All Good Things Must Come to an End

The dig has finally reached it’s climactic ending. This morning we finished off this season’s work at area D, our area of the dig. It’s amazing how far we have come over the past 9 days of digging. In some areas we dug down as far as 6 feet, which is quite a lot if you consider how meticulously and slowly we dug each layer.

Before:

After:

We celebrated the dig with a surprise pizza party. Instead of eating the kibbutz food one more time we ate pizza near our cabins and took some time to say our goodbyes to our amazing staff; Ami Mazar, Dr. Mullins, Hai, Uri, Yael, Nava, and all the others. After the pizza party, John from our group tied a loaf of sliced bread to himself and went into the water near the kibbutz just to see how the fish would react. They reacted in a relatively predictable manner, swarming around John eating the bread and nibbling on his skin. It was one more story to add to the repertoire of stories we will tell from this trip.

We will surely miss Israel but we are excited to come home tomorrow. This whole trip has been amazing and will prove to be unforgettable. We all have great stories to tell and experiences that we can share with our friends and families. Great thanks to Dr. Duke, Dr. Mullins, Mandy Kelly, and APU for making this trip possible. I speak for the whole group when I say that this trip has been amazing and life changing. The experience we have shared here in Israel has been invaluable. Thank you so much and please offer this trip to students in the future!

To all who have been following us through this blog, thank you so much. This will be the last post for this trip. This blog will be available for viewing for as long as wordpress allows it. It will not be deleted by us so stop in any time in the future if you want to relive some of the experience or see the pictures again. More pictures will probably be added when we return home so check in for those too.

Thanks again to all! Shalom Out!

Backhoe Day

Today was an interesting day of digging. We had a backhoe come in and dig out a small portion of the tel right in our area. Though it may have seemed to most of us that its’ purpose was to create dust, the backhoe dug a narrow trench down about 10 or 15 feet in order to investigate the tufa layer that abuts a wall in our tel, to see if the layer is natural or manmade.  Though from what Chai and Uri (our archaeologist supervisors) saw today it seems that the tufa is indeed manmade, the answer is still unclear. Besides giving us a clearer view of just how far down our walls go, there was another advantage to digging with the backhoe. Among the vast amount of dirt that was cleared by the backhoe Ami Mazar, the boss of the dig, found an almost fully intact figurine which was missing only a head. It was the most important and interesting find that has been excavated from our area of the tel thus far. The figurine is a very important find for understanding more about what went on at rehov.

For all but those who worked on sorting through the dirt that was picked up by the backhoe, besides the distraction of the backhoe and the dust it hurled in the air, today was a normal day. We continued digging through more layers of our usual spots. We are all a bit tired from the hard work we have been doing every day but our spirits are still positive. Though we are enjoying the experience of excavating we are all very excited to return home to comfortable beds, clean cloths, the food we have been missing, and most importantly the people we have been missing.

The Figurine

Shabbat Shalom

It’s finally the weekend and we are all saying “shalom!” to the shabbat… it’s great to get a good rest. Although we are enjoying the dig, some more than others, we are counting down to the day we return home to the U.S. Today some of us forfeited sabbath rest for a trip to Petra in Jordan. Some of us pretty much spent the day sleeping and others swam at the pools. Since it is sabbath, the kibbutz isn’t serving dinner to us. Instead they gave us food and charcoal for a barbecue. So as I write this post I am sitting near the stream that flows near the kibbutz waiting for the coals to heat up enough to thoroughly cook our kabobs. It’s a beautiful evening and we are getting a rare breeze.

