The End (For Now)

We are home, and it feels good! We love going on these trips, but coming home is always wonderful. This year, I came home with a chills and a cough. Being on a plane for 20 hours when one does not feel good is almost unimaginable (except that I can imagine it well).  However, things are starting to look up in the health department, so life is looking better.

We made some incredible finds this year, according to the experts. A small Canaanite goddess left her legs in the cistern, and we found them. We found lots of shells, Cypriot pottery shards (beautiful), flint, and pieces of jars and chalices. We also found LOTS of bones, more than expected.

The biggest find is how big the cistern is. It is around six by 15 feet, much bigger than we thought. That discovery lead us to the decision to come back to Gezer and finish what we started. The word is that it may take two more years to do the job well.  We might even find the water source. So much for moving on to a new challenge!

From a personal viewpoint, one of the greatest finds were the friends we made. There were quite a few of us back this year, so there were many hugs. The Lord gave us some funny people as "rookies", and we quickly grew to love them. Most of us are planning on coming back to finish what we started. Another seminary may join us next year, which will be a new dynamic. They are getting their archaeology department going and want to be partners with us to get some first-hand experience. This is looking like it would be a good thing for both of us.

As we were getting set up at the beginning of the dig, a man in an "ultralight" took some pictures of our site. I put ultralight in quotes because it is one of those large curved parachutes with an engine attached. Anyway, he sent the pictures to us, which gives a totally new view of what we were doing.

 This was the first day, so the tent wasn't even up yet. If you look closely, you should be able to see the vans driving in and the two "blue rooms." The main tent will be put up between them on that flat surface next to the road.

This shows the opening to the cistern and the big crane that lifts the bags out of it. You should be able to see the Canaanite gate near the little bridge; beyond it is the Solomonic gate.

This gives a better view of the two gates and some of the surface excavation being done. The surface people from Southwestern Seminary will be back next week to continue and expand their field of operations.

What a blessing this experience has been! I'll be back next year, the Lord willing, with more blogging. I have had so much fun doing this and hope you have enjoyed reading it.

M.

Celebration!

Today was a day of work, but it was also a day of celebration. At the beginning of this year's dig, we all thought this would be the last year at Tel Gezer. We would find the bottom, make it "beautiful", and move on somewhere else.

However, that is not exactly how it happened. Three times we heard that we had reached the bottom, and three times we found out we had not. This water system is much larger than anyone thought. Tonight's celebration was supposed to celebrate finding the end. Instead, we celebrated meeting our goal in terms of depth, with the caveat that we were coming back to finish.

I don't know how well this will show what I am going to tell you, but hopefully it will help you visualise how the system works. This diagram was drawn by Macalister, the man who discovered the system in 1903. The tunnel goes down, and he thought the bottom of the incline was the end. However, when he got down there (what he thought was the bottom), he discovered the cavern shown in black. He thought it was small and insignificant.

However, we have found out that the cavern is actually quite large and may contain the water source. Therefore, we are coming back to explore the cavern. which will take at least next year and maybe longer. AND, as I said before, we still haven't really hit the bottom. [Sigh]

These two pictures show what the diggers have been doing in the depths of the earth.They love it down there, and I am so glad that they do. We actually had too many people who wanted to dig this year!

The celebration was marvelous! The British ambassador to Israel was one of the speakers, and he really expressed the enthusiasm we have all felt in discovering a small part of the history of Israel. A famous Israeli singer performed, and there were two songs that made the audience come alive.  One was about the rebuilding of the temple - most were singing along with her enthusiastically. However, the most dynamic reaction from the audience came when she sang "Jerusalem, the Gold."

She first sang this song right before the Six Day War, after which Jerusalem was once again united. Gilla, a tour guide the seminary uses for the tours they sponsor, said that the singer is seen as a driving force, almost a prophet, in the fulfilment of the dream. Everybody (except us Americans) was singing and clapping enthusiastically along with her. Great joy for them! Gilla said that there are people who want to make it the national anthem of Israel.

All in all, it was a tremendous, but long, day. We will sleep very well tonight! Tomorrow is our tear-down day. It is unbelievable that the dig is almost over. We're going to go to Asi's home for a very tasty meal (his wife is an excellent cook!) and barbecue. Four of us will have to leave early to go to the airport. Our flight leaves at 12:10 am, and we have to be at the airport three hours early to go through the security gates - yes, more than one - to get to the plane.

I will probably write one more blog, either at the airport or after we get home. There is a lot to absorb, and that takes time. Lord willing, we'll be coming back next year.

Love you all.

M.

Then and Now

Today was a short day at the dig site because of a very special trip the group was invited to take. An archaeologist, Eli (pronounced Ellie) Shukron is giving the group a walk under Jerusalem to view the system that supplied Solomon's temple with water. II Kings 20:20 states that King Hezekiah "made the pool and the conduit and brought water into the city."

