Dig Now 2002
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Archaeology is not a spectator sport. It is slow and precise work, requiring long hours of dirty toil in punishing heat. Peanuts and Cracker Jacks are not served; no cheerleaders or marching bands entertain. Spectacular finds, the archaeological equivalent of home runs and touchdowns, occur, but irregularly. The team has no stars to clinch a victory—anyone, square supervisor or first-time volunteer, might uncover the next big find by accident.
Teamwork is crucial, but there is no contest between the home and the visitors’ teams. Only one team claims the field: a hardworking group of people from all walks of life and from a dozen different countries digging, sweeping, sorting, hauling, assembling, recording and most important, struggling to understand what the objects and structures they have found meant to the people who created them.
Who volunteers for a dig? Women and men of all ages, backgrounds and abilities, united in the thrilling pursuit of knowledge. The 27 digs described in this section need your energy and dedication. This year leave the bleachers behind and join the team on the field!
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Guide to Sites
Abila of the Decapolis
Abila was a member of the Decapolis, a federation of ten cities in eastern Palestine (Matthew 4:25; Mark 5:20, 7:31). Situated about 75 miles north of Amman, Jordan, Abila was inhabited from 3500 B.C. to 1450 A.D. and appears in several ancient sources, including Polybius, Pliny the Elder and the geographer Ptolemy.
The site contains two mounds, Tell Abila in the north and Kirbet Umm el-’Amad (Ruins of the Mother of the Columns) in the south; both have yielded significant finds, including a cache of early church glass lamps, five churches, a life-sized statue of Artemis, an aqueduct system, painted tombs and a theater. Dig director W. Harold Mare (Covenant Theological Seminary) plans in 2002 to expand excavations to encompass remains from the Iron and Bronze Ages as well as from the Roman-Byzantine era.
Ashkelon
A major Canaanite and Philistine seaport, Ashkelon plays a prominent role in the Hebrew Bible. According to Judges 14:19, Samson killed 30 men there; King David, upon learning that the Philistines had slain Saul and Jonathan, lamented, “Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon” (2 Samuel 1:20). The prophet Jeremiah also mentions Ashkelon in his oracle against the Philistines (Jeremiah 47:5–7).
Previous excavations at Ashkelon, which is on the coast about 45 minutes south of Tel Aviv, have uncovered bronze figurines and vessels from Egypt, beautiful pottery imported from Greece and Cyprus and a tiny calf fashioned from bronze and silver (featured on the
BAR articles: Patricia Smith and Lawrence E. Stager, “DNA Analysis Sheds New Light on Oldest Profession at Ashkelon,” Strata, BAR 23:04; Stager, “The Fury of Babylon: Ashkelon and the Archaeology of Destruction,” BAR 22:01; Frank Moore Cross, “The Epigraphical Record: A Philistine Ostracon from Ashkelon,” sidebar to “The Fury of Babylon: Ashkelon and the Archaeology of Destruction,” BAR 22:01; “Eroticism and Infanticide at Ashkelon,” BAR 17:04; “Why Were Hundreds of Dogs Buried at Ashkelon?” BAR 17:03; “When Canaanites and Philistines Ruled Ashkelon,” BAR 17:02.
Assawir
Located 8 miles east of Caesarea, Tel Assawir is situated on what was once the important Wadi ‘Ara road, the path through the Carmel mountains that Pharaoh Thutmose III took to attack Meggido (c. 1482 B.C.).
During the first season of excavation, which took place in 2001 under the direction 021of Adam Zertal (Univ. of Haifa), a Middle Bronze Age city gate and its associated fortifications were unearthed. A previous archaeological survey of the site had unearthed figurines, pottery and stone objects from the Bronze and Iron Ages, tantalizing indications of the site’s additional archaeological promise. Zertal hopes to establish the chronology of the site and to explore further the gate and the fortifications. Visits during the workday and guided tours are available by appointment.
