Born in 1969, Naftali spent most of his childhood in Northern Israel, living in Nazaret Illit and studying at the prestigious Reali High School in Haifa. He served in the IDF in Golani as an officer and continued to serve in the Reserves for over 20 years. Naftali studied archaeology and geography at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and worked for 15 years for the Israel Antiquities Authority. He now lives in Moshav Mata in the Judean Mountains and continues to work as a freelance guide for the Antiquities Authority, showing groups of youth and adults around Israel’s various archaeological sites.