For years, people had wondered how the temple got all the water needed to perform the rituals used in the worship of God. One day, Shukron heard a scraping sound when a bulldozer was working near the Pool of Siloam. He stopped the digging and did some exploration. What he eventually found was earth-shattering. As his crew was excavating the entire drainage channel of Jerusalem, they discovered a First Temple Period reservoir capable of holding 8,000 cubic feet of water, enough to provide for all the needs of the priests and pilgrims worshipping at the temple and the everyday needs of the general public in Jerusalem.

Something I have never thought about was the great amount of water needed each day at the temple. Since the temple was at a high point in the city, water would logically be difficult to obtain However, what Shukron discovered was an elaborate system of streams that fed into the reservoir. God provided for the needs of His people - why are we surprised?

These are pictures taken by John last year.

Schematic diagram of the water system

Tight spaces!

Excavation of the Pool of Siloam

I learned an interesting factoid today. Most of the million dollar homes on the hill across from Gezer are built on top of ancient tombs. The whole layering phenomenon continues to this day. I can visualise people 2000 years from now discovering homes built way back in the late 1900's on top of even more ancient structures! One man uses the tomb under his house to display his art work. I'm having a bit of trouble wrapping my mind around that!

Since I couldn't really make it through the "hike" under Jerusalem, I am relaxing at Neve Shalom. We will be leaving early morning three days from now - so hard to believe. Tonight it our last dinner at Neve Shalom, which really doesn't break my heart. (Should I be saying that?) 

May you see the Lord's blessings in your life today and always.

M. 

Rest and Relaxation, Mostly

Yesterday, Saturday, was a touring day. However, there was much walking and climbing, so I didn't go. I do wish my legs had the strength to tour Israel's rocks, hills, and all, but alas, 'tis not to be! John was worn out, so we both stayed home. We washed clothes, took naps, and I did some work for my registering. It was a much needed restful day.

The group went to Herodian, Herod's last palace and the place where he died. Last year, we saw a tremendous video about Herod. He was a brilliant architect and builder, but he was also cruel to enemies and his family. He was probably either schizophrenic or bipolar, it is thought. When he died, he was buried at Herodian, but his sarcophagus was empty when it was discovered  His body was probably stolen by his enemies.  

Reconstructed tomb of Herod,
based on architectural drawings

Steep walk to the top - why I didn't go up

View from Herod's tomb

After Herodian, the group went shopping! Old Jerusalem is a fun place to shop, if you don't mind many people going up and down a narrow rock path, much of it underground. Actually, I enjoyed it last year. The shops are amazing, small cubicles carved out of rock lining both sides. They sell everything, and the shops aren't in any particular order, so food will be next to children's shoes, next to a shop selling expensive necklaces and bracelets. Trying to bargain for a lower price is expected, which is actually great fun. I don't know whether or not I got any bargains, but it was fun to try. 

Jesus probably had to walk through the same walkway (except two levels down) carrying the cross on the way to His crucifixion. 

There was another stall with hanging meat, but I chose not to post that picture. There was a skinned goat hanging in front; we knew it was a goat because his tail was still attached. Not on my list for dinner! However, we had goat meat when we went to Asi's home for dinner last year, and the tiny taste I had was actually good.

The hot pink "stuff" in this picture is pickled cauliflower. Why is it pink? 

                                         Who knows? I, needless to say, didn't buy any!

The fruit (and the veggies I like) here are out of this world! Part of the reason is that produce is picked when ripe one day and appears in the store the next. Last night, while relaxing on the steps before going off to bed, a group of us had some strawberries that two of the ladies bought at the market, and they were wonderfully ripe and delicious. However, they probably wouldn't have lasted long, even in the refrigerator.

Just so you know, I tried to post last night, but the wifi wasn't working. On our list for next year will be a portable wifi box. Yes, there will be another year. We have accomplished this year's "final" goal, but in the process discovered that the small cavern at the bottom is actually very large. So the archaeologists are planning for us to come back to explore the cavern, with the expectation of great things, including the source of the water. There is much excitement about what we have found so far, so there is a celebration of hitting the bottom of the cistern on Wednesday, with many dignitaries. It should be fun. We are sworn to silence about coming back!

Must go. I'm going to go take a short nap before dinner.

Love you all!

M.

Lots of Different "Stuff"

Today, WE HIT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE CISTERN!!! Well, I didn't, but our diggers did. Much excitement! It was just in one spot, so there is still work to do to get down all the way around, but it is a significant day.

Friday is usually our "Saturday", with no work, but because we had Wednesday off, we had a "half day" - worked until 2:00 instead of the regular 3:00. If that seems early, remember we usually start at 6:30. This body of mine doesn't particularly like getting up that early, but I am enjoying being at the dig. It has been much cooler most days than it was last year, which is wonderful. We actually wished we had sweaters one evening last week!

