Excavation Opportunities 1987
To delight in the aspects of sentient ruin might appear a heartless pastime, and the pleasure, I confess, shows a note of perversity.
—Henry James, Italian Hours
Ever-present dust, relentless sun, field-kitchen food and temperatures in the 90s day after day. Sound like the ideal summer vacation? Some people think so. What we’re describing are the spartan conditions at many archaeological digs in Israel.
Volunteers live in tents, dormitories or youth hostels. The work itself is demanding physical labor and volunteers are up before dawn to arrive at the dig site at sunrise before the day’s heat drives everyone to shelter. Yet every year hundreds of passionate amateur archaeologists converge on Israel with one purpose: to uncover a piece of the past.
A 1979 veteran of the Tel Anafa dig in northern Galilee sums up his experience as “Hard work, bad food, and well worth it.”
Like many dig participants, he admits to the lure of the unknown. “You never know what the next trowelful of dirt will uncover and many big discoveries are completely accidental.”
Most discoveries, of course, are not spectacular. Progress is often measured by the type and number of pottery sherds, animal bones and similar small artifacts unearthed through patient, and sometimes tedious, pick-and trowelwork.
So why do otherwise sane people trade their beach towels for spade and shovel?
“It’s an addiction,” laughs one dig director.
If so, it’s an addiction that strikes a wide range of people. Though many dig volunteers are young (most digs set a minimum age of 17 or 18) some of the best and most enthusiastic workers are middle-aged or even vigorous retirees.
Requirements are few.
“All we ask for in our volunteers is an interest in the work and that they stay the required minimum period,” says the director.
Because Israel was the crossroads for so many ancient civilizations, working on a dig there can be a bonanza for the amateur historian.
At Caesarea Maritima, you can explore a Roman harbor facility unequalled in its day or stroll along a mile-long thoroughfare—the Cardo Maximus—that was 54 feet wide and lined with 700 columns. Tell Qasile boasts the ruins of the only Philistine temple yet discovered. At Lachish you can explore the Canaanite settlement and walk up an Assyrian siege ramp that sealed the destruction of the eighth-century B.C. Israelite city.
Whatever your period of interest, this year’s BAR volunteer opportunity roundup will help you narrow your choices. The dig descriptions contain information that will help you make an intelligent choice. Does your excavation offer academic credit? Do you want to tour Israel as part of the excavation “package”? Is the dig near a major city or beaches? What are the accommodations? Will I live in a tent, a dormitory or—at a few of the more luxurious digs—in a comfortable hotel?
Browse through the listings that follow. Perhaps 1987 can be your year to discover a piece of the past.
Places to Dig This Summer
Har Karkom
Recent seasons at Har Karkom, a mountain in the southern Negev, have revealed rich concentrations of ancient rock art as well as abundant pottery, numerous altars, campsites, temples and tumulus gravesites. Noting the more than 500 archaeological sites already discovered, survey director Emmanuel Anati suggests that Har Karkom was an important religious center for about 1,000 years, from roughly 3,000 B.C. to 2,000 B.C., and may be the site of Mt. Sinai where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God.
In January and February, volunteers will help complete an extensive archaeological survey of the area; a second session in March may be added if conditions warrant.
Contact: Emmanuel Anati, Centro Camuno Di Studi Preistorici, 25044 Capo Di Ponte (BS), Italy. Tel. 0364/42091. TELEX: Italy 301504 ARCHEO.
Tel el-Hammah
Tel el-Hammah was probably the site of Hamat, a city in Galilee mentioned on an Egyptian stele commemorating the military victories of Pharaoh Seti I (1306–1290 B.C.) in the Beth-Shean area.
Surveys of the tell area have yielded fragments of Egyptian and Egyptianized vessels manufactured locally, testimony to the political and cultural hegemony Egypt may have exercised over much of Canaan during the New Kingdom period (1550–1070 B.C.). Ceramic vessels, gypsum stone vessels, iron tools, a decorated ivory box and lid and a large bulla impressed with a seal bearing a geometric design were discovered in a well-preserved destruction level associated with the tenth-century B.C. military campaign of the Pharaoh Shishak. Remains of cloth-spinning implements including wooden spindle whorls and spindles with remnants of thread still wound around them were also unearthed by excavators.
