Lev's research first focused on
archaeobotany. As part of this area of study, he researched the
dietary remains of
Neanderthal man in
Kebara Cave on
Mount Carmel dating back nearly 47,000-60,000 years ago. The variety of plant species discovered indicates the human vegetal diet of the period, which included primarily the eating of various types of
legumes. In his later research, Lev specialized in the
history of medicine and pharmacology in the Middle Ages and the early modern period. Lev’s dual expertise in history and biology has allowed him to explore topics that are rarely researched together.
Past projects • An early study of Lev’s in 1993 conducted an archaeological reconstruction of human dietary and medicinal uses of natural plant resources in the
Paleolithic Middle East. • Another study of his focused on natural curative substances used by the inhabitants of the
Levant from the time of the
Muslim conquest to the age of
Napoleon. •
Ethno-pharmacology and
ethnobotany are other areas in which Lev has focused. His research in the regions of Israel and Jordan in particular, examines the structure, use, and survival of theoretical and practical knowledge of
traditional medicine from prehistoric times until the present day. As part of his research in this area, Lev worked with Professor
Zohar Amar from the Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology at Bar-Ilan University documenting medicinal substances in the various markets in Israel and Jordan. • Another historical study conducted by Lev in collaboration with Dr. Yaron Perry from the University of Haifa’s Department of Israel Studies examined the introduction of modern
Western medicine to the Land of Israel in general, and to the Jewish population in Jerusalem in the 19th century in particular. This study examined the activities of British
missionary physicians who came on expeditions to the Holy Land to promote the health of local Jews and by doing so, influenced the development of modern medicine. This work focused mainly on modern medical techniques and
pharmaceuticals brought from England and the rest of Europe and the process by which the pioneering new methods replaced popular ones that were based on traditional medicine. As part of this study, the biographies of several prominent British physicians from this period were reconstructed. • Around 2010, Lev began focusing on the study of various aspects of medieval
Arab medicine based on a historic find discovered in the
Cairo Genizah. The Genizah documents he studied (
medical prescriptions, lists of medicinal substances, letters, medical notebooks, and parts of medical texts) shed light on the population in the Mediterranean Basin in general and in Egypt in particular, especially between the 10-13th centuries. Those documents describe medical information and practical
pharmacology of that time, and allow a comparison with the theoretical knowledge we have from the physicians of that period. • Lev established the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research of the Cairo Genizah at the University of Haifa, in collaboration with Dr. Moshe Lavee and served as its Director until recently. The Centre organizes lectures and exhibitions in Israel and around the world to publicize findings of Genizah study from recent decades and encourage multidisciplinary research. As part of the project, biographies of Jewish physicians and healers who worked in Islamic lands are being reconstructed with the aim of expanding knowledge about the medical and socio-economic systems that existed during the Genizah period. • At the beginning of 2010, Lev also participated in a study associated with the
Agricultural Research Organization - Volcani Center in Israel, focusing on
medicinal herbs and
agricultural crops. As part of this research, he primarily reviewed historical sources to better understand traditional uses of relevant
vegetation in the Middle East. • Another research project by Lev together with Amar investigated the impact of the medicinal substances that the Arabs introduced to the Middle East and Europe during the Middle Ages. Much of this trade was carried out by Jewish merchants at trading posts in India, Yemen, Egypt, Sicily, Syria, and even the North African countries that constitute the Maghreb region. • In parallel with some of the above mentioned projects, Lev has taken part in research efforts in alternative supplemental medicine. In this area, he joined several research groups focusing on the use of
medicinal herbs by various ethnic groups from ancient times until present day. Lev’s focus in these studies has been on the effect of medicinal plants on cancer patients in Israel during chemotherapy. This project has resulted in the publication of several articles in collaboration with researchers from different countries. == Prominent scientific publications ==