Nelson Glueck: ‘A Hero of Biblical Archaeology’

In this installment of ‘Profiles in History,’ a young scholar uses the Bible as his guide to become one of the 20th century’s most important archaeologists.

(Left) Nabataean sculpture of eagle wrestling with a serpent, now housed at the Cincinnati Art Museum. (Right) Archaeologist professor Nelson Glueck in Israel, 1956. Glueck had discovered the temple complex that was part of the Nabataean kingdom. Public Domain

As a young boy, Nelson Glueck (1900–1971) had an interest in archaeology. As the son of Jewish immigrants, his interest coincided with his dedication to the Bible and his Judaic faith. Those aspects of his life would coincide into one of the most important biblical archaeological careers of the 20th century, or any century.

Born in Cincinnati at the start of the 20th century, Glueck quickly adopted the intellectual life, but with an eye for future adventures, of which he would encounter many. At 14, he began his studies at Hebrew Union College (HUC) in his hometown where he earned a Bachelor of Hebrew Literature. He followed this with a bachelor’s degree two years later from the University of Cincinnati. Three years later, in 1923, he was ordained a rabbi at HUC and became an influential member of Reform Judaism.