From April 27 through June 12, volunteers will help explore Iron Age spinning activities on site and aid in excavations to investigate the nature of the relations between Canaan and Egypt in the Late Bronze (1550–1200 B.C.) and Iron Age (1200–586 B.C.) periods. Minimum stay is two weeks. Volunteers will stay at Moshav Mehola or at Gan Hashlosha.
Contact: Gary Lipton or David Tarler, Institute of Archaeology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem 91905, Israel. Tel: (02) 710826.
Ein Yael
Once a small, rural settlement that served as ancient Jerusalem’s “food basket,” Ein Yael today is in the process of becoming an open-air museum where researchers, students and tourists can learn about agricultural technology and techniques used during Biblical times.
Volunteers during the 1987 season, from May 1 through September 1, can help excavate a Roman villa and an Israelite farm and reconstruct an ancient water and irrigation system. The Ein Yael Project also offers participants a unique opportunity to experiment firsthand with the pottery, weaving and metallurgical technologies from the Israelite, Roman, Byzantine and early Islamic periods. There is a $25 registration fee. Volunteers are expected to stay for at least two weeks and to arrange their own accommodations at nearby hotels or youth hostels in the Jerusalem area. Camping on-site costs $100 a week. Academic credit is arranged individually.
Contact: Jill Ervais, 885 North 24th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130.
Gamla
Hundreds of iron arrowheads and Roman catapult stones found scattered throughout this mountaintop site in the Golan attest that Gamla’s reputation as the “Masada of the North” is not lightly earned. A Jewish city built in the Hellenistic period, Gamla was besieged and destroyed in 67 A.D. by the Roman general (and future emperor) Vespasian during the First Jewish Revolt against Rome.
In previous seasons, excavators uncovered what may be the earliest known synagogue in Israel, two ritual baths (miqva’ot), two olive oil presses and five coins minted at Gamla at the time of the Roman siege.
Volunteers are encouraged to stay for the entire two-month dig season, from May 17 through July 17, but may sign up for as little as two weeks. The $10-per-day maximum fee covers the cost of on-site camping accommodations. Tents, beds, mattresses, running water, showers and electricity (220 volts) are provided. After two weeks, the daily fee is waived. Less hardy volunteers may wish to opt for rooms in a field school at nearby Katzrin or any of several hotels in Tiberias.
Contact: Gamla Excavations, c/o Golan Museum, Katzrin 12900, Israel.
Capernaum
Located on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum is best known for its association with the ministry of Jesus. According to the Gospels, Jesus often preached at Capernaum and performed several miracles there. Luke records that a Roman centurion, whose slave Jesus cured of a fatal illness, built a synagogue for Capernaum’s citizens. Talmudic sources mention that Capernaum was the site of a flourishing Judeo-Christian community at the beginning of the second century A.D.
Remains from the early Roman, Byzantine and early Islamic periods have been discovered on the five-acre site. Among the most spectacular discoveries are two synagogues, one dating to the third/fourth centuries A.D., the other to the first A.D., and the so-called House of Peter, a structure sometimes identified as St. Peter’s residence that later became a Christian house-church (domus ecclesiae) and then an octagon-shaped basilica. Remains of a Roman bath dating to the first/second century A.D. were discovered in 1984. The largest hoard of Islamic gold dinars found in Israel to date was uncovered in 1982.
The 1987 session from May 22 through June 24 is expected to be the last season at Capernaum. Interested persons should apply as soon as possible as dig organizers are seeking only 40 people. Volunteers are expected to stay for the entire session. This season’s objective is to complete excavation of a large public building and a large domestic building, both dating to the Late Roman period. The $2,000 fee covers room and board, tuition and round-trip airfare. Three to six hours of academic credit are available from Averett College, Danville, VA; Notre Dame University; Hardin-Simmons University; Pepperdine; and the University of British Columbia.