Banias (Caesarea Philippi)
Known in the Gospels as Caesarea Philippi, Banias is located at the foot of Mt. Hermon near the source of the Jordan River in northern Israel and is associated with the Galilean ministry of Jesus (Matthew 16:13; Mark 8:27). Excavators at the site have unearthed an important early Roman city containing an enormous palace that they believe belonged to King Agrippa II. Not far from the city, a stream flows from the Cave of Pan, a shrine established in the third century B.C. mentioned by many ancient writers. This year volunteers, who will be working under the direction of Vassilios Tzaferis (Israel Antiquities Authority) and Charles Page (Jerusalem Center for Biblical Studies), will continue to work on the palace of Agrippa. The site is open to visitors year-round.
BAR articles: John F. Wilson and Vassilios Tzaferis, “Banias Dig Reveals King’s Palace,” BAR 24:01. See also the Expeditions feature by Kathleen and Leen Ritmeyer, “Banias: The Fountain of the Jordan,” Expeditions, BAR 27:04.
Bethsaida
On the eastern bank of the Jordan River, just north of the Sea of Galilee, is the ancient town of Bethsaida, birthplace of the apostles Peter, Andrew and Philip. According to the Gospels, Jesus restored a blind man’s sight (Mark 8:22–26) and fed the multitude there (Luke 9:10–17). In the New Testament only Jerusalem and Capernaum are mentioned more frequently than Bethsaida.
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Destroyed by the Romans during the First Jewish Revolt (66–70 A.D.), Bethsaida was lost to the modern world until excavations at the site began in 1987. Since 1996 the expedition has focused on the Iron Age city just below the famous city of Jesus’ ministry. A four-chambered 10th-century city gate complex also has been recently uncovered.
Other finds include a decorated Iron Age stele, Roman houses, an incense shovel, an unusual statue of the Egyptian god Pataekos (featured on the
BAR articles: Rami Arav, Richard A. Freund and John F. Shroder, Jr., “Bethsaida Rediscovered,” BAR 26:01; Arav and Freund, “The Bull from the Sea: Geshur’s Chief Deity?” “Prize Finds,” BAR 24:01; “Prize Find: An Incense Shovel from Bethsaida,” BAR 23:01; Arav, “Prize Find: An Iron Age Amulet from the Galilee,” sidebar to “Between a Rock and a High Place,” BAR 21:01.
Beth-Shemesh
A frontier city on the western border of Judah, Beth-Shemesh was an arena of battle between the Philistines and the Judahites and was where the Philistines returned the Ark of the Covenant to the Israelites (1 Samuel 6). The city later served as an important administrative center in Solomon’s kingdom (1 Kings 4:9). It was destroyed by the Assyrians in 701 B.C.
The Beth-Shemesh excavation, located in the lowlands 15 miles southwest of Jerusalem, has yielded finds dating to the early Israelite monarchies, including an Israelite village, massive fortification systems, a huge cross-shaped underground rock-cut reservoir, a storage facility and olive-oil extraction facilities. Although the Bible identifies Beth-Shemesh as Israelite during the period of the Judges (Joshua 19:41), excavators have uncovered a curious mixture of Canaanite, Israelite and Philistine artifacts that suggest considerable political, economic and cultural interaction.
Last summer, to the excavators’ surprise, volunteers uncovered a unique ironsmith workshop dating to the tenth–ninth centuries B.C. If in previous centuries the Philistines had monopolized iron production, as indicated in the Bible, the installation at Beth-Shemesh may demonstrate the consolidation of Israelite economic and political power over their rivals, as is also described in the Bible.
In the 2002 season, volunteers under the direction of dig directors Zvi Lederman and Shlomo Bunimovitz (both of Tel Aviv 023Univ.) will continue to examine the iron production center at Beth-Shemesh. They will also uncover more of the Iron Age (Israelite) village, the destruction level and earlier layers of the Bronze Age (Canaanite) city and parts of the fortification system.
BAR article: Shlomo Bunimovitz and Zvi Lederman, “Beth-Shemesh: Culture Conflict on Judah’s Frontier,” BAR 23:01.
