André Lemaire

André Lemaire (born in 1942) is a French epigrapher, historian and philologist. He is Director of Studies at the École pratique des hautes études, where he teaches hebraic and aramean philology and epigraphiy. He specializes in West-Semitic old civilization and the origins of monotheism. He is a corresponding member of the Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres.

He heads the scientific edition of the international series Supplements to Vetus Testamentum (more than 30 volumes).

In the 1980s, Lemaire authenticated a small, broken, carved piece of "ivory pomegranate" that dates to the 8th century and would have belonged to the cult objects of Solomon's Temple. This is according to his analysis of the inscription examined with the methods of epigraphy. This interpretation was challenged by Yuval Goren of Tel Aviv University, who stated that the inscription is subsequent to the burst of the piece. Acquired for the sum of $ 550,000, the pomegranate is no longer presented at the Israel Museum as an authentic piece.

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