Contact: Professor John Laughlin, Averett College, Danville, VA 24541. Tel: (804) 793-7811.
Caesarea Maritima
Roman Excavations
Built by Herod the Great in the first century B.C., Caesarea Maritima became the Roman and Byzantine provincial capital of Israel. Constructed over an earlier Hellenistic settlement known as Strato’s Tower, Caesarea boasted a harbor that could hold an entire Roman fleet and city facilities that matched any in the Roman East, including an aqueduct, palace, civic halls, amphitheater and hippodrome. Pontius Pilate’s official residence was in Caesarea and it was here that an inscription bearing Pilate’s name was found. St. Peter’s conversion of a Roman centurion is set in Caesarea (Acts 10:1–8). Paul was briefly imprisoned in Caesarea before setting out on his voyage to Rome in an effort to have his case tried before the emperor (Acts 23–25).
This summer volunteers will continue to investigate Caesarea’s ancient street plan and to locate major public buildings and installations known only from inscriptional and literary evidence.
The 1987 excavation season is divided into two sessions, the first from June 3 through July 2, the second from July 8 through August 6. Most volunteers will be housed in three-person rooms at Kayit V’Shayit, a nearby seaside resort. These accommodations are available from the evening meal on Saturday through Friday morning. Participants may choose to travel independently, tour or remain at Kayit V’Shayit on a space-available basis on their day off. Two to four academic credits are available.
Contact: Robert J. Bull, Director, Drew Institute for Archaeological Research, Drew University, Madison, NJ 07940. Tel: (201) 377-3000.
Caesarea Maritima
Hellenistic Excavations
From June 7 through July 17, volunteers at the Caesarea Maritima excavations sponsored by Rutgers University will continue ongoing explorations of the remains of Strato’s Tower, the Hellenistic/Phoenician settlement that preceded Herodian Caesarea. A further goal for the upcoming season is the excavation of a Byzantine synagogue.
Dig participants will stay at the marine center of nearby Kibbutz Sdot Yam and will eat at a restaurant overlooking the ancient harbor. These accommodations—including clubroom, television, bar and dance floor—have given Caesarea Maritima a reputation as “the Rolls Royce of archaeology.” Volunteers must stay at least two weeks. The $40 daily fee does not cover weekend meals or lodging.
Contact: Professor Robert R. Stieglitz, Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literature, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102 Tel: (201) 648-5233.
Timnah
Located on the border between Philistia and Israel, Timnah is best known in Biblical history as the center of Samson’s exploits. The region was captured by the Israelites during David’s reign, reverted to Philistine control during the early Divided Monarchy, and was controlled by the southern kingdom of Judah during the eighth and seventh centuries B.C. Excavations have exposed strata from the town’s founding to its demise in the early fifth century B.C.
In the 1986 season, archaeologists uncovered and determined the extent of the site’s massive Middle Bronze Age city walls embedded in the earthen rampart that formed the original defensive system of Timnah.
Goals for 1987 include excavating and studying the defensive gate complexes from the Philistine through the Israelite periods and remains from the United Monarchy period. Excavation dates are from June 8 through July 3. Volunteers are asked to stay for the entire four-week period; accommodations are in the Shoresh Hotel about 20 miles from the site. Tours are offered to volunteers both before and after the excavation season. From July 4–10, participants may tour Sinai, Egypt and Switzerland. Four to six academic credit hours are offered. Tuition is $100.
Contact: George L. Kelm, Timnah Expedition, P.O. Box 22417, Fort Worth, TX 76122-0417 Tel: (817) 923-1921
Ashkelon
In Biblical accounts, the Philistine port city of Ashkelon was often targeted for God’s wrath. The seventh-century B.C. prophet Zephaniah predicted that “ … Gaza will be deserted, and Ashkelon shall become desolation … ” (Zephaniah 2:4). Despite this and similar predictions of divine destruction by the prophets Amos and Zechariah, Ashkelon survived until Crusader times. Located on the coast of Israel, 30 miles south of Tel Aviv, Ashkelon long served as one of the eastern Mediterranean’s most important seaports.
