Digging In The Dirt

Future Digs

2011-11-28T08:41:00.001-05:00

Always in my mind I am looking forward to the next dig. When and where that will be I still do not know I only know that I long to go dig in the dirt.

There is a dig in Petra that I would love to finish but it looks like it will take a very long time before another university picks up the license to dig there. As I turn 70 on my next birthday I begin to wonder if I will get that chance. I am encouraged by having worked with others who were digging well into their eighties.

Roman Fresco in Petra

2011-11-27T15:18:00.000-05:00

In this picture you see what is left of a fresco on an inside wall of a Roman Administration Building in Petra.

The rather rough wall was covered with very thick plaster to even it out and then had wonderful paintings all over it. To colors were brilliant and the scenes enchanting.

This was one of many that were being removed for preservation and study at Brown University. Once the fresco's are uncovered the weather would have destroyed them in short order.

I was glad that I was there to see it in place before it was removed.

The Bible in Jesus Day

2011-11-03T10:30:00.000-04:00

Before the Roman destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 A.D. there was no one list of sacred books that was considered authoritative. At that time there was, as yet, no clear order between Biblical books and non-biblical books. Even though all Jews accepted the Torah, or the Five Books of Moses, as the scriptural underpinning of Jewish ritual and daily life, the scrolls show that numerous variants of even these key books existed among different Jewish communities of the day.

The Hebrew text were written on loose scrolls and not in any particular order. It would take until the fifth century AD before the biblical cannon was set.

“Excarnation: Food for Vultures”

2011-10-29T10:26:00.001-04:00

Rami Arav argues that the site of Rogem Hiri in the Golan was a special type of Chalcolithic Age sanctuary, built specifically for the purpose of ritual excarnation—that is, exposing the bodies of the dead to vultures in order to divest them of their flesh. Photo by Duby Tal/Albatross.

This is an excerpt from an article in the "Biblical Archaeological Review." I have studied this process as it was used in Persia in biblical times but did not know that it was practiced in the Holy Land.
.

"In “Excarnation: Food for Vultures,” author Rami Arav argues that Rogem Hiri was a special type of sanctuary, built specifically for the purpose of ritual excarnation—that is, purposefully exposing the bodies of the dead to vultures and other birds of prey in order to divest them of their flesh. As Arav explains, excarnation was widely practiced in cultures and civilizations that for one reason or another were interested in saving the bones of the deceased and not their flesh.

Archaeology shows that the Chalcolithic peoples of the southern Levant were very interested in preserving the bones of the dead. Peoples of the Chalcolithic Age throughout Syria and Palestine interred the bones of their deceased in fancifully decorated clay boxes, or ossuaries, which were often decorated with stylized facial features, including eyes, noses and mouths. Chalcolithic Age ossuaries also often have a boxy or “house-like” appearance, with a large opening in the front through which the bones of the dead were inserted."

What an interesting tradition. We have lots of vultures around here. I wonder?

3500 year old jaw bone.

2011-09-15T08:30:00.001-04:00

Dig this jaw Bone!

Netta the anthropologist on the Ashkelon dig is holding a jaw bone from the Canaanite tomb we were excavating. She extracted a molar from it to send to the lab and get DNA for study. It dates from about 1500 BC.

The rest of that skull can be seen in the blue tub. We later glued it back together. So cool!

Dear Dig Firends

2011-09-06T12:08:00.000-04:00

Here are two dear friends from my Petra dig in 2002. Lin Hammond, wife of the Director Philip Hammond and Eudora Struble the Field Supervisor. I am still in contact with both of them. They are sitting on the front steps of the Edom Hotel where we had our headquarters. We were waiting for transportation to the dig site.

Painted Stones

2011-08-09T21:51:00.000-04:00

Many of the stone walls of Petra were rough uneven and unsightly. To make them look good the workers put heavy amounts of plaster on the walls and drew in the stone blocks to make the wall look neat. Some of the walls were so uneven that the plaster in places were almost a foot thick. Workmen still do that to some degree.

