David Hendin

David Bruce Hendin (born December 16, 1945) is an expert American numismatist specializing in ancient Jewish and Biblical coins and their archaeology. Throughout his career, Hendin has also been known as a medical journalist, newspaper columnist, publishing executive, literary agent, and author. Some of Hendin's books include Death as a Fact of Life and the reference Guide to Biblical Coins.
David Bruce Hendin is the son of Aaron and Celeste Sherman Hendin (died 1948) and Lillian Karsh Hendin (married 1949). Hendin spent his early years in St. Louis. After graduating from Ladue Horton Watkins High School in 1963, Hendin attended the University of Missouri in Colombia where he received his Bachelor of Science in Biology in 1967. In 1971, Hendin received his MA Degree from Missouri's School of Journalism.
Hendin's interest in ancient Jewish and Biblical coins began in 1967 during a year-long stint as a biology teacher at an agricultural high school near the Israeli town of Ashkelon. During this time, Hendin learned to speak Hebrew and became interested in the study of ancient Jewish and Biblical coins. Aaron Hendin, David's father, had been a long-time collector and student of ancient Jewish coins, though David had not previously shown interest in the subject.
The younger Hendin went on to be mentored by Ya’akov Meshorer, professor of Archaeology and Numismatics at Hebrew University and Chief Curator of the Israel Museum, where he founded the numismatic department. Hendin edited and published Meshorer's Ancient Jewish Coinage Vols. I & 2 as well as the English edition of Meshorer's A Treasury of Jewish Coins. Upon Meshorer's death in 2002, Hendin helped establish the Meshorer Prize in Numismatics given by the Israel Museum. He now sits on the board that awards this prize. Also among Hendin's mentors was Dan Barag, professor of Archaeology and Numismatics at Hebrew University and Shraga Qedar.
In 1985 and 1986, Hendin returned to Israel as the chief numismatist of the Joint Sepphoris Project excavations under the auspices of Duke University (Eric and Carol Meyers) and Hebrew University (Ehud Netzer). He again excavated in 2011 with the Duke team.
Hendin has published more than 50 articles in this field. In 1992, Hendin was elected a Fellow of the American Numismatic Society and is now a Life Fellow. He has donated many numismatic and archaeological objects to the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, and was honored in 2001 as a Sponsor of the Israel Museum. He is also a trustee and adjunct curator at the American Numismatic Society.
From 1970 to 1993, David Hendin worked with Scripps Howard's United Feature Syndicate (UFS) and Newspaper Enterprise Association. His first column, Man and his World, was the first syndicated newspaper column on ecology and ran from 1970 until 1973. Following this, Hendin wrote another syndicated newspaper column, The Medical Consumer, which was published for six years (1973–1979). In 1973, Hendin's book Death as a Fact of Life was serialized in the New York Post and other newspapers nationwide.
Overall, Hendin wrote more than 1,000 articles for newspapers and magazines, including Saturday Review, Reader’s Digest, and Science News. His writing has been hailed as “brilliant and highly sensitive,” by The New York Times and The Washington Post praised Hendin's writing as “journalism of the highest order.” Hendin became the Senior Vice President and Editorial Director for United Feature Syndicate in 1980. In that position, Hendin was responsible for signing many columnists and cartoonists, including the following:
Hendin also worked with Pulitzer Prize-winning muckraker Jack Anderson and many cartoonists, including Charles M. Schulz (Peanuts), Jim Davis (Garfield), Mort Walker (Beetle Bailey, Gamin & Patches), Mike Peters, and artist Peter Max. In 1992, he was a featured speaker at Ohio State University's Festival of Cartoon Art. From 1971 until 1986, in addition to his work with the UFS, Hendin taught as an adjunct professor of journalism and established a New York Science Journalism program at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. In 1975 and 1976, Hendin lectured as an adjunct professor on science and medical journalism at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. Hendin has served on the boards of trustees of the Scripps Howard Foundation, American Friends of the Bible Lands Museum/Jerusalem, the Kinsey Institute for Sex, Gender and Reproduction, The Newspaper Comics Council, the Holy Land Conservation Fund, and the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing. In 1993, Hendin left UFS and became a consultant and literary agent. Prior to his retirement, his clients included the following:
Hendin was also co-executive producer of the 1993 PBS Special Miss Manners and Company.
Hendin has been married since 1985 to Jeannie (née Luciano), retired vice-chair and director of trade publishing at W.W. Norton & Co. Publishers. He has three children: Sarah, born 1972; Ben, born 1975; and Alexander, born 1990.