The first two seasons of excavation uncovered Canaanite and Philistine houses, a Persian-period warehouse, a dog cemetery, Herodian remains, a Byzantine bathhouse and bordello, and Islamic houses and streets.
Excavations are from June 10 through July 30. Volunteers will help excavate levels from the Canaanite through Crusader periods. In addition, underwater and land-based teams will coordinate efforts in an attempt to locate remains of the Philistine harbor and surrounding facilities. The $1300 fee covers room, board, archaeological field school and field trips for the full seven-week season. Shorter stays may be possible. Volunteers and staff will stay at a four-star hotel near the beach. Amenities include a swimming pool and tennis courts. Academic credit can be arranged individually.
Contact: Lawrence E. Stager, Ashkelon Excavations, Harvard University, Semitic Museum, 6 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138. Tel: (617) 495-5756.
Sepphoris (Sippori)
Sepphoris has been continuously occupied from the Iron Age to the present. During the Roman period, Sepphoris was rebuilt in grand style by Herod Antipas. The first-century A.D. Jewish historian, Josephus, testified to its beauty, calling it “the ornament of all Galilee.” After the Second Jewish Revolt against Rome in 132–135 A.D., Sepphoris, for a time, became the seat of the Sanhedrin, the central legal and spiritual council of the Jewish people. Sepphoris was also the place where Rabbi Judah Hanasi (Judah the Prince) compiled the collection of rabbinical legal rules called the Mishnah in about 200 A.D.
In previous seasons, excavators uncovered part of a Roman theater and re-excavated a Roman villa originally, but incorrectly, identified in 1931 as an early Christian basilica. Other finds include 17 interconnecting underground chambers. A bronze bull figurine, incense altar and bowl were discovered beneath the remains of a fourth-century A.D. house.
From June 12 through July 17, volunteers will reinvestigate the underground chambers, continue digging on the Roman villa and broaden excavations on the west end of the Roman theater. The estimated cost for volunteers is $2,500, covering room and board for five weeks plus round-trip airfare. Minimum stay is three weeks. The Weekend College of the University of South Florida offers six undergraduate or graduate credits at $45 per undergraduate credit, $65 per graduate credit. Workdays are from 5 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Contact: James F. Strange, Dean, College of Arts and Letters, University of South Florida, CPR 107, Tampa, FL 33620. Tel: (813) 974-2834.
Tell el-Ifshar
Since 1979, ongoing excavations by the Emeq Hefer (Alexander River Valley) Archaeological Project have turned up rich finds in the Sharon coastal plain north of Tel Aviv. Tell el-Ifshar—whose ancient name is unknown—is one of several sites under excavation by the project. The Tell el-Ifshar settlement served as a river port for traffic moving inland from the Mediterranean coast to Samaria. The site, located astride the Via Maris, the ancient coastal road linking Egypt with Mesopotamia, was occupied from the Early Bronze Age until Byzantine times.
The excavation season will run from June 15 through August 10. The $20-per-day fee covers full room and board. Two to ten academic credit hours are available through the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Contact: Samuel Paley, Chairman, Dept. of Classics, SUNY at Buffalo, 712 Clemens Hall, Buffalo, NY 14260. Tel (716) 636-2153.
Tell el-’Umeiri
Tell el-’Umeiri may be Biblical Abel Keramim, a city mentioned in the account of Jephthah’s campaign against the Ammonites (Judges 11:33). The initial season of excavation in 1984 demonstrated that the 16-acre site about eight miles south of Amman, Jordan, was occupied from at least the fourth millennium B.C. through the Israelite period. Important finds from the tell’s only season include an Ammonite citadel and a seal impression bearing the name of King Baalis of the Ammonites mentioned in Jeremiah 40:14.
Volunteers must attend the full seven weeks of the dig, from June 18 through August 11. The $2,000 fee covers travel, room and board. Twelve credit hours are offered through Andrews University.
Contact: Lawrence T. Geraty, President’s Office, Atlantic Union College, South Lancaster, MA 01561. Tel: (617) 365-4561.