I had some work done on my house and noticed some big cracks between joints. I asked the workers about the cracks in the wall.

Their reply was, "That is why they make painters putty." Sure enough they filled the cracks with putty and painted over the error. Some things never change.

Caged Art

2011-08-08T10:24:00.000-04:00

Here is a follow up picture of the caged art and you can see how much has been chipped of and damaged over the years. There is also smoke damage from cooking fires. You can see why it had to be protected.

Take Lots of Pictures

2011-08-07T16:12:00.000-04:00

One of the things we do during a dig season is take lots of pictures. I am so thankful for the invention of the digital camera. I took hundreds of pictures and did not have to develop any of them to see them. It was so easy to shoot and then look at the picture. If it was a bad shot I deleted it and retook the photo.

In this picture my friend Eudora is taking a picture of two thousand year old art work. It is behind bars to protect it from tourist who use to remove small pieces of it. Grrrr.

Survey The Dig

2011-08-03T11:32:00.000-04:00

The first week of the dig included the job of doing a survey of the dig site. All of us took our turn with the equipment. Our starting point was several survey markers placed by official surveyor's when the dig began. Then we checked the markers placed by the previous dig team.

Only then were we ready to set the markers for our dig.

I chuckle to notice how clean and fresh our clothes were. That was about to change when we started digging in the dirt.

Digging In Petra for missing pieces

2011-08-01T15:24:00.000-04:00

As I look at this picture that I took in 2002 I remember the excitement we felt after we found this column stone in this place. This was actually the base for the column that once stood there. We did not however find the rest of the column so the question is "What happened to it?"

This is not all that was missing. Most of the stones that made up the walls were also gone. But where?

In 363 AD an earthquake shook Petra and this temple shook apart. By that time most of the people in Petra had converted to the new religion, Christianity. Just up the hill from this temple is a big Christian Church That was built some years after the big earthquake. The fact that there were a lot of precut stones just down the hill was attractive to the builders. Much of the old crumbled pagan temple became part of the Christian Church in Petra.

That practice happened all over the Roman empire.

Da Vinci

2011-07-31T09:01:00.002-04:00

My darling and I visited the Frazier History Museum on Friday to see a temporary exhibit called “Da Vinci – The Genius.”

This exhibit has models of many of the machines that Da Vinci drew in h is note books. I have seen the pictures in books but it is a very different experience to view them physically. For most exhibits there are signs that tell us not to touch but this one has a group of his inventions that are hands on and we were invited to not only touch but operate. Can I say THRILLED!

If you get a chance to see this exhibit when it visits a museum near you GO! It is worth the time, effort and money.

Roman Admin Building

2011-07-30T13:59:00.000-04:00

For many years this ruin in Petra was identified as a great temple. It looked like it could be just that but as the dig progressed the evidence pointed to it being a Roman era administration building.

In 106 AD the Romans finally conquered Petra and this is what they built to demonstrate their power. The final discovery was in the basement they found a Roman Bath that had to be constructed prior to the rest of the building.

Idol Worship

2011-07-27T11:44:00.000-04:00

I have seen a lot of idols that people once worshiped in places where I dig.

This idol of the goddess Allot was found in the Temple of the Winged Lions in Petra. The people of Petra were fond of what I call "Block Deities"

People have worshiped all sorts of idols over the years. When I was in India I visited a temple that had over a thousand different idols. The covered all the bases in one temple.

Some Small Things We Found

2011-07-22T11:16:00.000-04:00

Not everything we found was a huge stone building block. Some were rather small.

Here are a few of the small finds that include coins, nails, really small clay lamps and clay markers.
Some of these things are easy to miss when you are digging in the dirt. No telling how many like these were tossed in the goffa and then in the dumping area. Coins are often green or grey and blend in with the dirt. I once found a very small clay marker that was used for counting. It was perfectly round and thicker than a coin and I almost missed it.

How I do love archaeology excavation.