Last night we went out to eat at the Elvis restaurant. Actually had a cheeseburger - yum! Not quite Red Robin or Five Guys, but good.

Elvis is in the building!

One of the things I have enjoyed while here is the plethora (how's that for the word of the day?) of plants. Of course, there are the weeds in the area around the tel, but there are also marvelous things growing and blooming. Enjoy these pictures.

I loved eating fig preserves my Aunt Katie (in Georgia) made, but I've never seen a fig tree with fruit before now. Impressive!

Enjoy God's beauty all around you today (and always)!

M.

PS: We have been devastated about the shooting at Seattle Pacific University. Many of my Master's classes were in that building, and the father of two of my students has his offices there. Fortunately, he had already gone home so was not in danger. Praying for the victims and their families, the rest of the university family, and the shooter.

Sightseeing and Playing in the Mud

Synagogue at Capernaum

Capernaum was the central point of Jesus' ministry. Tradition says that He lived at Peter's house. This picture is of the synagogue that came after the time of Jesus. However, some of the pillars are from Jesus' time, and the edge of the foundation of the synagogue during Jesus' time, the foundation of the synagogue before, and the one after can all be seen on the outside of this site to the left of this picture.

Capernaum is a beautiful city, and according to what we were told, the restoration has been carefully and accurately done. It was a wealthy town, and the tops of some pillars are gorgeous.  This isn't a real clear picture, but it is a statue of Peter on the village square. 

Tel Dan is next. It is at the far north corner of Israel. A long drive, but worth it!

River at Dan, an archaeological site and nature preserve! A beautiful place to walk.                                                            

Altar that Jeroboam built for worship of the golden calf at Dan.

No loud piano playing today, so I can actually figure out how to do pictures that John sent me to share with you!  These are pictures from Dan. I gave you the scripture reference yesterday - I guess as a teacher, I'm still giving out homework! Tonight, I'll tell you a cool thing. One of the kings of Dan (don't know which one) killed the kings of the Northern and Southern Kingdom (Israel and Judah when they were divided). When he returned to Dan, he had a plaque made commemorating the death of the kings "from the house of David." This is the only extra-biblical account of King David. Up until the discovery of this plaque in Dan, skeptics denied that David had ever existed, much less be a mighty king. This discovery confirmed scripture's account - imagine that!

There still is no extra-biblical reference to Solomon that has been discovered, but it is just a matter of time.

This is the "high place" to the right of the altar. This is where the golden calf was placed so the people could worship it.

Today, we worked the way we were hoping we would be able to. We were a bit short-handed, but it all worked out well. We have found some phenomenal pottery. It's hard to believe that we are looking at pottery that was probably used at the time of the Patriarchs. Unbelievable!

We went to dinner at Elvis Restaurant. Great cheeseburgers - run by an Arab man - and lots of Elvis memorabilia and music. Definitely better than Neve Shalom's kitchen fare. Even though tomorrow is Friday, and we don't usually work on Friday, we need to make up for the day off yesterday so will work until around noon. More touring on Saturday, but it involves a lot of walking and climbing so I'll be staying home, sleeping in, and hand washing some "necessary items."  I may even take a nap!

God bless you this day and always.

M.

Heat, Dust, and History

First of all, I hope you weren't too disappointed that I didn't post last night. First, my computer completely ran out of "juice", then I fell asleep waiting for it to charge enough for me to write. It was a very busy day!




Yesterday was a full day of doing what we were sent here to do. It was a day of refining processes while getting work done. The sifting that John is in charge of went off like clockwork, which made my section, registration, fall behind. We have about eight buckets of shards waiting for us in the morning.

Here are some pictures of the sifting operation. Man, do those folks get dirty, as you saw yesterday! They love it and consider mud and water signs of honor. I personally think that they never got over the thrill of playing in the mud!

Tomorrow, I'll try to get some pictures of the registration process, although sitting behind a bucket of water washing the last of the mud off the shards and putting them in boxes to dry isn't quite as exciting.

Today is Pentecost, 50 days after Passover, so it was a holiday. Pentecost to the Jews is the Festival of the Harvest. For Christians, Pentecost is the day that the Holy Spirit gave the apostles the ability to speak in languages so those around them from all over the area could understand what they were saying about Christ.

We toured for 12 hours. The temperature was in the high 90's, so we came back sweaty, stinky, and tired. However, we saw some marvelous sites. The highlight was Tel Dan, a nature preserve and historical site. Read I Kings 12: 16 - 33, with an emphasis on verses 25 - 33. Jeroboam, king of Israel, decided that he wanted to keep his citizens and others traveling through to go to Jerusalem (Judah) to worship, so he built altars in Dan and Bethel. As worshippers walked through his kingdom, as they had to in order to get to Jerusalem, the heathen priests would try to waylay them to worship at his altars. The scripture is clear that this was all "devised from Jeroboam's own heart" and was an abomination in God's eyes. The calves, unlike what we see in movies, were only about a foot in length.