Capernaum
Mentioned frequently in all four gospels, Capernaum was pivotal in the ministry of Jesus (he had personal relationships with at least four families there) and became a principal locale in the development of Jewish Christianity, starting from the first century. Situated on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum has been excavated most recently (1978–82) by a team directed by Vassilios Tzaferis, under the auspices of the Greek Orthodox Church. That effort uncovered foundations of large villas and a significant ceramic and coin record, dated to the late Roman and Byzantine periods, in what appears to be the residential area of the aristocracy of the village.
Next fall Tzaferis (Israel Antiquities Authority) and Charles Page (Jerusalem Center for Biblical Studies) will return to excavate the earlier Roman period strata in the upper part of the village. Their long-term goal is to reach the foundations of the remains from the Roman/Herodian period, in hopes of learning more about the possible relationship between Jesus and the aristocracy of Capernaum.
BAR articles: Mendel Nun, “Ports of Galilee,” BAR 25:04; John C.H. Laughlin, “Capernaum from Jesus’ Time and After,” BAR 19:05; Herold Weiss, “Gold Hoard Found at Capernaum,” BAR 09:04; James F. Strange and Hershel Shanks, “Synagogue Where Jesus Preached Found at Capernaum,” BAR 09:06; Strange and Shanks, “Has the House Where Jesus Stayed in Capernaum Been Found?” BAR 08:06.
Ein Gedi
Described by Eusebius (fourth century A.D.) as a “large village of Jews,” the Roman-Byzantine settlement of Ein Gedi lies on the western shore of the Dead Sea. Excavations have uncovered a Second Temple period mikveh (Jewish ritual bath) and synagogue, along with two flour mills, water installations, streets, shops and a Roman bathhouse. In the sixth season of excavations, a large dwelling near the synagogue was completely excavated, revealing an inner courtyard, an attic, two rooms with mosaic floors and two other rooms, one of which functioned as a shop. Investigators have also discovered a large public installation for the production of balsam, a highly valued aromatic oil, which the Talmud identifies as the balm of Gilead (Jeremiah 8:22). Not far from the village, excavations have brought to light what may have been a first- or second-century A.D. Essene settlement.
In the upcoming season (December 29, 2002–January 31, 2003), excavator Yizhar Hirschfeld (Hebrew Univ.) will concentrate on uncovering more of the village dwellings and mikveh. Ein Gedi is open to visitors throughout the year.
BAR article: “The Balm of Gilead,” Strata, BAR 22:05.
Halif
The seven-acre site of Tell Halif lies near Kibbutz Lahav, at the northern edge of the Negev Desert. Occupied from the Chalcolithic period to the present day, the site has yielded significant remains from an Early Bronze Age settlement, as well as from the Late Bronze Age (when the site was largely under Egyptian influence), the Israelite period of Iron Age II and the late Roman and Byzantine periods, when the region was the scene of Jewish and Christian resettlement after the Roman destruction of Jerusalem.
Excavations focus on the social, political and economic life of southern Judah between the ninth and seventh centuries B.C. Dig directors Oded Borowski (Emory Univ.) and James W. Hardin (Cobb Institute of Archaeology) plan to trace the Iron Age II city plan (gate and dwellings) and study daily life in the Israelite period. Tell Halif is open to visitors by appointment during the dig season. Guided tours are also available by appointment.
BAR article: John D. Currid and Jeffrey L. Gregg, “Why Did the Early Israelites Dig All Those Pits?” BAR 14:05.
Hazor
Located about 20 miles north of the Sea of Galilee, the town of Hazor figures prominently in the Hebrew Bible. Joshua 11:1–13 describes how the king of Hazor, Jabin, organized a league of kingdoms to fight the Israelites, who were then encroaching on the northern region of Canaan under the leadership of Joshua. In the ensuing battle the Israelites resoundingly defeated their opponents and burned Hazor. (Jabin appears again in Judges 4, where his general, Sisera, is defeated by Deborah, Barak and Yael.) Solomon apparently rebuilt Hazor (1 Kings 9:15), which finally disappears from the Biblical record after its conquest by the Assyrians in 732 B.C. (2 Kings 15:29).