Entrance or Exit

2011-07-21T17:02:00.000-04:00

The Plaza Area of the Temple of the Winged Lions is a mystery. What was it used for?

Here is an opening on the shallow end but what was it for?

Here is a closer look as the team remove yet more dirt and obstructions. Can you see the slot and hole near the corner of the wall and opening? Was that for a door frame? There were more questions than answers at the end of the dig season - but solving the mystery is what archaeology is all about.

A Roman Road In Petra

2011-07-18T08:45:00.001-04:00

The Romans built this road in Petra around 107 AD and most of it is still usable today. We could take some hints from the ancient Roman road builders they knew how to build a good road and make it last.

This road was once lined with columns and market stalls.

I would love to be ables to see how this looked then.

GPS Readings

2011-07-15T10:37:00.000-04:00

On holiday from the dig my friend Eudora and I took a tour of the ruins of ancient temples in Jordan.

In this picture Eudora is taking a GPS reading of the alter area of the Heart Temple.

Some day I must go back there.

First Christian Church of Petra

2011-07-03T09:52:00.000-04:00

Today is Sunday and I wanted to share this photo of me in the pulpit of the First Christian Church of Petra built about 500 AD. In its day it was an awesome building.

Caged Art

2011-07-02T09:55:00.000-04:00

The inside of this cave was an arched room that had been carefully carved out and then heavily plastered. On the plaster they painted pictures but now the pictures are almost gone, faded and covered with smoke. Tourist over the years chipped small pieces off and took them away. Now the steal cage prevents us from going in and we had to take our pictures through the cage.

If you look closely on the outside walls appears to be stone work but it too is plastered and then shaped and painted to look like a stone wall.

Eudora's Temple

2011-07-01T16:57:00.000-04:00

People and especially archaeologist fall in love with Petra!

Field Supervisor Eudora Struble pointing to the

Temple of the Winged Lions

Eudora the field supervisor for the 2002 Temple of the Winged Lions dig was no different. It was her third season digging at this site and she love it so much she referred to it as "Her Temple."

This picture was taken on the first day of the dig when she led us on a hike through Petra and here we stopped an she pointed out the site where we would be working for the next six weeks. By the end of those six weeks we all thought of it as our temple. The place gets into your blood and it owns you. I love it and I long to go back again and again.

Digging Small Bones

2011-06-30T08:37:00.001-04:00

In this picture I am excavating the bones of an infant who died in the363 earthquake that leveled the temple.
The bones were very delicate so may main tools reflected their condition. I am holding a small paint brush and by the small blue container there is a wood pick. The TP in the goofa was used to wrap the small bones for transport to our lab..

This is how they looked after I moved some more dirt and rocks. The tools on the right are a dental pick and a very small trowel designed for this kind of work. The bones once belonged to a six month old girl.

I love digging in the dirt in the Holy Land.

Remembering Brian Hesse

2011-06-27T08:40:00.000-04:00

The gentleman in this picture is Brian Hesse 1944-2011. He was the professor of Jewish studies, anthropology and ancient Mediterranean studies at Pennsylvania State University. In the July/August issue of Biblical Archaeology Review was the report of his death.

Professor Hesse headed the "Fauna Crew" on my Ashkelon dig in 1999 and I learned a lot from him. He was an expert in zooarchaeology of the Lavant. He taught us about the animal bones we found on the dig site. He was very friendly and easy to talk with. May he rest in peace.

Zincirli stone

2011-06-24T16:14:00.000-04:00

This picture taken by my good friend Eudora Struble ABD was found on her dig at Zincirli Turkey. I just saw another picture of the eighth century BC funerary stone of Kuttamuwa, in the July/August copy of Bibical Archaeology Review. It has a well preserved thirteen line inscription stating that his soul would live forever in that stone monument.

