Finding Our Stride

Neolithic flint blade found in excavation trench.

Over the past few days, we’ve become more acclimated to the local food, weather, and work routine.  Muscle soreness has decreased but joints, feeling neglected, are starting to voice their displeasure.  Despite the protests, most of us have been able to press on with slight pharmaceutical enhancements.  We continue to find pottery, tools, and artifacts from multiple time periods.  One of our more interesting finds has been what appears to be a Neolithic mud brick and stone wall partially coated with plaster.  In the afternoons we read the pottery from the previous day; deciding if it will be sent to specialist for further evaluation or reburied at the dig site at the end of the season.  The objects selected for reburial are the ancient equivalent of a Starbucks cup; plentiful and we’ve learned all we can from similar items.  Reburial preserves these more common pieces for use by future generations, who may have access to more sophisticated tools and methods.  On a lighter note, we may have material for the Indiana Jones reboot! While digging, a crop duster buzzed us several times and while clearing out a cave tomb, we found multiple cranky scorpions and a few skull fragments with geometrical patterns carved into them.  Next update will be about our visits to Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee.

Ancient mortar used to grind grains and spices.

Pottery ready for evaluation by staff experts.

Entrance to the mountain tomb (The Scorpions' Lair).

Hot, Tired, and Sore

Digging an excavation trench on the outskirts of the dig site.  

These trenches help probe the range of the living areas and

 help determine where future digs will occur. 

Mount Gilboa in the distant right. This is the area where Saul 
and Jonathan died according to 1 Samuel 31.

108 degrees today. Novelty of archeology starting to wear off.  This isn’t Indiana Jones! Our team unearthed pottery shards, flint blades and grinding stones from Neolithic and Bronze Ages; most of which were used by communities well before the time of Abraham.   Washed pottery in nearby Spring of Jezreel that has help sustain millions throughout history.  Let me know if you have any specific questions.

What our dig sight looked like before we cleared the weeds

and started digging.

The Digging Begins

30 centimeter deep trench from first day of digging.

Our day started at about 5:00 am this morning with a two-hour walking tour of the surrounding area, where we explored tombs from the Mid-Bronze Age (Abraham’s time) to present day.  One of the most fascinating was a tomb, from the time of Jesus. Modern workers dynamited the rear of tomb to create more agricultural space.  This allowed us excellent access to the tomb without having to crawl through the tiny opening at the mouth of the cave. After the tour, we rested in a cool oasis at the bottom of a valley and had breakfast.  Afterwards, we hiked to the dig site and broke ground on this year’s dig.  My sub-site uncovered a few flint tools, pieces of mosaic material, and a small Arabic coin.  As the temperature approached 100 degrees, we packed our gear and headed back to the Kibbutz, ate lunch, and later helped catalogue the artifacts discovered earlier in the day. We finished the evening with a lecture about the history of the Jezreel Valley and surrounding areas.

Inside of Jesus era tomb. If the rear was intact, the only entrance would be the small opening a the mouth of the cave.

Rear of Jesus era tomb. Tomb was damaged during an agricultural clearing project.

Roman era tomb. Grooves around opening kept rain water and debris out.

Naboth’s Vineyard

We arrived at Kibbutz Yizrael at about 4:30 am local time after about 27 hours of traveling.  Tired but exited about the coming events.  After a breakfast and brief orientation, we travelled by van to the dig site where we helped prepare the dig site by clearing brush and erecting sun shades.  Afterwards we toured some of the discoveries from earlier digs.  One of the most fascinating was a winepress located atop a hill in the fertile Jezreel Valley.  Its central location allowed easy import of grapes from adjacent fields and facilitated quick transfer of the finished product to nearby housing complexes.  The press is similar to the one Naboth the Jezreelite would have used in 1 Kings 21. Workers placed grapes into a large square recess and then stomped them to pulp; allowing gravity to carry the juices to a fermentation tank further down the hill where it stayed until bottling. Afterwards, the remaining grape mush was mixed with water and fermented to make cheaper lower quality wine.

Fellow Wesley students and amateur Archeologists examining the wine press.

For You Were Strangers

Traveling to Israel, via a layover in Istanbul, Turkey, was fascinating and slightly disorienting.  English and American culture were no longer the default reference point for everything from announcements to cuisine.  However, English subtitles and the wide acceptance of American currency allowed us to reasonably navigate the environment without speaking the local languages.  While serving in the U.S. military, I didn’t realize how much of an “American bubble” we took with us, during international travel, and how this bubble sometimes insulated us from having to adapt to the new cultures we encountered.  My recent experiences are helping me better appreciate God’s guidance on how to treat strangers; “You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers…” (Deut. 10:19).  Should we re-examine how we feel about and act towards those struggling to become acclimated to our communities?