Environment of Biblical Lands Subject of Lecture at Colorado State University

Daniel Hillel, an international expert on sustainable management of land and water resources, will delve into the cultural history and environment of the Israelites in an upcoming lecture at Colorado State University.

Hillel’s lecture, titled "The Natural History of the Bible: An Environmental Exploration of the Hebrew Scriptures," is free and open to the public. It will take place from 7-8:30 p.m. April 19 in the North Ballroom of the Lory Student Center. The focus will be on one of the more recent additions to his written work titled, "The Natural History of the Bible." In the book, Hillel details how the Israelites’ culture was shaped by eclectic experiences and the varied environments in which they lived. A reception and book signing will follow the lecture.

The lecture is part of the Gary A. Peterson and Dwayne G. Westfall Annual Lecture Series, established to promote awareness of critical and emerging issues related to soil and water resources.

Hillel, a professor of plant, soil and environmental sciences at the University of Massachusetts, is known for his work on soil-water relations in arid and semiarid ecosystems. He also is a senior research scientist at the Goddard Institute for Space and Studies of the Columbia Earth Institute and has worked in over 30 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America and Australia.

The Middle East has served as a major focus for Hillel’s work. He has served as a consultant to the governments of Israel, Pakistan, the Sudan, Iran, Egypt, Jordan, Cyprus and others. He also has worked as an adviser for the World Bank and the United Nations and is the author of more than 20 books including works on arid-zone ecology, low-volume irrigation and soil and water physics.

Hillel was elected Fellow of the American Geophysical Union, American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Soil Science Society of America and the American Society of Agronomy.

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