Aaron's Tomb

2011-06-23T10:41:00.000-04:00

Aaron's Tomb from a distance

Aaron was the brother of Moses and tradition tells us that the people of Israel camped here on the way to the Holy Land. The tradition of the Jews, Christians and Islam states that Aaron the first High Priest of Israel died here in the place that was later to be called Petra. He was buried on the highest peak and people from all three religions make the long climb to the top to visit the tomb. I did that in 1999 on my first visit. Perhaps you can make out the little white dot on the top of that mountain.

Aaron's Tomb up close

So you have an eye strain finding it. Here is my up close picture from 1999.

The Oil Lamp

2011-06-22T14:05:00.000-04:00

Typical unadorned Oil Lamp

We find all kinds of things when we dig in the dirt. A very common find is an oil lamp as they made thousands of them. Well they were like our light bulbs and you know what happens to them. The large hole received the oil and the small hole is where the wick was placed. These lamps could be carried in your hand like this or sit on a table or wall sconce. Most had one wick others had two, three or even four. Some were unadorned like this one while others were formed in molds with fancy art work.

This kind of lamp is what Jesus talked about in Matthew 25 parable of the ten virgins five wise who took extra oil and five foolish who did not.

Scrape away the dirt and?

2011-06-21T09:24:00.000-04:00

When you scrape away a bit of dirt and rock and you reveal a bone. What is it? Human or animal? What kind of bone is it?

Well the answer to those questions requires some more digging and an anthropologist to examine the find.In this case it was the rib of camel. It was killed in the earth quake 363 AD and more of the beast was discovered underneath.

It is the excitement and wonder of it all that keeps me digging.

Two Dig Friends

2011-06-15T10:32:00.000-04:00

I have made a lot of good friend over the years by being part of Archaeological Excavations.

Lin Hammond and Eudora Struble

Pictured here are two wonderful friends that I still keep up with. They are sitting on the front steps of the Edom hotel that served as our dig house. It is six AM and we are waiting for the truck to take us to the dig site.

Lin was the wife of Phillip Hammond the Dig Director and she served as the Administrator. I have never met anyone who can bargain as well as she can. She taught me a lot about getting a good price.

Eudora was the Field Supervisor who oversaw the work on the dig site. At the time I took this picture she was eating cherries. What a talent she has with cherry stems. She ties them in a knot while eating the cherry they are attached to. Amazing talent. Eudora is currently working on a PhD at the University of Chicago and is ABD. I am looking forward to working with her again when she is the Dig Director.

The Ancient Face For Justin Moore

2011-06-11T14:04:00.000-04:00

Ashkelon Dig

This is one a many bones I excavated at the Canaanite tombs in Ashkelon.

My nephew Justin is getting married today and said that this is his favorite picture on my archaeology blog.

The ancient man had a nice smile and not one cavity in it as there was no sugar in his diet. What does that tell us?

The hotel in the back ground is where the dig team lived for seven weeks.

An Overview

2011-06-10T09:06:00.000-04:00

Anytime I am digging in Petra I can look up and be awe struck by the totally awesome views. On the one hand you have the stark desert and then you notice the rainbow of colors in the sandstone and the awesome blue of the sky.

Viewing the ruins of two past civilizations in Petra both Nabataian and Roman one can stare and contemplate the vast history of a single place. The young man dumping the dirt just stood there holding the handle of the wheelbarrow and stared at the scene. He had to be called back to work.

Yes that happened to me as well.

Draw Every Last Stone

2011-06-08T13:53:00.000-04:00

One of the last things you do on a dig is to draw it to scale.

Elaine checking the Measuring Line

On our last Saturday, our day off, Elaine and I measured and drew every last paving stone on this plaza to scale/

Elanie took this picture of me drawing the plaza

It was a very hot day but very rewarding for us to complete this task and not have to return on Sunday.

Lessor Tombs

2011-06-07T17:45:00.000-04:00

The rock faces of Petra were covered with tombs. Every where you looked you could find them for Kings, wealthy, and not so wealthy carved in to the rock.