Lachish
Lachish, the Biblical city destroyed by the Assyrians under Sennacherib in 701 B.C. and again in 587/6 B.C. by the Babylonian armies led by Nebuchadnezzar, will be excavated this summer after one year out of the field (see David Ussishkin, “Lachish—Key to the Israelite Conquest of Canaan?” in this issue).
Commemorated in the palace reliefs at Nineveh, Lachish was the most important Judean city after Jerusalem in Biblical times. Previous excavation seasons have brought to light a Canaanite (Late Bronze Age) palace/temple complex, the now-famous “Lachish Letters,” a gate fortification complex of the ninth through sixth centuries B.C. and a massive Assyrian siege ramp built by Sennacherib in 701 B.C.
Excavation of three or four areas on the 18-acre tell is projected for the coming season by dig director David Ussishkin.
Eighty volunteers are sought for two four-week sessions. The first session runs from June 21 through July 17; the second from July 19 through August 14. Participants should be 18 years old and carry medical and accident insurance. Volunteers may participate in a two-course program of study over either of the four-week sessions and earn six semester hours credit. Costs with the study program are $900 for four weeks. Those studying more than four weeks receive discounts on their weekly participation fees: $90 for the fifth week; $60 for the sixth week; and $30 for the seventh and eighth weeks. Dig participants not taking part in the study program must stay at least two weeks at a cost of $120 for each week. (The Biblical Archaeology Society Six-Week Israel Seminar includes two weeks at the Lachish dig.)
Contact: Song Nai Rhee, Lachish U.S. Coordinator, Northwest Christian College, 828 E. 11th Avenue, Eugene, OR 97401. Tel: (503) 687-9456.
Mt. Ebal
Obeying Moses’ injunction, Joshua “ … built an altar on Mt. Ebal “ … an altar of unhewn stones upon which no man has lifted an iron tool … ” (Joshua 8:30–31). In recent seasons, a team of University of Haifa archaeologists, led by dig director Adam Zertal, has uncovered a large stone structure that Zertal identifies as an altar and cult center dating from the time of Joshua.
From June 28 through July 24, volunteers will help excavate a nearby Israelite village dating to the same period as the altar. Zertal speculates that the homes of the site’s attending priests may have been in the village. The $125-per-week fee covers room and board at the nearby Shavey-Shomron school. Two credit hours are available through Haifa University. Volunteers are expected to stay for at least one week.
Contact: Jane Thomas, Volunteer Coordinator, Mt. Ebal Excavation, P.O. Box 191, Fox River Grove, IL 60021. Tel: (312) 397-3000, ext. 2423.
Tel Miqne-Ekron
One of the largest Iron Age sites in Israel, Tel Miqne is identified with Biblical Ekron, the northernmost city of the Philistine pentapolis.
Recent excavations have uncovered remains of a Canaanite settlement of the second millennium B.C. and of the fortified city of Ekron founded by the Philistines in the 12th century B.C.
Excavators have also uncovered a 22-foot-wide mudbrick city wall with an ashlar stone facing that may be depicted on the palace reliefs of the Assyrian king Sargon II who conquered Ekron in 712 B.C.
From June 28 to August 7, archaeologists plan to examine all levels of occupation, from the Canaanite period through the last Philistine city at the end of the Iron Age. The cost of the six-week session, including six credit hours, is $1,065. Airfare is separate. There are also a limited number of three-week opportunities. Two optional field trips are available at additional cost. Participants will stay at the campsite in Kibbutz Revadim, which boasts a swimming pool and tennis and basketball courts. Excavations take place in the afternoon and early evening hours, leaving mornings free for lectures, workshops and material processing at the campsite.
Contact: Ernest S. Frerichs, Volunteer Director, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912-1826. Tel: 401/863-3900.
Tel Dor
Dor, a 40-acre site located on the Mediterranean coast, was a major port city from the Iron Age until the construction of Caesarea Maritima by Herod the Great in the first century B.C.
Recent finds include the pavement from a Roman agora, or marketplace; a four-chamber gatehouse dating to the ninth century B.C.; Iron Age, Persian and Hellenistic fortifications and defense systems and a grand stairway leading to a Hellenistic Roman temple.
