeared to contain primitive Jewish-Christian art depictions of John the Baptist.

Along with Tabor, he discovered the only first century Jewish burial shroud found in Israel, which was located in a Herodian tomb. The director of several excavations and field surveys over the past twenty years in Israel and Palestine, Gibson is currently directing excavations on Mount Zion.