I am standing by a tomb with more tombs in the back ground

You can see lots of tombs in the rock face far in the distance. Now look just to the left of my feet and see that square hole in the rock. That is a tomb of a not so wealthy citizen of Petra. They dug straight down and dropped th poor fellow in feet first. The mixed a kind of cement with the excavated rock and filled it up.

You do what you have to do.

Petra Fault Line

2011-06-06T11:18:00.000-04:00

A geologist friend of mine is studying the Great Rift Valley in East Africa. I asked her about the Jordan River Valley Rift and Earthquakes there. She thought it is an interesting tectonic region so I sent her this picture.

This is me by a fault from the 363 AD Earthquake

The shift in the rock strata is dramatic and that quake in 363 AD brought down most of the free standing building in Petra including the Temple I have been digging that is now known as "The temple of the winged lions" I hope some day to go back there to finish that dig.

Mark's Pottery Collection

2011-06-02T14:46:00.000-04:00

All of us on the dig collected a few pieces of junk pottery that would have been reburied in the refuse heap.
But my room mate Mark out did us all.

Mark's bed filled with part of his pottery collection

Mark is a teacher and a preacher who wanted to give samples of pottery to his students and tell them all about his dig experience. He filled a huge duffel bag and somehow shipped it home.

I wonder if Mark has any of the pottery left for himself.

Water Water Water in Petra

2011-06-01T10:55:00.000-04:00

The rains come to Petra in February and seldom any other time.

To deal with that the ancients learned to collect water in many cisterns through out Petra and this is one of them. A modern Protective covering is what you see here. Inside the cave was the cistern that had been plastered and sealed to hold lots of water. Channels cut into the hill side directed rain water into it. These can be found all over Petra.

Our group had just been inside and I caught them coming out.

On the Steps of the Treasurery

2011-05-29T16:25:00.000-04:00

It is a long walk through the Siq into Petra ---

After that long walk a few members of our dig team take a break and sit on the steps of the famous treasurery.

The Heart Temple

2011-05-28T11:47:00.000-04:00

What do archaeologist do with a week off from the dig?

Some went sight seeing and relaxing by the Dead Sea but my friend Eudora and I went visiting other dig sites where the Nabataeans built temples.

Heart Shaped Column Stones

One was a temple that we called the Heart Temple because of the shape of the column stones.

In this picture Eudora is taking GPS readings for various places in the temple.

This is the alter area.

More Neolithic Village Pictures

2011-05-27T07:12:00.000-04:00

The people who built and live in this village were a lread civilized and organized.

My friend Eudora Struble examines a dwelling on the site.

In this picture Kim Smith is checking out a circular structure.

Neolithic Village near Little Petra

2011-05-24T09:32:00.001-04:00

A favorite thing to do on our days off was to visit other archaeological sites in the area. Here is an excavation of a Neolithic Village near Petra.

Neolithic village from 7200 B.C.

Thought to be one of the first settled villages in human history in Jordan, the Pre-Pottery Neolithic village of Al Beidha is an impressive testament to just how ancient the civilizations inhabiting Jordan were.

At this site — which is open to all to visit for free — prehistoric houses and the village’s retaining wall are, astonishingly, still upright and visible.

Artifacts found in and around the village suggest that the ancient inhabitants were goat herders, hunter-gatherers, as well as cultivators of barley and emmer wheat.

Working Hard In Petra

2011-05-23T08:33:00.000-04:00

I only have a few pictures of my self on the Petra dig and this is one of them.

I have a goofa full of dirt

As I was not the boss on this dig in 2002 I hauled a lot of dirt in goofas to the wheelbarrow. We moved a lot of dirt that year and I did my share of that.

I love Petra and long to go back to that dig and see it finished. At the moment no one is digging there.

Digging In Petra

2011-05-21T13:40:00.000-04:00

I dearly love to dig in Petra Jordan with good friends.

Field Supervisor Eudora Struble At the Temple of the Winged Lions

Eudora is carrying a rubber basket made from recycled tires and it is called a "goofa." We usually fill them with dirt for removal but they are also useful for transporting artifacts from the dig to the lab. Since she was the boss that goofa did not have dirt in it.