From July 1 through August 7, volunteers will help excavate the Iron Age defense system as well as Iron Age, Persian and Hellenistic remains. Room and board are provided by the agricultural school in nearby Pardess Hanna. Additional accommodations include guest houses at Kibbutz Nachsholim. Academic credit and tuition can be arranged individually.
Contact: H. Neil Richardson, executive director, RICHDOR, 168 Mt. Vernon St., Newtonville, MA 02160. Tel: (617) 332-1971 or Andrew Stewart, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720. Tel: (213) 458-9811.
Tel Yoqne’am
Tel Yoqne’am and nearby Tel Qashish are being excavated as part of the Yoqne’am Regional Project that is studying several related archaeological sites in the Jezreel Valley. Located about 30 miles southeast of Haifa, Tel Yoqne’am in antiquity was a crossroad of trade routes. It was continuously occupied from the Early Bronze Age (3200–2200 B.C.) to Crusader times.
In Biblical accounts, the Jezreel Valley was the battlefield where Barak routed the chariots of Jabin, king of Hazor (Judges 4), where Gideon defeated the Midianites (Judges 7) and where Pharaoh Necho massed his army at Megiddo against the forces of King Josiah of Judah (2 Kings 23).
Led by Professor Amnon Ben-Tor of Hebrew University, archaeologists this summer will excavate the Late Bronze (1550–1200 B.C.) and Middle Bronze Age (1900–1500 B.C.) levels at Tel Yoqne’am as well as an Islamic mosque and Crusader church. Excavations at Tel Qashish will focus on Early Bronze Age remains.
Excavation dates are from July 1 through August 7. There is a fee of $150 per week.
Contact: Professor Amnon Ben-Tor, Institute of Archaeology, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91905, Israel.
Tell Qasile
Founded as a port town by the Philistines in the mid-12th century B.C., Tell Qasile flourished until the end of the 11th century B.C., when the city was largely destroyed by fire. The city’s destruction may have come at the hands of King David during his conquest of Philistia. Qasile was rebuilt under David and Solomon and again destroyed after the end of the United Monarchy.
Past seasons have revealed extensive remains of the Philistine and Israelite towns. It was at Tell Qasile that excavators uncovered the only Philistine temple yet discovered. During the upcoming season, excavation of a large Philistine building exposed in previous seasons will continue with hope of finding Tell Qasile’s administrative center.
The 1987 season runs from July 20–August 21. The excavation site is located on the grounds of the Haaretz Museum in northern Tel Aviv. There is a one-time $25 fee. Volunteers are expected to stay at least two weeks and make their own travel and lodging arrangements. Room and full board at the Tel Aviv youth hostel, one mile from the museum, is $18 a day. “Extras” on this dig include the museum facilities (full archaeological library and exhibits) and the celebrated beaches and night spots of cosmopolitan Tel Aviv.
Contact: Mrs. Semadar Harpazi, Tell Qasile Excavations, Museum Haaretz, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Digging in Joshua’s Shadow
Last June, Barbara Del Bianco, a 49-year-old housewife and mother of five, fulfilled a dream—she volunteered at the Mt. Ebal excavation directed by Israeli archaeologist Adam Zertal (see “Has Joshua’s Altar Been Found on Mt. Ebal?” BAR 11:01).
Mrs. Del Bianco, who had never taken part in a dig before, chose Mt. Ebal after reading BAR’s annual dig opportunity issue. As a religion teacher at her church, she had often read in Deuteronomy 27 about Moses’ command to Joshua and the Israelites to erect an altar on Mt. Ebal. When she finally stood on Mt. Ebal, she admits that “It was as if I could see Joshua and his troops marching through the valley below.”
Following are entries from the daily journal she kept while in Israel.
June 22, 1986
10:30 p.m.
I checked out of the Moriah Hotel in Jerusalem and took a cab to meet Gene Sucov, an old Pittsburgh friend who has been living in Jerusalem for the last month. A quick lunch and Gene and I were off on the adventure of THE DIG! We arrived at the bus station at Netanya—a coastal town just north of Tel Aviv—at 5:30 p.m., after a two-hour ride from Jerusalem. We were met by a dig worker named Nevi who drove us by van to our base camp, in a small settlement near the city of Nablus.
