Saturday, May 31, 2014

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!

Friday, May 30, 2014

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.



Thursday, May 29, 2014

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.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

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.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

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.

Monday, May 26, 2014

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.


Sunday, May 25, 2014

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.

Saturday, May 24, 2014

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.

Friday, May 23, 2014

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.


Thursday, May 22, 2014

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.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

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