I have some wonderful pictures of Dan but will have to send them tomorrow. We also went to Capernaum, the "City of Jesus." and those pictures will be here tomorrow. I'm beat, and there is a pianist in the lobby playing very loudly and not particularly well, and I can't figure out how to take them from my phone to this site.

Better tomorrow ----- I promise!

Love you all.

M.

Hip, Hip, Hooray!

As you can probably tell from the title, we dug, sifted, and registered today. it was exciting and oh, so tiring! I truly believe we will all sleep very well tonight.

The diggers unearthed some incredible pieces of pottery. I don't have a clue what era they are from, or even what they really are, but there were some big pieces that look promising to me. Not being an archaeologist, my instincts are suspect at best. If there is a handle, even a partial one, I get excited.

The sifters had their first big day of work today. They went through 65 bags of muck, mud, rocks, bones (none human), and pottery. I can't put any pictures in my blogs of what we found because there have been issues in the past with people spreading incomplete or erroneous information, even if they didn't mean to.

Then the pottery and bones (along with some rocks) made it to me. I had one helper today, Emily, and we did the final wash and then laid the shards out to dry. The next step will be for the Tsvika and Dan to go through them and decide what they want to send on to the laboratory. Tsvika and I bagged up two "packages" and did all the paperwork needed to document it all. I love what I'm doing!

This is a picture of John after his day sifting. Isn't he handsome? I'm hoping the picture does service to how dirty he was. His face looked like he had mud chicken pox, his blue shirt was soaking wet and spotted with brown, and his very white socks are now a mud brown. Not sure they will ever get clean. Actually, they are staying in an Israeli garbage can - that's why he bought cheap socks to take.

Hopefully, I will have time to get pictures of the sifting operation for tomorrow's blog. I can't get down to the digging - actually, I can get down but couldn't get back up!

I'm going to bed! It was a fun day, but I'm beat. May God bless you richly today!

M.

Still Waiting

Today was a busy day for a lot of people at the dig, but not for yours truly. We are inching toward complete dig, sift, register mode but aren't quite there.

We had three people, a professor and two students, from a small local university come in to "map" the cistern. Out of their work will come an exact representation of the water system's dimensions. They took most of the day, which meant that no digging could take place. We think digging will start tomorrow, and there is an air of excitement because some artifacts were found when part of the causeway was taken up toward the end of the day. Even the archaeologists, stoic bunch that they can be, are excited.

Our residence (they call it a resort) while here is Neve Shalom, located as part of a community named Newe Shalom, which means Oasis of Peace. It was established by Bruno Hussar in the early 1970's, according to a pamphlet I read. It is a village of Jews and Palestinian Arabs of Israaeli citizenship. The pamphlet states, "The members of the community are demonstrating the possibility of coexistence between Jews and Palestinians by developing a community based on mutual acceptance, respect, and cooperation."

The school is the first Jewish-Palestinian bilingual children's program in the country. Last year, one of our people talked with two girls who were in third grade and best friends, one Jewish and one Palestinian. As they skipped away, there was the realization that this might be the best way to bring the two sides together, two children at a time.

Our rooms are basic minimalist. Mattresses on wooden slabs, tiny shower, and electric teapot. However, we are so tired at night that it doesn't matter. The food in the cafeteria is getting very old - basically the same things over and over again: chicken cooked two or three different ways,  vegetarian casserole (suspect at best), tomatoes, cucumbers, and the ubiquitous hummus. We're all craving bacon right now!

However, the view from our lanai is magnificent, as you can see below.

May the Lord bless you today and always.

M.

Jerusalem and Olive Oil

This is the view from the overlook at the Mount of Olives that we saw yesterday. It provides a great view of the Temple Mount. Down at the bottom is a large cemetery. If you can see it well, you will see stones on the tops of some of the tombs - these are placed on the tomb as an indication that someone has come to the tomb to honor the person.  Rocks are used for many things over here!

We could see the wall around the Temple Mount. This, of course, is a new one since Jesus stood here, but in some areas, we can see some stones placed by Herod. They are identified by an extra outline on the blocks.

The gold dome is the Muslim temple, located on the traditional site of the original Solomonic temple. The temple is magnificent, with detailed mosaic walls on the outside. Building it on or very near to the site of Solomon's temple is seen as many as a slap to the faces of Jews. There is a great desire to build a new Jewish temple, and that is seen as a fulfillment of prophecy by Jews and Christians alike.

The group went touring today, visiting Masada, Qumran (where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found), and the Dead Sea. There was a lot of walking and climbing involved, so John and I chose to stay home. We've seen these sites before, but having to admit we shouldn't (or couldn't) do it doesn't rest easy on either of us.

