When the Aramean king laid siege to biblical Gath 2,800 years ago, the defenders resorted to desperate measures, including, it seems, making flimsy arrowheads out of bone. An unusual discovery made in the rubble of a house in Gath paints a dramatic picture of the last days in this infamous Philistine city, famed as the hometown of the giant Goliath, Israeli archaeologists say. Read More.

When Bar-Ilan University’s new administration was elected in October 2017, five “Visionary Pillars” – Academic Excellence, Impact-Driven Research, Innovative Teaching, Global University, and Vibrant Judaism – were outlined as the driving forces behind expanding and enhancing the university’s timeless goals of globalization and internationalism. Increasing the university’s competitive edge among institutions of higher education while positioning Bar-Ilan University firmly as a globally-recognized leader in numerous fields were high on the list of priorities. Opening a dedicated International School, a “one-stop-shop” for international students, faculties, and departments, was part of the plan to make sure the university achieved its mission. Prof....

Bar-Ilan University’s central location in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area has put it on the map of the purple line of the new light rail (now under construction), with two stations that will facilitate the commute to campus. Read More.

Israeli professor and historian, Dvora Hacohen, was looking for a comprehensive biography of Hadassah founder, Henrietta Szold. When she couldn’t find one, she decided to write it herself. Ruth Bader Ginsburg penned the foreword to this new biography. Read More.

The astonishing intellectual, literary, artistic, and scientific achievements of the Greeks and Romans were unsurpassed for two millennia, and after reaching renewed prominence in the Renaissance, formed the basis for the flowering of western culture. They are still an inexhaustible source of insight on the human condition and the world we inhabit. Israel has long been a melting pot and meeting point for two great traditions, the Greco-Roman and the Judeo-Christian. As a result, Israel has been directly influenced by the language, culture, government, and religion of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Bar-Ilan University’s Department of Classical Studies in the...

A groundbreaking treatment developed by an Israeli team might offer a cure against multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer. “We are reprogramming another type of the immune system’s cells called T-cells in order to teach them to fight the cancer inside the blood of the patient,” said Prof. Cyrille Cohen, head of the Immunotherapy Laboratory at Bar-Ilan University. Read More.

On Monday, April 26, 2021, the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Honors Program at Yeshiva College in the US hosted a virtual meet-the-author seminar with Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman, professor of Bible at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan. Rabbi Berman discussed his new book, Ani Maamin: Biblical Criticism, Historical Truth and the Thirteen Principles of Faith. (Maggid, 2020). Read More.

Last month’s virtual information sessions were varied and interesting for all participants. These are just some of the events that took place. Exploring Physics and Brain Sciences at Bar-Ilan University Bar-Ilan University’s Country Coordinators for India, Divya Shevale and Radhika Haldankar, arranged two very successful and fascinating online information sessions last month. These sessions were aimed at potential students from India, although they were open to anyone attracted to the idea of studying at BIU. The first webinar, which took place at the beginning of April, focused on the MSc in Physics and the second, which took place towards the...

What role can music play in enhancing group cohesion and influencing performance? In May 2020, Bar-Ilan University researchers (a collaboration between social-neuroscientists and scholars from the Department of Music) reported that while members of a group drum together, aspects of their heart function actually synchronized. The findings of the study were published in the journal, Scientific Reports. The article, Physiological and Behavioral Synchrony Predict Group Cohesion and Performance, was downloaded more than 4,100 times, placing it as one of the journal’s top 100 downloaded neuroscience papers in 2020. Read More.

Deleting the autism-related gene CHD8 from the intestines induces significant gastrointestinal and behavioral changes in mice, according to a new unpublished study. The results suggest that changes to the gut are involved in some of the behavioral traits seen in people with CHD8 mutations, says lead researcher Evan Elliott, assistant professor of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience at Bar-Ilan University. Read More.