Hazor is also mentioned in extra-Biblical sources. The Egyptian Execration Texts (c. 19th–18th centuries B.C.) curse Hazor as an enemy of Egypt; an 18th-century B.C. Babylonian tablet notes that Hammurabi had ambassadors residing in Hazor.
Past excavations have uncovered a Bronze Age Canaanite palace and cultic buildings, Israelite and Canaanite fortifications and an Israelite administrative building; clay tablets, sculptures and jewelry have also been found. Dig director Amnon Ben-Tor (Hebrew Univ.) plans further excavations in 024the Canaanite Royal Complex in 2002. The site is a national park, open to visitors daily. Guided tours are available by arrangement.
BAR articles: Amnon Ben-Tor, “Excavating Hazor, Part One: Solomon’s City Rises from the Ashes,” BAR 25:02, “Excavating Hazor, Part Two: Did the Israelites Destroy the Canaanite City?” BAR 25:03 (with Maria Teresa Rubiato); Ben-Tor, “Big Game Hunting: The Lion of Hazor,” “Prize Finds,” BAR 24:01; Bonnie Rochman, “The Pride of Hazor: Lion Statue Regains Its Long-Lost Mate,” Strata, BAR 23:06; Dan P. Cole, “How Water Tunnels Worked,” BAR 06:02; Yigael Yadin, “Hazor and the Battle of Joshua—Is Joshua 11 Wrong?” BAR 02:01; Yohanan Aharoni, “Hazor and the Battle of Deborah—Is Judges 4 Wrong?” BAR 01:04.
Hippos (Sussita)
Founded by the Seleucids during the Hellenistic period, Hippos (Sussita in Aramaic) was a member city of the Roman Decapolis (Matthew 4:25, Mark 5:20, 7:31). Hippos is located just east of the Sea of Galilee in Jordan and was first excavated in the 1950s, when several Byzantine churches, including an impressive cathedral, were uncovered. Archaeologists also laid bare the city’s colonnaded main street, a nymphaeum (fountain), a Roman forum and numerous other architectural remains that indicate that Hippos was an important town during the Roman era. Dig director Arthur Segal (Univ. of Haifa) plans to explore the Roman city center and a Hellenistic structure that might be a temple at the site. Hippos is open to visitors year-round, but guided tours are not available.
BAR article: Vassilios Tzaferis, “Sussita Awaits the Spade,” BAR 16:05.
Khirbet Iskander
Excavations since 1981 at Khirbet Iskander, about 35 miles south of Amman, Jordan and situated on the plains of Moab on the much-traveled caravan route known in the Bible as the King’s Highway, have revealed the only known city dated to the end of the Early Bronze period (c. 3300–2000). Excavators have found unique Early Bronze IV fortifications, a gateway and extensive settlements. Remains of even earlier monumental fortifications and settlements have also been uncovered recently, along with destruction layers with much restorable pottery.
Dig directors Suzanne Richard (Gannon University) and Jesse C. Long (Lubbock Christian University) hope to expand on the newly discovered urban Early Bronze Age II–III settlements and continue working on perimeter fortifications. The site is open to visitors during the summer excavation season. Guided tours of the site are available without appointment.
Jalul
The largest and most centrally located site in the Madaba Plains in central Jordan, and possibly the site of the Biblical city of Heshbon, Tall Jalul promises to enhance our understanding of sociohistorical development in the region. Occupied from the Early Bronze Age to the late Iron Age II and Persian Period, the site lies 20 miles south of Amman. In previous seasons excavators have uncovered a level indicating a massive destruction during Iron Age I, an Iron Age tripartite building, two superimposed paved roadways leading to a monumental gate, three piers of an early Iron Age II outer gatehouse, the foundation of an inner gatehouse, pottery, a necklace of glass and semiprecious stones, fine clay Egyptian-style figurines, engraved seals in Ammonite script, an Ammonite tomb, an incense stand from the Persian period and a Persian domestic building.