Instead, we went out to lunch with two others who stayed behind and then visited the Trappist Monastery of Latroun, which is near Newe Shalom. It was closed today so we couldn't go in, which was a disappointment, but the grounds were beautiful, and the gift shop had their world-famous olive oil to buy, so we were happy.

It has been a much-needed day of rest, and we feel all ready to tackle digging, sifting, and registering tomorrow. It has been frustrating to wait to get started, but all involved want it to be safe and the best environment for bringing up what is on the bottom of the cistern.

I suspect it will be worth waiting for!

Jerusalem Revisited

We are in Jerusalem today, a bright, sunny, hot day! There were many people at the Mount of Olives, which overlooks the city of Jerusalem, and driving through that was an amazing experience. All I can say is that I will never drive in Jerusalem (or any part of Israel, for that matter)!

"And when He [Jesus] was come near, he beheld the city [Jerusalem] and wept over it." (Luke 19:41) The term "wept" means more than a tear in his eye. The original "wept" meant a strong emotional response, deep grief and shame. He literally wailed. He wept in this way because the Jews had rejected God's love through Christ and chose to live in darkness without Him.

Standing there, overlooking Jerusalem, I almost cried. To be in the area where Jesus lived and walked is an experience every person, especially Christians, should have. The Bible has come to life for us in a way it never had before we came over here five years ago. I believed it, and I tried to visualize what was happening, but when I visited Biblical sites, it all made sense at a deeper level. Each time I come back, new insights come. I love having archaeologists and other academic types along!

My new insight was provided by one of the archaeologists. We looked at the Eastern Gate, where Jesus will go into Jerusalem when He returns. However, the gate we see is the "modern" version. The actual gate where Jesus will enter the city is many layers below. Think about this scenario: When Jesus returns, the area below the gate we can see will explode, and He will walk through the original Eastern Gate. Wow! What a day that will be!

My foot was sore, so I didn't go into the marketplace, where there are many stone steps.  Instead of going there, five of us went into the Arab sector. We found a "real" (not tourist trap) Arab restaurant and feasted on plain hummus, hummus with beef, falafel, tahini, and sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions. It was all washed down with good ole' American Coke. I actually enjoyed it, and I'm not a big fan of Israeli food. We were the only non-Arab group in there, and our waiter was wonderful.

There was a bit of drama in Old Jerusalem today. I heard (not confirmed) there was a suspected suicide bomber captured in the city early this morning, so there were soldiers and police officers all over the place, with barricades here and there. It has been tense in Jerusalem between Arabs and Jews for the past week. Everything is back to normal now, but it was a reminder of how much tension there is. However, it is also a reminder of the vigilance of the authorities and a reminder of why I feel very safe, even in the Arab sector of Jerusalem.

Back to the site:  Below is a picture of the sifting operation at Gezer. This year, Asi (our go-to guy for  practically everything), and the operator of the crane bringing up the bags of mud, rocks, and shards, made six stainless steel sifters that slide into slots on the sifting platform. Each holds one 200 pound bag of "stuff." This year, there are also a pressure washer and three hoses to wash all the muck off. It is a vast improvement from last year, and John is anxious to put it into practice on Sunday. From the sifting, the shards will get a final washing in my registration area, dried off, and placed on a table for the archaeologists to examine and sort.

True confession: This picture is from last year. This year the platform is much larger, but the process is the same (only much more effective and fast).

We are proudly flying the flags of Israel and the U.S., as well as the flag of the Israeli Antiquities Authority (the green one in the middle). This was the very windy day that blew our tent down.

Well, I am very tired - it was HOT today! May the Lord bless you.

M.

Finally Ready (We Think)!

I had a couple of really cool pictures to include tonight, but the downloads were stuck at about 10%. Maybe tomorrow the wifi will be better. Hope so!

Today, I actually had some work to do! One of my jobs is to type the daily logs done by the Chief Archaeologist, Dr. Dan Warner. I actually had four days' worth to do. Besides getting lunch set up each day, that's the extent of my contribution to the Gezer effort so far. But that's about to change.

The diggers got all the debris out of the cistern today, photos of the causeway have been taken, the causeway has been mostly removed, and now the real digging can begin (as soon as the rest of the causeway is removed) on Sunday. We don't dig on Friday or Saturday because it is the weekend for Israel, with Shabbat on Saturday. We anticipate that lots of pottery will be found because it's the very bottom of the cistern, so the diggers, sifters, and I will be busy.

I learned something today that I hadn't realized. The pottery we will be finding on the very bottom of the cistern will date when it was last used as a source of water.  The archaeologists have a pretty good idea what they will discover, but I can't tell you yet. We have to be careful not to jump ahead of the people in charge of examining the pottery and dating it. Also, we can't show pictures of what is found or discuss dating until the official report is written and published. It's a little frustrating but understandable. The last thing anyone wants is for false information to be given out.

