Scienceזאב וילנאי

Zev Vilnay

Zev Vilnay was an Israeli geographer, historian and author known for his guides and encyclopedias on the Land of Israel.

1900 to 1988The Guide to IsraelThe Ariel encyclopediaHiking and touring the landNaming Israeli localities

Born: 12 June 1900, Chișinău
Died: 21 January 1988, Jerusalem
Occupation: geographer, pedagogue, writer, historian
Education: Hebrew Reali School, David Yellin Academic College of Education

Zev Vilnay was born in 1900 in Chișinău

Vilnay was born Volf Vilensky in Kishinev, then in the Russian Empire, in 1900. After the Kishinev pogrom, his family moved to the Land of Israel in 1906. He grew up in Haifa.

He studied at the Hebrew Reali School in Haifa, where he was a student of Pinchas Cohen. He then attended the David Yellin teachers college. Later he studied in London and Philadelphia and earned a doctorate for research on place names in the Land of Israel.

He served as a military topographer in the Haganah and later in the IDF.

From 1922 he guided tours and lectured on the land, its history and folklore. His Guide to Israel appeared in 27 editions, and he also wrote the Ariel encyclopedia and many books of legends. He sat on the government naming committee from 1950 and in 1984 became the first president of the Council for the Preservation of Heritage Sites.

In 1940 he married Esther, and they had two sons, Oren and Matan Vilnai. He lived in Jerusalem and died in 1988.

Zev Vilnay's life in 10 milestones

1900
Born in Kishinev.
1906
Moved with his family to the Land of Israel.
1928
Found Roman legion inscriptions on the Kabara aqueduct.
1932
Published Legends of Palestine.
1950
Joined the first place-naming committee.
1955
First published The Guide to Israel.
1974
Received the Yakir Yerushalayim title.
1981
Won the Bialik Prize for Jewish thought.
1982
Received the Israel Prize.
1984
Became first president of the Council for the Preservation of Heritage Sites.