MORE ON THE NEW NYU CENTER FOR ANCIENT STUDIES from the NYU Washington Square News:

NYU receives $200 mil. for new center

by Liz Skalka
News Editor

March 22, 2006
NYU has received a donation of nearly $200 million — among the largest ever given to NYU — to create an interdisciplinary center for ancient studies, NYU officials announced yesterday.

[...]

John Bernstein, the president of the Leon Levy Foundation, told WSN that the foundation is pleased to be working with the university to create a center that will approach ancient studies in a new, multidisciplinary fashion.

“We want to work with one of the great research institutes,” he said.

[...]

The new ancient studies program is geared toward crossing boundaries and is expected to bring together different departments at the university that focus on topics in ancient studies, said Mark S. Smith, the Skirball Professor of Bible and Ancient and Near Eastern Studies in the Hebrew and Judaic Studies Department.

“It has potential to create fantastic synergy between existing faculty in ancient studies and the center itself,” he said.

Smith said the gift “may be unprecedented” in the field of ancient studies.

“This is great news for New York University,” he said. “We don’t usually get gifts like this, and to get one in ancient studies is really unique.”

[...]

The article has lots of additional details.