As an update on the dig, we have been unearthing lots of pottery, bones, and flint. After we wash and sort everything, it all goes to Hebrew University in Jerusalem to be examined more thoroughly and sometimes tested and carbon-dated. The big finds we have had in our area (area D) have included some pottery that originally came from Cypress, a lot of architecture that will help us understand what we are excavating, and a beautiful copper piece that Mandy and Justin found. The copper piece we found is an almost fully intact pin for a toga, about four inches long. The other group from Asbury Seminary which is digging in Area C have found a really cool mini-altar that was for small sacrifice or burning incense. Area C is also where the apiary, the man made bee-hives, was discovered last year–the only Iron age bee-hives ever excavated. Tel Rehov is a very unique tel, not just because of the bee-hives but also everything else. Though the pottery is normal, the architecture, the city lay-out, and the buildings are all unique among all the tels in Israel. We can’t tell what ethnicity these people were yet. Were they Canaanite or just unique Israelites or what? We don’t know yet but we will tell you if we find out.

Making Progress

We are three days into digging and progress is easy to see, not only in the fact that our excavation area looks different than it did when we showed up but we are also progressing in our efficiency. Our bucket brigade, the part where we all line up and pass buckets down the line to be emptied at the end, is getting faster and our ability to distinguish ancient brick from plain old dirt is improving. One correction I must make from the last post is that I forgot that, although most of us are digging in the Late-Bronze age, some of us are actually not digging in the Late-Bronze age but in the Iron age, in the days of King David. Yesterday was the first day we actually got to clean the pottery that we had excavated. Once soaked and scrubbed off, the pottery can be seen more clearly, sometimes revealing paint or, if we get lucky, some kind of inscription. As of yet there have been no inscriptions or really special pottery discovered by our group but we are learning more and more about what our particular area might have looked like or been used for. Between our whole group we have found everything from sickle blades, to grinding stones, to arrow-heads, to necklace beads. Today will be the first day that we actually get to sort and examine our clean pottery in order to see what we have excavated.  Weather or not we find a really special piece, it should be rewarding just to see and identify more of our findings.

The food here at the kibbutz has been better than it was at JUC, I must say, and it has been really nice to return from the dig for lunch each day. After lunch we get some free time until 4:30pm to swim in the river or the pools and rest. Then at 4:30pm we wash pottery and sort it until dinner. We’re all a bit tired after dinner so we generally go to bed pretty quickly after we eat because it’s time to leave again to the dig at 5:00am.

The Dig, day 1

Today was our first day of digging at Tel Rehov. We started the day at 4:30am so that we could beat the heat and get most of our work done in the “cool” of the morning (I wouldn’t call it cool but it’s better than the rest of the day). With little introduction we were shown to our excavation area to begin work. We were sectioned off in groups to excavate each room or space in the area, as there are several rooms in the building we are digging. We are digging in what is called a step-trench, steps dug down through the side of the tel to let us see each occupation that has been built on the tel throughout history. The deeper you go, generally, the older the layers are, so the highest step in the step-trench is most recent and the lowest is most ancient. As our group is split and assigned to different areas, some of us are digging remains from different centuries than others while we are still only spread through about a 25 meter radius (so we can all still talk to each other). All of what we are excavating is from the late bronze age, 13-1100BC, about 1000 years after Abraham.

The first order of operations for the dig was to clear off all the debris and “winter-wash” that has filled the excavation site while collecting any pottery we find along the way. After we finished that part it was already breakfast. After breakfast we were shown how to excavate and see bricks and foundations and such, then we were sent away to dig in our respective areas. We had to evenly clear away centimeters at a time over the whole area to see what is actually going on before clearing any deeper. So inch by inch we go deeper and deeper, collecting pottery shards and bone fragments along the way.

Among all the interesting things we discovered–the stone, the bone, and the pottery–the most monumental archaeological discovery that we each made was that digging is hard work. We were all exhausted by lunch time, when the actual excavating ends, but we are excited to do it at least 8 more times.

I should mention that our kibbutz, Nir David, is very nice. It includes air-conditioning, television, a mini-fridge, and a loft. We are staying, in general, four to a room which still leaves comfortable space. The cabins are dark wood resembling classic log-cabins. Within walking distance is a natural spring where we can cool off. Each meal is provided. It’s a nice place to come back to when you have worked hard all morning.

we have internet

So it turns out that we do indeed have internet here at the Kibbutz in Bet She’an (right near tel Rehov) so we will be able to keep you posted on the dig. Check back tomorrow for news about our first day.