This isn't a very exciting post, I know, so I will try to make up for it tomorrow. I am worn out - the heat really zaps all of us. Besides, getting up at 6:00 is way out of my norm!

Love you all,

M.

Wind and Flexibility

I have finally figured out (I think) how to import photos onto this blog. My plan today was to show you the main tent, which is where we have our "morning meeting", come to rest, eat lunch, do the registration of artifacts, and greet guests who come by. Well, here it is:

It was VERY windy this morning, so when we arrived, we found the tent collapsed like this. We tried to figure out how to make it stand up again, to no avail. Finally, we gave up, the others went to their stations, and I worked in the sun. I slopped on the sunscreen and sat, working when I needed to. Fortunately, Tsvika gave me the keys to his car so I could get out of the sun when I got too hot. The breeze was very helpful in keeping the feel of the temperature lower, but after about an hour, I sat in his car. Felt just a bit guilty about being comfortable when everyone else was working in the sun or deep in the tunnel, but hey, I won the lottery on jobs!

We got to the bottom of the tunnel today and uncovered the causeway. What is underneath is undisturbed and at the bottom of the cistern, so we should find some shards that will help date it even more precisely. One of the archaeologists said today that we already know pretty much when it was built - it's the oldest and largest Canaanite cistern ever discovered - but we will also be able to determine when the well quit being used, probably after a siege of the city. This is all very exciting!

Tomorrow we dig, sift, and register -  finally!

"God said to Moses, 'I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty... I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan.' "  Exodus 6:3 and 4

God bless you today!

M.

Getting Closer

No picture tonight - I forgot how to do it! I'll need another tutorial from Gary tomorrow.

Today was a lot like yesterday. We "built" another parking area by outlining it in rocks and pushing down the grass. Barbara and I are masters at straight parking lot lines! The "down in the hole" bunch came much closer to actually digging under the causeway. I spent much time twiddling my thumbs because until the diggers start digging and the sifters start sifting, I don't have anything to register. Tomorrow looks like the first day of actual artifact searching. I can hardly wait.

I couldn't help but be reminded today of the scripture that talks about the stones crying out. I don't have the scripture reference because my iPad, which holds my Bible, needs charging. If and when the stones cry out, Israel will be the loudest in the world, I think. Rocks are everywhere and very plentiful. We had no problem finding stones for the parking lot, and they are still everywhere! I think they grow.

It has gotten hotter, and tomorrow promises to be the hottest so far. Fortunately, there is usually a good breeze under the tent, so it won't be unbearable. We are drinking lots and lots of water, which is a necessity.  We have a system down: we start with two large bottles of cold water and two equally large bottles of frozen water. We drink on the first until around lunch and then switch to the colder bottles that have been wrapped in a towel. Man, is it refreshing! Popsicles around 3:00 are a very welcome treat.

Our group this year is working together very well. Our "rookies" are fitting in very well and picking up on what we're doing and why. They are a delight. I'm about to fall asleep so will close for now. We're having a good time, but I sure miss our friends and our comfy bed.

Love you all!

M.

Anticipation

View from the site into the valley below. Rich farm land where once there was 

a major trade route, the Via Maris, between Mesopotamia and Egypt.

As you can tell, I have learned how to insert photos, with much help from Gary, our "guru" on the dig. At least I learned last night! Today may bring on another lesson.

We had no internet last night, which is why there was no post. Two groups of "birthers" arrived, and within five minutes the system was overwhelmed. I finally found a pocket of power this morning, so here I am.

The nation of Israel has a Birthright program, which has the goal of connecting high school and college Jews, mostly from US and Canada, to their homeland and tradition. They come over here for 10 days, all expenses paid, to find out what being a Jew means. The thought is that with this knowledge and experience, there will bring not only a connection but also a loyalty. Must be working - it's been around for a long time. On the practical side, we've been told that Israel earns $3.00 in tourism dollars for every $1.00 spent for the trip.  Lots of souvenirs and, I suspect, much Israeli beer (from what we saw last night).

No much to tell about the dig. We've hit an impasse in the tunnel. The expectation was that the bottom of the tunnel would be ready for excavation. However, the natural stairs weren't completely finished, so it is nearly impossible and more than a bit dangerous for the diggers to go down there. I think Asi was given so much clearing to do over the winter that there just wasn't time. 

In the meantime, while attempts are made to figure out how to maximize access, the rest of us sit. We've done all the "moving rocks" stuff, creating parking spaces and fancying up the entrance. They did some "dry runs" in sifting just to see how the new grates would work out. They are spectacular, and now the sifters (lead by John) are anxious to really do sifting. 

In the registration tent, I'm anxious to actually to have artifacts to record. I have rearranged and set up all I can and would like to find something else to do, but I must be the "guard" to keep unauthorized visitors from coming on to the site. Oh, yes, I'm really good at that - NOT!! I have trouble knowing who should and who should not go down, and I don't always get a list of expected visitors. I am getting a lot of reading done and have had good conversations with fellow diggers. And yet I'm tired at the end of the day!