Directors Randall Younker and David Merling (both of Andrews Univ.) expect to expose more of the gateway to two Iron Age residential buildings. The site is open to visitors weekdays during the season. Guided tours are available; appointments are helpful.
BAR articles: Larry G. Herr, “What Ever Happened to the Ammonites?” BAR 19:06, and “The Search for Biblical Heshbon,” BAR 19:06.
Kursi
Christian tradition identifies Kursi with the country of the Gerasenes (or Gadarenes), where Jesus healed one or two demoniacs by casting the “unclean spirit” into a herd of swine (Matthew 8:28–34; Mark 5; Luke 8:26–39). Located just east of the Sea of Galilee, the site has yielded the remains of the largest known Byzantine monastery in the Holy 025Land. Kursi was apparently an important pilgrimage site for early Christians; the gospels of Matthew and Mark indicate that the ministry of Jesus was introduced into the Gentile world from there.
In September 2001 the excavation team discovered a Byzantine bath complex complete with drain pipes, underground heating system and pools, plus coins, jewelry, marble, floor tiles and other objects that date to the Byzantine and early Islamic periods. Previous excavations have also revealed a fifth-century chapel paved with three layers of mosaics. In fall 2002, volunteers working under directors Vassilios Tzaferis (Israel Antiquities Authority) and Charles Page (Jerusalem Center for Biblical Studies) will further uncover the bath complex and expand excavation to the north and east, in search of remains of additional rooms of the bath complex or perhaps what may have been an adjoining inn for pilgrims. As part of Israel’s national parks system, Kursi is open to visitors year-rounsd. Guided tours are also available.
BAR article: Vassilios Tzaferis, “A Pilgrimage to the Site of the Swine Miracle,” BAR 15:02.
Megiddo
Surrounded by mighty fortifications, equipped with sophisticated water installations and adorned with impressive palaces and temples, Megiddo features some of the most elaborate Iron Age architectural remains in Israel. Its location in the Jezreel Valley (12 miles south of Nazareth), near important military and trade routes, made it a frequent field of battle in ancient times.
The site is mentioned in Assyrian, Egyptian and Hittite sources as well as in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. The Song of Deborah (Judges 5) describes a battle won on the outskirts of Megiddo, but it is listed as one of the Canaanite cities not conquered by the tribe of Manasseh in Joshua 17. In 1 Kings 4:12, Megiddo is named among the centers of provincial governance during Solomon’s reign, as well as a site of one of Solomon’s building projects (1 Kings 9:15). Pharaoh Shishak conquered the city in the days of Solomon’s successor, Rehoboam, and erected a stela discovered by earlier excavators. In 609 B.C. King Josiah of Judah was slain at Megiddo in a confrontatio with Pharaoh Necho (2 Kings 23:29). The Book of Revelation (16:12–16) casts Armageddon (“Mount of Megiddo”) as the site of the penultimate battle between the forces of good and evil at the end of days.
The stratified remains of more than 20 cities, and numerous artifacts including a hoard of ivories and many inscriptions, have been recovered at the site. In 2002 codirectors Israel Finkelstein, David Ussishkin (both of Tel Aviv Univ.) and Baruch Halpern (Penn State Univ.) will continue excavating a monumental Early Bronze Age temple and an Iron Age II ashlar palace, and will investigate a city unearthed at the Iron Age I level. A national park, Megiddo is open daily from 8 to 5 and has an orientation center that offers an overview of the site’s history and finds; tours are not available.
BAR articles: Amos Nur and Hagai Ron, “Earthquake! Inspiration for Armageddon,” BAR 23:04; Israel Finkelstein and David Ussishkin, “Back to Megiddo,” BAR 19:01; John D. Currid, “Puzzling Public Buildings,” BAR 18:01; Valerie M. Fargo, “Is the Solomonic City Gate at Megiddo Really Solomonic?” BAR 09:05; Dan Cole, “How Water Tunnels Worked,” BAR 06:02; Yigael Yadin, “In Defense of the Stable at Megiddo,” BAR 02:03.