Saying Goodbye

It’s hard to believe that, for many of us, the trip is coming to an end. Those of us who are not continuing on for the two week excavation at Tel Rehov are flying out either today or tomorrow to head back to the States. This trip has gone by so fast and yet we have learned so very much and have really gotten to know each other. This has truly been a life changing experience for most of us and we will always remember the impact that this place and the people we shared it with have had on our lives. God has certainly been our teacher here. So it’s goodbye to JUC and farewell until next time. Thank you to all who have diligently followed us on this trip through this blog.

Now for many of us still, this is only the end of the first portion of our trip. For others, who are just flying in for the dig, it is only the beginning. Tomorrow a portion of us, along with those just joining us, will be setting off to the hot desert conditions of Tel Rehov in the Jordan Valley. We will be excavating there each day for two weeks while sleeping at a nearby kibbutz which is quite close to a natural pool area in which I am sure we will be swimming daily. I am not sure yet if we will have internet access on the kibbutz or not, but I invite you to check in again soon. If we have internet access on the kibbutz I will be updating this blog as soon as we arrive in order to let you know that we have it. Assuming we can update the blog while on the dig, I encourage you to follow us through this blog. So please check in soon, but in case we don’t have access to the internet, goodbye for now. Thank you and todah rabbah!

A Match Made in Israel

Today we had another test, but otherwise it was pretty much just a free day. Many of us took advantage of the day to read, rest, and do laundry.

Something that must be reported is that two days ago a couple in our group became engaged to be married. Landon Baumgard and Jen McDonald became engaged near Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem on June 25th, at 8:10pm Israel time. They have been dating for five years as of June 26th (the very next day was their five year anniversary). When Landon popped the question  Jen couldn’t have been more surprised and she responded with tears of joy and a resounding “Yes!”  One thing is obvious to us all… Landon’s got class, the ring that now ornaments Jen’s hand is nothing short of extravagant. They don’t have an exact date for the wedding chosen yet but they are in no rush.  We all wish them luck and are very excited for them. Mazel uBracha (congratulations and blessings) Jen and Landon!

Modern Jerusalem Tour

Today was our tour of modern Jerusalem sites. We kicked off with a morning trip to Yad Vashem (hand/memorial and name), the holocaust museum. It took us through a journey of the holocaust, drawing us gradually into the experience of the real, flesh and blood people who were so easily forgotten by the world. Beginning with the rise of the Nazi party under Adolf Hitler and ending with the desperate aftermath of the brutality that was so swiftly demonstrated against the Jewish people during World War II. One powerful and thought provoking highlight was what we learned about Christianity’s relationship to and responsibility for anti-Semitism. Christianity from the 5th century on has demonstrated suspicion toward and animosity against the Jewish people. It was difficult for many of us to swallow the reality, not only of  our connection to the situation but of the event in and of itself–the systematic dehumanization of an entire race of people.

After we left Yad Vashem we went to lunch which was our familiar road combination of pita, Hummus, and randomly assorted meats and pickles and such. When we finished our little picnic we headed off to our next destination–the Israel Museum. Among all the cool things we saw there was a miniature model of Jerusalem (right before it was destroyed in 70AD). When I say miniature, I mean about fifty feet across, so still large enough to take a walk around it. Another major highlight of the Israel Museum was the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit. They have a great deal of the scrolls on display for the public as well as a replica of the Isaiah scroll wrapped around the center column of the room. It was a beautiful display that really helped draw us into appreciation for the importance of the discovery of the scrolls.

Our next stop was the Hebrew University where we got a chance to scope out the campus and get a feel for what it would be like to study there. Those who were interested got some information about the programs that the school offers and other such information. A few of us got to sneak down with Dr. Mullins into the Archaeology dept. where we saw some of the things that excavations done by the Hebrew University have yielded.