Walking the Main Road in Petra

2011-05-20T06:44:00.000-04:00

Walking down a Roman road in the heart of Petra is my dear friend Eudora Struble in 2002. She was the field supervisor for the Temple of the Winged Lions excavation.

Here we get a glimpse of the grandeur that was that great city. Petra once held over thirty thousand people.

Crusader Fortress Near Petra

2011-05-12T11:32:00.000-04:00

Crusader Fortress near Petra

I stopped on the road leading to this Crusader fortress because this view was so awesome. In the foreground is an eleventh century crusader castle or fortress set up to protect pilgrims on the way to Petra to visit the tomb of Aaron the first high priest of Israel and the brother of Moses.

That tomb is a little white dot at the top of the mountain in the background. It has been and still is a sacred place to Jews, Christians, and Moslem's. It is a considerable hike to get up that mountain but it is well worth the trip.

Narrow Passage Into Petra

2011-05-06T09:56:00.000-04:00

Our group from the Ashkelon finally reaches the end of the Siq and the entrance to Petra. It had been an awesome walk and our journey was about to become even more awesome.This entrance into Petra was very easy to guard. With several gates blocking the path a small group of armed men could and did hold off invaders.

Here I am in 1999 as I am ready to take those last few steps to reach Petra and fulfill a dream from my youth when I studied Petra for a geography class. I fell in love with Petra on that day.

I went back to dig there two more times and I will share all of that wonder with you.

The Main Road in Petra

2011-05-05T11:20:00.000-04:00

The Romans built this road in Petra around 107 AD and most of it is still usable today. We could take some hints from the ancient Roman road builders they knew how to build a good road.

The main Roman Road in Petra

This road was once lined with columns and market stalls.

I would love to be ables to see how this looked then.

An Ancient Fresco

2011-05-04T10:28:00.000-04:00

A Petra Fresco

In this picture you see what is left of a fresco on an inside wall of a Roman Administration Building in Petra.

The rather rough wall was covered with thick plaster to even it out and then had wonderful paintings all over it.

This one was being removed for preservation and study. Once uncovered the weather would have destroyed it in short order.

I was glad that I was there to see it in place before it was removed.

Digging In Petra Jordan

2011-05-03T10:48:00.000-04:00

When I was studying geography in Jr. High School I did a report on Petra the city cut out of the living rock. I was enchanted by my research and made a vow that some day some how I would go there. And I did!

My first visit to Petra was in 1999 while I was digging at Ashkelon with Harvard University. We took weekly "Tell Tours" and were hosted by the archaeologist of those digs. On week five we went to Petra in Jordan and were were the guest of Brown University who gave us a tour of their dig and some back ground of Petra. It was awesome! Then we were allowed wander the city for the rest of the day.

In the picture below I am standing in front of the Treasury - miss named by early archaeologist. It was actually what we would call a funeral home.

Me in Petra at last!

This is a close up of the top where the remains of an urn can be seen. I say remains because some people thought it contained gold coins so they shot at it hoping to break it open and let the coins spill out. Turns out it was solid rock.

I have over a thousand pictures of Petra so stand by for MORE!

On the Sea of Galiee - Tiberias - Gennesaret

2011-04-28T08:33:00.000-04:00

The Sea of Galilee also known as the Sea of Tiberias and the Sea of Gennesaret in the Bible was the home of some of the disciples of Jesus who were fishermen. Along these beaches Jesus walked and preached and taught.

This view is from the Mount of Beatitudes

The Sea of Galilee is actually a small lake that is 33 miles in circumference. It is about 13 Miles long and 9 miles wide and 151 feet deep. The Lake lies 670 feet below sea level and is part of a rift valley that forms the Jordan river and the Dead Sea.

Boats of the Sea of Galiee

This fresh water lake is a great place to swim and enjoy fishing. I loved watching the wonderful variety of boats plying the lake.