Well, it's breakfast. Love you all!

M.

The Promised Land

"Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing...' "  (Genesis 12:1-2)

That promised land is Israel, and when God gives something, He gives something wonderful. Israel is a beautiful country with what is needed for prosperity - mountains for protection from enemies, hills for defensible cities, an ancient route (Via Maris) for trade, and rich, fertile lowlands. Today's Israel is dedicated to the discovery and celebration of its history, but it is also firmly planted in the 21st century - innovative, forward thinking, hard working, and creative.

This truly is a promised land. We are digging up its past while enjoying its present. Today we got set up and are ready to start digging tomorrow. Our "rookies" have melded in quite well - what a delightful group of people! We moved more rocks around and filled sandbags while setting up two tents and installing a ventilation and lighting system in the depths of the earth. Everyone pitched in, and we were exhausted, but ready, by 3:00. We will all sleep well tonight!

We had a bit of excitement today. A farmer down in the "fertile lowlands" below us decided that a windy day during the dry season would be a good time to burn off the stubble on his land. We had a bit of a scare because he was right below our tel, and the flames came awfully close to jumping the road onto our site. Fortunately, the wind was sending the fire alongside us, not toward us. News helicopters were overhead - we could just hear the headline, "Tel Gezer Dig Threatened by Flames." We were planning our escape should it be necessary, and lots of pictures were taken. 

Unfortunately, I still haven't figured out how to download pictures. I'll keep working on it. May the Lord bless you!

M.

Water Systems and Such

Today was an exhausting day, not so much because we worked hard (we didn't) but because we spent a lot of time in the vans. I mentioned Israeli drivers last year, and they are still out there. The interesting part is that our archaeologist drivers drive the same way! Today, Shabbat (Sabbath) was a touring day, and we looked at ancient water systems and incredible cities.

First, the water systems:  We went to Bet Sha'em (possibly spelled wrong) first. These are four hillsides full of 40 or so caves, tombs, and a water system. I am constantly amazed at the complexity and efficiency of water systems built long before there were backhoes, big Kenworth trucks, or sonar. This one was an ingenious system of tunnels and steps to bring water down from the mountains to the lowlands. Tsvika, our contact and co-worker from the Israeli Antiquities Agency (like our national parks), was one of the people who discovered this labyrinth of caves. He LOVES to work on water systems, and he gets really excited when showing us what they have discovered and are unearthing. It was thought that being buried in this area would ensure an enjoyable afterlife, so bodies and bones were brought in from Jewish communities all around the world.

We also explored the water system at Zippori, which was more than likely the place Joseph, Jesus' adoptive father, did much of his work. He was a carpenter, which in those days entailed stone cutting. There is much more rock than wood! It is a very important city in Jewish history, serving as the capital of Galilee from 55 BCE to 47 BCE. It has a long and checkered history, constantly being captured by enemies of whoever was in power. Its location made it very desirable, and it was a very wealthy city. The mosaics, including the "Mona Lisa of Galilee", are incredible and in amazingly good condition.

The water system and reservoir are over a mile from the city, necessitating a series of individual "pipes" leading to individual homes for water. The distance was necessary because it was the only high area made of chalk rock, which was easy to dig out and a good conductor of water. We heard much about it because Tsvika was the archaeologist who did an extensive survey of the water system and unearthed the reservoir in 1975. Again, much excitement in his voice as he guided us through the system.

Second, Megiddo, which also has a good water system but is better known for its location on the Via Maris, the trade route between Egypt and Mesopotamia. It was a key city on the route, so it was constantly being captured and rebuilt - 25 times to be exact. It also overlooks the Valley of Armageddon, the commonly accepted place for the Last Battle discussed in Revelation. What a view from up there! Oh, the antiquities that have been unearthed - most beautiful and varied because of the very different cultures that controlled the city over time.

We came back exhausted; I think our jet lag is on its last legs, but it is not going out easily. Some of our people ended up with 48 hour trips because of missed flights and communication issues with airport personnel in Zurich. Tomorrow, we start setting up the site, and they are hoping to stay awake long enough to make it happen. It has been good to meet the "rookies" and to embrace our friends from last year.  We miss home but wouldn't miss this for anything.

M.

Rocks and Dirt

I truly believe that the basis of archaeology is rocks and dirt. You're probably saying, "Duh!" We visited the site today and spent our time not setting up but throwing rocks and moving dirt. Oh, and setting up two porta potties.

Asi, our intrepid do everything guy, spent the past year after we left cleaning out brush and getting the cistern tunnel back to what it was originally. We didn't get to see it yet because he was moving the dirt the sifters dumped last year from near the opening of the cistern to another location nearby. This location had been dug out years ago, and nothing of archaeological significance was found. So, Asi filled it in with our dirt.

