Rami Arav, (rarav@unomaha.edu) Prof. at the Department of Religion at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, was born and raised in Galilee, Israel. He received his academic education from Tel Aviv University (BA and MA) and from New York University (Ph.D.). The topic of his dissertation was: Hellenistic Palestine, City Planning and Settlement Patterns. Dr. Arav has taught and researched at New York University (as a T.A.), Hebrew Union College NY, The Golan Research Institute, Haifa University, and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He has been also the director of the Gan Hashlosha Museum (Israel) and the Chief Curator of the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv. Dr. Arav directed archaeological excavations in Jerusalem, Beth Sha'an, Cave of Letters, and since 1987 he directs the Bethsaida Excavation Project. Among his books are: Hellenistic Palestine (London 1989), a series of four volumes entitled: Bethsaida, a City on the Northern Shores of the Sea of Galilee. (Truman State University Press 1999-2009) He co-authored with J. Rousseau, the Fortress Press bestseller, Jesus and His World (Fortress 1995), and edited the book: Cities through the Looking Glass, (Eisenbraun’s 2008).