The Old and The New Jerusalem

2011-04-27T10:34:00.000-04:00

This picture of a divided Jerusalem is a great contrast.

Inside the Crusader walls is the "Old Jerusalem" and outside is the modern Jerusalem. Inside the walls is a city of narrow crowded streets with buildings from every generation since the crusaders.

Outside is a city with wide streets designed for cars and the heavy flow of people. There the constructions is on going. Both Jerusalem's are exciting and you would need to live there for years to see all the wonders of that awesome place that is sacred to three religions.

In "Old Jerusalem"

2011-04-25T08:21:00.002-04:00

This is not a mall but a covered street in old Jerusalem. The shops on the left are closed.

An Typical Tomb in Israel

2011-04-23T09:24:00.000-04:00

This may what the Tomb of Jesus may have looked like. Bodies were placed in these tombs until all that was left were bones. Then the bones would be gathered up and placed in a bone box with the name of the person inside etched on it. The tomb would then be made ready for the next person.

A rich man like Joseph of Arimathea would have had a tomb like this and it would not have been any where near where the Romans did crucifying.

Church of the first Good Friday

2011-04-22T08:57:00.000-04:00

This is the entrance to the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem which was built by the crusaders to mark the spot where supposedly Jesus was crucified and was buried. This was not the first church building constructed on that spot - the crusaders destroyed the first one in their siege of Jerusalem. Then they built this one.

This is one of the many alters in the church it is in front of the place where they say the tomb was.

Crusader Castle in Tiberius

2011-04-20T09:59:00.000-04:00

Crusader Castle

In Tiberius by the Sea of Galilee is this ruin of a crusader castle. There is not much left of it but it is impressive.
It is a reminder of a time of European conquest of the Holy Land.

At the Sea of Galilee

2011-04-18T12:14:00.000-04:00

Looking down from the Mount where Jesus Preached

This fresh water lake is a great place to swim and enjoy fishing. I loved watching the wonderful variety of boats plying the lake.

Three Former Gates To The Temple

2011-04-15T12:36:00.000-04:00

South Wall of the Temple Mount

If you look carefully in the center of this picture you can see three doors that were filled in with stone. That lower section was the entrance to the Temple Mount in Jesus day.

During the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans The great doors were filled in to fortify the Temple complex for a last ditch stand by the Jews. It didn't work!

No Sinking the Dead Sea

2011-04-13T08:33:00.000-04:00

A Day Swimming in the Dead Sea

Here are some of my friends from the Ashkelon dig floating is the Dead Sea. What an interesting feeling to not be able to sink into the water. At 1300 feet below sea level there is no escape for the water but evaporation that leaves the salt behind. On that day the Jordan river did not quite make it to the Dead Sea.

Even a minor abrasion of the skin was a cause for instant pain in that brine.

One of Many Qumran Caves

2011-04-11T07:23:00.000-04:00

A difficult cave to enter

One of the most exciting things about digging in Israel was visiting the dig site at Qumran on the west side of the Dead Sea. Here a community of Jews set themselves aside to live according to the Law of Moses and prepare for the battle between the sons of light and the sons of darkness.

When that community saw that their place was being threatened they hid their most precious scrolls high up in secreted caves where they remained until 1947 when they were discovered by accident. Practically no other material in Hebrew and Aramaic has survived from the time of Christ so these manuscripts have been studied carefully by many scholars.

The site is hot and very dry so many of the scrolls were well preserved. Many others were in small pieces that were almost impossible to reconnect until the age of the computer. Some of it was scripture like a complete Isaiah scroll but others were more like a laundry list for the community.

This is a place that you MUST visit if you travel to Israel.

Qumran Living Quarters

2011-04-09T08:26:00.000-04:00

Where People Lived

Archaeological excavations at Qumran are revealing how the residents lived and worked. The place was occupied at three different times by three different groups.

Sorting them out is part of the fun. I would love to dig there.

Brother was it ever HOT!

