Jens Kamlah

Jens Kamlah serves as Professor of Biblical Archaeology and Director of the Institute of Biblical Archaeology at the University of Tübingen's Faculty of Protestant Theology. Appointed full Professor in 2018 and Pro-Dean since 2025, he concurrently chairs the German Palestine Association (DPV) since 2012 and leads the German-Lebanese Tell el-Burak excavation project since 2001.

His academic journey began with studies in Protestant Theology, Ancient Oriental Studies, Egyptology, and Pre-Protohistory at Mainz and Tübingen (1983-1990). He earned his doctorate from Tübingen in 1999 with research on the Zeraqon Survey and completed his habilitation at Kiel University in 2005 on Phoenician and Israelite temple cults.

Kamlah's research synthesizes archaeological evidence with biblical exegesis to reconstruct Levantine religious and social history. His work prioritizes Phoenician archaeology, temple studies, and the interplay between material culture and textual sources in ancient Israel. He examines how agricultural practices, trade networks, and urban development shaped religious institutions across the Iron Age Levant.

His publication record (2006-2016) reveals consistent focus on Phoenician temple architecture, Middle Bronze Age chronology, and cross-cultural exchange. Key themes include Tell el-Burak's stratigraphy, Sidon's regional economy, and comparative analyses of Levantine sanctuaries. His approach integrates radiocarbon dating, surface survey methodology, and iconographic studies to address historiographical gaps.

Kamlah directs multiple major research initiatives including SFB 1070 'ResourceCultures' (agriculture and exchange networks), the DFG Phoenician trade network, and the Encyclopedia of Material Culture of the Biblical World. His institutional leadership extends to the German Archaeologists' Association board (2006-2016) and Tübingen's Equal Opportunities Committee since 2019.

As Director of the Institute since 2010, he oversees excavations at Tell el-Burak and coordinates international collaborations through the Institute for Cultures of the Ancient Orient (IANES). His team integrates German, Lebanese, and international scholars in multidisciplinary studies of Phoenician harbor cities and Bronze Age settlement patterns.