Khirbat en-Nahas
One of the richest copper production sites in the Iron Age Levant, Khirbat en-Nahas is located in Biblical Edom, some 35 miles north of Petra in Jordan. It was occupied during the Early and Late Iron Age periods. Preliminary work by the German Mining Museum (in Bochum, Germany) has revealed large-scale metallurgical installations and extensive architectural remains. In 2002 Thomas E. Levy and Russell B. Adams (both of Univ. of California, San Diego), Mohammad Najjar (Department of Antiquities of Jordan) and Andreas Hauptmann (German Mining Museum) hope to clarify the role of mining and early metallurgy in social change and the rise of the Edomite state during the Iron Age.
To place Khirbat en-Nahas in its regional context, the excavation will be preceded by an intensive archaeological survey along the Wadi al-Ghuwayb. The site is not open to visitors.
Nazareth
In past years, excavators in Jesus’ hometown have found a number of agricultural structures, including three watchtowers, a double wine press, quarries and olive crushers. In 2002 codirectors Stephen Pfann and Ross Voss (both of Univ. of the Holy Land), want to clarify the nature and history of the irrigated farm that is part of a larger farm complex discovered earlier. The site is open to visitors by appointment, although no guided tours are provided.
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Petra
A popular site among visitors to the Middle East, Petra, about 50 miles south of the Dead Sea in Jordan, is approached through a narrow ravine that abruptly opens to reveal the dramatic tableau of an entire city carved into towering sandstone cliffs. Though it was occupied from the Iron Age to the 20th century, Petra is best known as the capital of the Nabateans, who settled there during the Hellenistic period. Some identify Petra with the Biblical city of Sela, in Edom (Judges 1:36; 2 Kings 14:7).
Discoveries at Petra include the Temple of the Winged Lions (the most important Nabatean temple yet found), the Treasury of Pharaoh (a spectacular edifice carved into a cliff wall), a Roman-style theater and a necropolis. Excavations in 2002, directed by Philip C. Hammond (Arizona State Univ.) and David J. Johnson (Brigham Young Univ.) will focus on the conservation of Sela and will explore in greater depth the architecture of the Temple of the Winged Lions. Guided tours of Petra are available and the site is open to visitors all year.
BAR articles: Hershel Shanks, “The Petra Scrolls,” BAR 23:01; Avraham Negev, “Understanding the Nabateans,” BAR 14:06; Philip C. Hammond, “New Light on the Nabateans,” BAR 07:02, and Judith W. Shanks, “A Plea for the Bedoul Bedouin of Petra,” BAR 07:02.
Es-Safi (Gath)
Continuously occupied from the Chalcolithic period until modern times, Tell es-Safi has been identified as ancient Gath—one of the five royal cities of the Philistines and the home of the giant Goliath. Previous excavations at the site, which lies roughly halfway between Jerusalem and Ashkelon, have unearthed a unique Iron Age dry siege moat and an exceptionally well-preserved Iron Age II destruction level with many intact pottery vessels. Dig directors Aren Maeir (Bar-Ilan Univ.) and Carl Ehrlich (York Univ.) will continue to excavate remains at the moat and explore the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age levels. Tell es-Safi is open to visitors year-round, and guided tours are available during the dig season.
BAR article: Aren M. Maeir and Carl S. Ehrlich, “Excavating Philistine Gath,” BAR 27:06.
Sepphoris
Christian tradition points to Sepphoris, a mere 4 miles northwest of Nazareth, as the birthplace of Mary, mother of Jesus; Josephus called Sepphoris “the ornament of all Galilee.” In the first century A.D. 027Sepphoris served briefly as the capital of the Roman district of Galilee. Later it became the seat of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high Court, and the home of Rabbi Judah ha-Nasi (Judah the Prince), who compiled the Mishnah, the compendium of rabbinic law, in about 200 A.D.
Among the most important finds at Sepphoris are beautiful mosaics, including the “Mona Lisa of the Galilee” mosaic, a Roman villa, a large theater, a civic basilica, an aqueduct, two baths, a Roman tower, synagogues, private residences and a row of shops along one of the city’s colonnaded streets. The site is a national park, open to visitors year-round.
