Speiser, Ephraim Avigdor (1902-1965)

Ukrainian-born US archaeologist, biblical scholar, and linguist who emigrated to the USA as a teenager. He was a leading authority on biblical lands and culture and excavated important Sumerian sites in Iraq. His books include Mesopotamian Origins (1930) and, as editor, At the Dawn of Civilization (1965).

He was born in Skalat, Ukraine (then Austria-Hungary). He was a research fellow at the University of Pennsylvania 1924-46.