We are living in the dormitory of a local school. I have a room with six cots all to myself. Gene and Paul have the room to my right and two Israeli girls are in the room to my left. Each room opens directly outside. There is a concrete walkway in front of our doors and a small grass lawn beyond the walk.
Gene and I were happy to meet another American, Paul Rollet, from Illinois. We three are the only Americans who came this far—after 22 of us had signed on for this week of the dig! The other 19 cancelled, along with lots of other Americans who decided to respond to terrorism this summer by staying home. The rest of the volunteers are young Israeli college girls.
We met the dig director, Adam Zertal of Haifa University, and the area supervisor, Shaked. Shaked, like many young Israelis doing army service, carries a machine gun on his shoulder and the clip in his pocket; it is a commonplace that I have become accustomed to after only a few days in Israel.
We had a cold supper in the dining hall and then a slide presentation by Adam. The slides covered all the work that has been done on Mt. Ebal at the altar site Zertal discovered.
We are going to rise at 3:45 a.m. Good night!
June 23
2:50 p.m.
This is nap time and that is exactly what I am going to do in about ten minutes, after I write this entry.
We were awakened this morning by Nevi knocking softly on our doors and saying, “BO-ker tov,” which is “good morning” in Hebrew. We had coffee in the dining room and piled into the vans by 4:30 a.m. for the 40-minute ride up the mountain. Out of the vans and then a 20-minute walk down a steep slope and up an adjoining hill to the site of the dig.
At sunrise the scenery is breathtaking. The mists lifted as we walked past groves of olive trees and rocky fields. I heard the tinkle of a bell before I saw its source: a young goat. A herd appeared a second later, followed by sleepy, young goatherds.
We continued our walk up the hill; here the rocks are larger, the path is all but gone and rocks and thistles are everywhere. At last we slowed our pace and were at the altar. I saw the ramp that Adam described so well in his talk. I wanted to climb on the wall and walk on the altar but held back for fear I might be too forward.
Soon the sun was up and the stones of the altar gleamed back blindingly white. Adam, who walked with us, pointed out the main altar complex, its inner and outer walls, and the entrance to the main enclosure and the step area where we Americans ended up working today.
Our first instructions were to pull the weeds that have grown around the site since last season. We were given heavy gloves, small picks to loosen the dirt and a bucket to put the weeds in. We pulled weeds for about three hours and were so busy that we failed to notice that a tent had been set up about 100 yards from the altar site. When Nevi called us for breakfast in the tent we gladly stopped work. Breakfast consisted of a hard-boiled egg, a cucumber, a tomato, humus (a chick-pea paste laden with garlic), bread, olives, sour cream, chocolate spread, watermelon, coffee or tea.
By breakfast’s end, the sun had cleared the air—a promise of the day’s coming heat. Adam took us up to the altar area from which you can see for miles. He pointed out the Jordan Valley and Tirzah. I felt as though I could see Joshua and his troops walking through the valley up to Mt. Ebal. Soon I was back to pulling thistles.
We worked until 12:30, put our tools away in a shed on-site and started the long, hot walk back to the vans. What was a pleasant walk at dawn was now a hot and exhausting hike across rough country.
A hot lunch was served at the school—our “base camp”—on our return. I took a much-needed shower and now I’ll take a nap.
June 24
3:15 p.m.
Yesterday at 5:30, most of the group went for a walk. Gene, Paul and I did not go. The three of us sat on chairs outside our rooms and got acquainted. We also walked to the school office and called the States. Paul talked to his wife and I talked to my daughter. She assured me that my family is well. I think I was a little homesick; I have been in Israel eight days now. The three of us discussed the altar site in reference to the Bible. I got out my Bible and we read about Mt. Ebal in Deuteronomy 27 and Joshua 17:7–18.
When the hikers returned, we had a cold supper, a lecture and a slide presentation on the Mt. Ebal site and the Israelite altar.