Two teams will excavate at Sepphoris:
• James F. Strange (Univ. of South Florida), T.R.W. Longstuff (Colby College), Dennis E. Groh (Illinois Wesleyan Univ.) and C. Thomas McCollough (Centre College) will try to clarify the relationship of the basilica to the bath.
• Zeev Weiss (Hebrew Univ.) will direct a dig focusing on several public and private buildings that have been unearthed in lower Sepphoris.
BAR articles: Lucille A. Roussin, “Helios in the Synagogue,” BAR 27:02; Zeev Weiss, “The Sepphoris Synagogue Mosaic,” BAR 26:05. See especially the special section “Spotlight on Sepphoris,” BAR 26:04, including Mark Chancey and Eric M. Meyers, “How Jewish Was Sepphoris in Jesus’ Time?”; Tsvika Tsuk, “Bringing Water to Sepphoris”; Hanan Eshel and Eric M. Meyers, “The Pools of Sepphoris—Ritual Baths or Bathtubs?” See also Ehud Netzer and Zeev Weiss, “New Mosaic Art from Sepphoris,” BAR 18:06; Richard A. Batey, “Sepphoris—An Urban Portrait of Jesus,” BAR 18:03; “Mosaic Masterpiece Dazzles Sepphoris Volunteers,” BAR 14:01.
Sha‘ar ha-Golan
Sha‘ar ha-Golan’s excavators have called the site, located a mile south of the Sea of Galilee, a “prehistoric art center” because of the abundance of figurines produced there by a Neolithic people belonging to the Yarmukian culture. The finds include anthropomorphic figures made out of river cobbles and unique figurines made of clay and stone, including a very large female figure, possibly a goddess (featured in WorldWide, BAR 25:03).
Excavators have also uncovered monumental courtyard houses, the earliest street in Israel, decorated pottery vessels, many flint tools and arrowheads, stone bowls and numerous lithics. Codirectors Yosef Garfinkel (Hebrew Univ.) and Michele Miller (Boston Univ.) hope to uncover more remains of the monumental 028courtyard building. The nearby Kibbutz Sha‘ar ha-Golan has a museum largely devoted to finds from past digs. The museum is open to visitors daily between 9 and noon. Guided tours of the site are not available.
BAR article: Yonathan Mizrachi, “Mystery Circles,” BAR 18:04. See also Yosef Garfinkel and Michele Miller, “The Yarwhosians?” AO 03:03.
‘Umayri
When Jephthah subdued the Ammonites, “he smote them … as far as Abel Keramim” (Judges 11:33), the ruins of which today constitute Tall al-‘Umayri, a site in Jordan 7 miles south of Amman. Occupied from c. 3000 to 500 B.C., the site may have belonged to the tribe of Reuben and was later linked with the Ammonite king Baalis (Jeremiah 40:14). During the Biblical period, the city served as an administrative center for the Ammonites.
In past seasons, Tall al-‘Umayri has proven to be rich in architectural remains and artifacts. Included among its treasures are an Early Bronze Age megalithic tomb and a massive Middle Bronze Age moat and rampart with what appears to be a corner tower, as well as an extremely rare Late Bronze Age building with at least two rooms with surviving walls more than ten feet in height. A major Iron Age I settlement with strong fortifications was also uncovered along with one of the oldest and best preserved “four-room” houses found anywhere in the region. Excavators also found worship installations and a ceramic shrine model with apparently male and female figurines flanking the entry. Another spectacular find is a seal of Baalis, who sponsored the assassination of Gedaliah, a governor of Judah installed by Nebuchadnezzar after the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C.
In 2002, volunteers under the direction of Lawrence T. Geraty (La Sierra Univ.), Larry G. Herr (Canadian Univ. College), Douglas R. Clark (Walla Walla College) and John N. McDowell (Pacific Union College) will help to clear the Late Bronze Age building by excavating adjoining squares into which a hallway is leading, with the hope of unearthing more rooms from a time with scant architectural remains. There will also be more work on late Iron Age I cultic material, as well as restoration and consolidation of the site to make it more understandable for visitors. This site is part of the Madaba Plains Project, a multidisciplinary archaeological affiliation of sites in central Jordan.