An Australian man, whose wife is studying archaeology at Hebrew University, is helping Asi. He covered the excavation site with linen (yes, linen), and we threw rocks on the linen to hold it down as Asi brought the dirt over. The factoid of the day is this: Before covering up the linen, current coins are placed in the excavation site (in the corners of each room). When, or if, someone digs there many years from now, the coins will identify the date it was filled in. Very clever, I think.

We didn't do much else today, but Sunday we will set up camp. My "pottery barn" will be separate from the meeting/lunch/conversation area, which will make what I do much easier, with less chance of confusion. I am thinking that will make the whole artifact registration much more efficient and accurate. We'll see.

Tomorrow, we're doing some touring. A couple of the sites are where people want us to work next year. Yes, next year. We had been told that next year would be for the final report writing for Gezer, but tonight we were told about these two sites, both of which would be marvelous! Much excitement already for next year.

We're still recovering a bit from jet lag and all the dirt moving today, so it will be early to bed for both of us. More people came in today, but some flights were delayed due to weather, so there will be five people coming in during the night - at 1:00, 2:30, and 4:00. I pity the driver of the van that will be picking them up, but he doesn't seem to mind. He then "gets" to give a short tour/presentation of the Gezer site for a group at 8:00 am. He will be one tired puppy when tomorrow is over. There were two biking clubs and three tour buses through the site today, and it really isn't set up yet for tourism. People are excited about what we're doing.

Good night! The man who knows how to put photos on is one of those who won't get in until morning, so I'm hoping to be able to put pictures on tomorrow. Bless you all!

M.

We're Here!

I have a cool picture of us out in the driveway waiting for Shuttle Express to arrive, but I haven't figured out how to make it stick to the post! Maybe tomorrow when the other blogger on this trip gets here.

We have a very smooth flight from Seattle to New York, rushed through the terminal (I took a wheelchair with my boot on), and got to the other end of the terminal just in time to board the flight to Tel Aviv, which was also smooth and uneventful. Slept some (Ambien is a wonderful thing on a plane!), read, played crossword on the display on the back of the seat in front of me, and ate.

It was a long flight, but we are here safe and sound. It has been good to hug friends from last year's dig and get to know a new one (the daughter of the "staff doctor"). More will be coming in tomorrow and Friday, so it will be fun. The dig officially starts on Sunday (weekend is Friday and Saturday). The mother of one of our archaeologists passed away last week. Pray for Dennis, who gave her memorial service today and is coming right here after that.

The sky was blue with a slight breeze and a temperature of around 75. "Cooler weather" like this is expected for the next couple of days, which is just fine with us Northwesterners!

We are absolutely beat and are headed to nighty-night time. Hope this finds you well. 

Thank you for reading this. If you have any questions you would like answered, just ask, and I will try to find an answer. (The next challenge will be to figure out where the questions show up.) Blazing new trails here!

M.

It Begins Again!

Tomorrow we leave for Tel Gezer, Israel! We are actually more excited this year than last, which surprised me a bit. Then I realized that we know what to expect this year, unlike last May. We had no idea what was coming our way. This year, not only do we have pictures in our mind of what's there, but we have roles to play in the whole operation.

John will be "in charge" of the sifters, those intrepid souls who wash all the mud off the findings at the bottom of the cistern, throw away the rocks they find, and put them in buckets to be sent my way. The mud, charcoal (for carbon dating) - special handling there - bones, and artifacts, mostly in pieces, are all valuable to the archaeologists in dating the cistern.

I will be the Registrar, the one who will supervise the numbering of the buckets that come up from the sifters, do a final wash, and dry them out so the archaeologists can inspect them, looking for artifacts that can date the cistern. I'm hoping to have at least one other person to help with all this. I've been told that we will find many more artifacts this year because we are at the bottom of the well.

I will also be recording information found in the artifacts by Dan Warner, the lead archaeologist from NOBTS (New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary) and Tsvika Tsuk, a Director for the Israel Antiquities Department (I'm drawing a blank on his actual title, but you get the drift, right?) Believe it or not, it's exciting. They, of course, see value in what I would probably throw away, so I'm glad they are the ones doing the sorting. The logs I will be generating are important to the validity of the dig, so I'm very careful to put down the right information.

We usually "do" Jerusalem the first weekend for sightseeing, and then go back toward the end for more touring of Biblical sites. However, Pope Francis is visiting Israel May 24-26, so we will go away from Jerusalem into Galilee, Caesarea, or Megiddo (think Armageddon) first to avoid the congestion in the Old City.

I can hardly wait to see friends we made last year who are also returning and becoming friends with the "rookies." It's amazing how close we get when digging in the mud!

I will try to post every night right before bedtime. If I miss one, it's either because my computer has no power or I fell asleep! Love you all.

Marge