Our last official stop was the Garden Tomb. It is a site that many protestants prefer over the Holy Sepulcher as the site where Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected.  It was a beautiful garden area just north of the city of Jerusalem next to a hill that looks a bit like a skull (hence the name Golgotha). It’s exactly what most of us imagine the tomb would look like. It’s next to an ominous hill, in a beautiful garden just outside the city of Jerusalem. The tour guide we were provided really incorporated the gospel message in his presentation. The only problem with the site is that it can’t really be the site where Jesus was buried. The tomb is indeed a rolling stone tomb and it is indeed near a cistern and an olive press, suggesting that it was set in a garden, but the tomb is from the Iron Age (during the time of Jeremiah and Isaiah) which is far to early to be Jesus’ especially since the Bible tells us that the tomb was never used before. As for the cistern, it doesn’t work as evidence either because it’s from the Crusader period which is far too late to be contemporary to Jesus time. Archaeologically and historically it can’t be the right place, but nevertheless it’s devotional function is still valuable. The Garden Tomb is a very inviting and romantic place to reflect and pray. We’ve been reminded over and over again on this trip that the historicity of a place does not necessarily make or break it’s spiritual validity. The Garden Tomb serves its function weather or not it’s the right place.

After dinner Dr. Mullins offered an optional tour of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher where many of us felt much more spiritually connected to the death and resurrection of Jesus. It helped that Dr. Mullins explained that the tomb in the church does in fact date back to the first century, it is a rolling stone tomb, and the tradition of the particular site goes back much further in history than the garden tomb. In 135AD Hadrian built a temple to Venus on the site and he had a habit of building pagan temples on top of Christian holy sites.  Then in the fourth century Helena, Constantine’s mother, built a church on the site to commemorate the site of Jesus death and resurrection. So the history of the tradition provides circumstantial evidence that the site of the Holy Sepulcher, however “Eastern” it may feel to American protestants, is the real site where Jesus was killed, buried, and resurrected.

Our Trip to the Galilee

Our trip to the Galilee was a blast. We enjoyed many interesting sites and some great time together. There’s a lot to tell, so the best thing to do it start with day one.

Aphek was a brief stop for us. Aphek shows up in several places in Scripture and is the place where the Philistines camped out against the Israelites in 1 Samuel 4. In the later Roman period Aphek was renamed Antipatris and shows up in the New Testament in Acts 23:31. Most of the Ruins we saw were from Antipatris, so Dr. Oropeza gave some insight on the story in the New Testament in which Paul spends the night at Antipatris. After our stop at Aphek/Antipatris we took off to the seaport city of Caesarea.

Caesarea was beautifully set on the Mediterranean Sea. When King Herod built it, it was a gloriously luxurious city with a huge bathhouse and a chariot racing track. The actual port that was built there by Herod was short lived as it was destroyed in an earthquake only five years after it was built. If you look out into the water from the beach where the port once was, you can still see the underwater ruins of the original Herodian port. We were able to spend some time just wandering around Caesarea, enjoying the breeze and the beautiful scenery.

Mt. Carmel was our next stop. From there we were able to go to the top of a church that was built to memorialize 1 Kings 18, when Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal. From the roof of this church we could see the Galilee region and get a good idea of where we were going to be spending the next couple of days. From Mt. Carmel we took off to Nazareth.

Nazareth, which was once a small town set in a bowl shaped valley in the hills of Lower Galilee, is now overflowing out of the valley and is a substantial city. In Nazareth we stopped at the church of the annunciation, the traditional location of Mary’s house where the Angel of the Lord came to Mary and announced that she was pregnant with Jesus (Luke 1).

Our last stop of the day was the ancient city of Megiddo, most famous for its mention in Revelation 16:16 as Armageddon (from the Hebrew Har Megiddo for Mount Megiddo). We spent some time looking at some of the gates of the city and the foundations of what was once a flourishing warrior city. Because of its strategic geographical placement, the city’s history is filled with struggle and war, which might be why the author of Revelation referred to it in his imagery.

At the end of the day we went to where we stayed for three nights, the Kibbutz Ha’ On, right on the Sea of Galilee. We enjoyed the comfort of air-conditioned guest houses, TV, drinks, and swimming. The Kibbutz was not like most of us had imagined… it felt like a vacation.