The National Endowment for the Humanities has funded a summer institute (with stipend) for 25 social studies and history teachers to participate in the dig at Tall 029al-‘Umayri for six weeks under the direction of Gloria London (see announcement in Strata, in this issue).
BAR article: Larry G. Herr and Douglas R. Clark, “Excavating the Tribe of Reuben,” BAR 27:02.
Ya’amun
Archaeologists have already recorded 155 tombs in the various necropoli at Ya’amun, in northern Jordan. Pottery indicates continued occupation at the site from the Early Bronze Age to the Islamic period. Excavators have uncovered two Late Bronze Age rooms, an early Byzantine mosaic floor inside a sixth-century A.D. church and two marble columns from the chancel screen of the church. Codirectors Jerome C. Rose (Univ. of Arkansas) and Mahmoud El-Najjar (Yarmouk Univ.) plan to focus on excavating the outer walls of the church and clearing its front entry. They also want to excavate ten more early Christian/Byzantine tombs. Visits and guided tours are available by appointment during the dig season.
Yavneh-Yam
Yavneh-Yam (Biblical Jamnia) played an important role in the second-century B.C. Maccabean Revolt, when Jews struggled to free themselves from their Greek rulers. The Jewish leader Judah Maccabee pursued the army of Gorgias to the plain of Jamnia (1 Maccabees 4:15) and later burned Jamnia’s harbor and the fleet that was in it (2 Maccabees 12:8–9). The Book of Judith (2:28) mentions the city as one of several terrorized by Nebuchadnezzar’s general, Holofernes.
Located 12 miles south of Tel Aviv, Yavneh-Yam was occupied from the Bronze Age through the Middle Ages. Excavations have revealed Iron Age buildings, a Hasmonean destruction layer, Christian pilgrimage remains, sherds of Greek red-figure pottery and a Hellenistic statuette of a girl playing a stringed instrument. Under the direction of Moshe Fischer (Tel Aviv Univ.), volunteers will continue to investigate the Iron Age level and uncover more of the Byzantine mosaic and building. The site is open to visitors year-round, with guided tours available.
Yotvata
Yotvata is mentioned in Deuteronomy 10:7 as an Israelite desert encampment. A fort dated to the late Roman period occupies this site, 28 miles north of Eilat in the Great Rift Valley (the Arava). Past excavations have unearthed a Latin imperial inscription. The objective of this excavation, under the leadership of Uzi Avner (Arava Institute), Jodi Magness (Tufts Univ.) and Gwyn Davies (Florida International Univ.), will be to excavate and preserve the rest of the fort. The site is open to visitors at all times, with guided tours offered during dig hours (no appointments necessary).
Zayit
Zayit (“olive”) lies 30 miles to the east of Ashkelon in an area rich in olive orchards. During the three excavations seasons at Tel Zayit, volunteers discovered a large Late Bronze Age public building or palace and have studied a massive destruction level also dating to the Late Bronze Age. There is also significant destruction at the Iron Age II (ninth century B.C.) level that is thought to be associated with an invasion by Arameans.
In 2002 dig director Ron E. Tappy (Pittsburgh Theological Seminary) will continue to explore and clarify the extent of these destruction levels; he also plans to focus on the dimensions of a late Roman fortress at the site. Tel Zayit is open to visitors by appointment, and guided tours are available.
Archaeology is not a spectator sport. It is slow and precise work, requiring long hours of dirty toil in punishing heat. Peanuts and Cracker Jacks are not served; no cheerleaders or marching bands entertain. Spectacular finds, the archaeological equivalent of home runs and touchdowns, occur, but irregularly. The team has no stars to clinch a victory—anyone, square supervisor or first-time volunteer, might uncover the next big find by accident. Teamwork is crucial, but there is no contest between the home and the visitors’ teams. Only one team claims the field: a hardworking group of people from all walks of […]
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