I went to sleep as soon as I put my head on my pillow. I was happy to get a good night’s sleep.
We were up again this morning at 3:45. At the dig we were each issued a bucket, a brush, a pick and a trowel used to gently remove dirt. When we found pottery sherds, we put them in a separate bucket marked with a number indicating the precise area in which we were working. After an individual’s bucket was full of dirt, it was carried to a screening area and the dirt sifted for sherds, bones and tiny artifacts.
Shaked assigned Gene, Paul and me to a spot near the steps of the altar believed to be an ancient storeroom. We found many pieces of pottery and Paul uncovered a bowl. Gene found some tiny bones.
We are constantly reminded to drink lots of water to prevent dehydration. I brought my sons’ old Boy Scout canteen from home and I make sure I have it slung over my shoulder every morning. I’m drinking lots of water and feeling fine. I also carry my TWA flight bag to the dig site each day with a few necessities: sun hat, shorts, sun screen and camera. I also bring my passport—theft is uncommon but it does occasionally occur.
June 25
3:15 p.m.
Yesterday most of the group went on a six-mile hike to Sebaste to see the Roman and Israelite ruins. I stayed at camp and washed pottery sherds with a girl named Michelle who is an archaeology student at Haifa University and who speaks English. All of the young men and women here speak English, though among themselves they naturally converse in Hebrew. According to Michelle, all Israeli youngsters are taught English in school. I also learned that Israelis—both men and women—serve at least two years in the military after high school graduation. Most of the young people in camp have finished army service and are at least 21 years old.
I took 28 photographs today at the site. Adam gave us a walking tour and lecture on the Biblical history of the altar. The rest of the day I worked in the storeroom area and uncovered many small sherds. Adam kept telling me to clean the area with my brush; then he had photographs and measurements taken.
Climbed the horrible hill and rode back to camp for a hot turkey dinner.
Last evening a young man walked into camp and asked if he could join the dig. His name is Hans and he is from Holland and speaks English and Dutch. He told Adam he couldn’t pay for his room and board but said he would work hard. Adam let him stay.
June 26
7:15 p.m.
We washed pottery sherds last evening sitting on the grassy area in front of our rooms. Supper at 8 p.m. and early to bed. This morning at the site, Gene, Paul and I were assigned a new section of ground to work on. We uncovered small sherds and carried a lot of dirt to the screening area. We had our hot meal in the tent on-site. Adam and most of the group hiked down Mt. Ebal. Nevi and two girls stayed to clean the dishes from lunch and Paul and I waited for them to finish so we could ride back to camp.
At camp, we showered and jumped back into the vans to pick up the hikers near a spring at the foot of the mountain. We sat on the porch of an Arab roadside stand and had a Coke and a cup of tea. The tea was a gift from the shop owner. I tried to tip him but he gave me my money back. I smiled and thanked him for his hospitality.
9:05 p.m.
I took a nap before supper and didn’t participate in the pottery sherd washing. We are going to have a farewell party.
June 27
The farewell party was like a camp-fire gathering, except, instead of a blazing fire, we lit small candles and placed them on a small wooden structure. It was beautiful. We sat on the grass in a circle and the Israelis sang songs. Asked to sing, we Americans pitched in with “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad,” “America the Beautiful” and “God Bless America.” We toasted each other with glasses of wine, and ate cake and watermelon.
Early to bed and early to rise again. We were up on Mt. Ebal and working by 5:30 a.m. We cleaned up our loci (I’m learning the archaeological lingo), took photos and started up the now familiar but still formidable hill. I made it up again! Nevi had sandwiches, pickles and plums waiting for us.
A quick ride back in the vans; then we showered, packed our luggage and hopped into the vans for the final ride to Netanya. Everyone wished each other well and said goodbye. In Netanya, Michelle and the van driver found me a taxi. The 25-kilometer drive to Tel Aviv was delightful.
As I write this, I am in a lovely hotel, the Dan Panorama, looking out my window at a spectacular view of the Mediterranean. All things considered, I’d rather be at Mt. Ebal.