Day 2 was a shorter day. First we visited the site of Hazor, which was quite large. In its day, Hazor was a very strategic city under Syrian rule. We saw an ancient Syrian palace there that had been completely destroyed. We could see evidence of a very hot fire in the melted brick on its foundations. Then we went to Tel Dan. To get there we hiked through a beautiful forested area with streams and cool breezes. It was a city in the trees. There at Dan, we saw foundations of a throne in the city gate, where the governor or whoever would sit to deal with political issues. We also saw a huge Israelite Alter, by far the biggest we’ve seen so far.

We also went to Caesarea Phillipi where Jesus said to Peter, “on this rock I’ll build my church.” We read the passage and Dr. Oropeza gave us some insight as to the meaning of the passage. Caesarea Phillipi was set beautifully with a small spring on sight and beautiful trees. Carved into the side of the mountain were ancient altars to the Greek god Pan that would have sat next to a large temple.

That evening many of us swam and many of us just took advantage of the time to rest.

On the third day we started by going to the museum to see the Galilee Boat, a boat from the first century that was discovered buried in the mud on the shore of the Galilee. They restored what remained of the boat, encased it in a preservation wax, and put it on display. The odds that Jesus would have used this particular boat are very slim but it is from the right time period. After we saw the boat we got on a boat of our own and sailed the sea of Galilee. We were going across the lake but there was one minor problem… we were on the wrong boat. In fact, we were with the wrong boating company. As soon as we realized that we were on the wrong boat and they realized that we were the wrong people, they took us back to the right boat, so our boating time was extended quite a bit with the boating change.

When we had finally reached the other side we set out on a Nature Walk. Part of our walk was through an agricultural setting where we stopped and read the parable of the sower. The setting provided great visual for the story. Dr. Oropeza gave a few words on interpreting parables and we continued on to a site that commemorates the great commission. We read the passage and spent some time reflecting from our beautiful vantage point over the Sea of Galilee. After a few minutes we hiked on down to the shore where we visited two churches.

The first church we visited was the traditional site where Jesus made breakfast and restored Peter in John 21. It was a beautiful garden area ornamented with mosaics. We walked down to the beach above which the church sat, where John 21 is traditionally set. The second church was the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fish.

From there we went and had lunch in a private garden of an Orthodox Church in Capernum. The area where we ate was shaded by thick shade trees and cooled by the breeze from the Sea of Galilee. After lunch we took a short trip to ancient Capernaum where we saw the traditional site of Peter’s house and ruins of an ancient Jewish synagogue.

When we arrived back at the Kibbutz we had plenty of time before dinner to rest and swim.

Yesterday, day 4, had a unique start. The first thing we did was go to the Jordan river where Joosung from our group was baptized. Jeff, our group-mate and friend from Canada who is also an ordained pastor, did the honors of performing the baptism. Joosung shared his powerful testimony and in the romantic setting of the Jordan River we all witnessed a powerfully genuine baptism. The memory of that powerful event carried through the rest of what would have been a relatively normal day for us.

After we left the Jordan we went to the site of Zappori where the famous mosaic, “The Mona Lisa of Galilee” was discovered. What is also interesting about Zappori is that it is where the crusaders gathered before marching to their defeat at the hands of Saladin on July 4, 1187.

For lunch we stopped at a natural pool for swimming. Besides the annoyance of the fish nibbling on our toes, the water was the most refreshing that we have swam in thus far.

Our last stop was the most impressive, Bet She’an. At Bet She’an we saw a huge roman theater, two huge bathhouses and a well preserved Roman cardo (north-south street). The site was extravagant and enormous with great history. Unique to this site is that the Old Testament and New Testament sites are side by side. Dr. Mullins spent a lot of time excavating the Old Testament tel in his career.

After the last stop we drove the two hour drive to Jerusalem, most of us were sleeping. Today is a free day for us and I imagine that many will continue sleeping.