The Cave At Cumran

2011-04-08T13:31:00.000-04:00

The Cave at Cumran

In 1947 a goat wandered up the side of this cliff being chased by a Shepherd boy. The goat ran into the cave and the boy tossed a rock in to the cave to scare the goat out of it. He heard a clink and the sound of breaking pottery - The "Dead Sea Scrolls" had been discovered.

Today there is a trail up the side of that cliff but it is still a tough climb - It was awesome to clime up and go into the now empty cave.

The Cave Opening at Qumran

2011-04-07T16:00:00.000-04:00

Entrance to THE cave at Qumran

My friend Carol - a preachers kid - and my self are in the opening of the cave where the first scrolls were found.

What an exciting day that was!

Interesting Jerusalem Baptistery

2011-04-06T09:27:00.000-04:00

Unusual Episcopal Baptistery

While in Jerusalem I visited an Episcopal Cathedral and was surprised to find this baptistery near the entrance to the sanctuary. It has two sections one dry for the priest to stand in and the other wet for the person being baptised to be immersed in.

The interesting thing is the the Episcopal church sprinkles and does not immerse.

The priest on duty there told me that it was there to appease the Greek Orthodox. Go figure!

Rough Stone Work

2011-04-05T11:44:00.000-04:00

Storage Building

Here we have an entrance to one of the storage building on Massada.

Notice the stone work was roughly done and then plastered over for a neater appearance. This was a common practice for many building in that time.

Stone was a popular building material because they had a lot of it and little else.

Ashkelon Archaeological Park

2011-04-04T07:38:00.000-04:00

Ashkelon Archaeological Park

This is how Ashkelon Archealogical Park looks before archaeologist start digging. To look at it like this one would not think that under that dirt are layer upon layer of cities named Ashkelon.

The fenced area is where we were digging. What treasurers of knowledge lie under that dirt?

The park was divided into 100 grids with only a few grids being excavated to the bottom. Most of the park will be left untouched.

Massade From Above

2011-04-03T15:32:00.000-04:00

Here is a picture looking down on Massada.

You can see how easy it was to defend this fortress and why it took the Roman Army three years to capture it.

The Roman Ramp at Massada

2011-04-01T09:31:00.000-04:00

The Roman Ramp

After seeing the vertical sides of Massada one wonders how the Roman Army could have captured it. Well look at this picture a wonder no more.

The Romans built a ramp up one side of the mountain. They were clever these Romans for the defenders of Massada could have very easily killed any one working on the ramp but they didn't. The ramp builders were bran new slaves that the Romans had captured at Jerusalem. Jews built the ramp for the Roman army and the defenders of Massada would not kill their fellow country men and women.

In the end the defenders committed suicide rather than be captured by the Romans.

King Herod Slept Here

2011-03-31T15:35:00.000-04:00

Did King Herod Sleep Here?

On the third floor of Herod's Palace at Massada is this room touted as the King's bed room.

The tour guide leading the group of tourist ahead of us was laying it on thick pointing out to them where each of Herod's nine wives slept.

Oh yes he named each one of them.

At Massada

2011-03-30T08:32:00.000-04:00

Looking Up At Massada

One of the most awesome places to go in Israel is Massada. King Herod the Great was a man driven by the idea that every one was out to kill him so he built fortresses all over Israel. Massada was the most amazing of the lot. It was perched high up on this mountain with a twisting narrow trail that lead up to the top. He had three levels for his living spaces.

In 70 AD with the fall of Jerusalem the Jews made this their last stand against the Roman army and held them off for three years. Using new Jewish slaves, captured at Jerusalem, the Romans built a ramp up the side and hauled siege engines up to shatter the wall. Rather than be captured the Jews killed their families and them selves.

Here I am in 1999 just before we went up Massada.

Storage Rooms at Massada

2011-03-29T10:29:00.000-04:00

Storage Rooms

The fortress of Massada had huge storage rooms that once filled allowed the defender to hold out for many years. They held out against the Roman army for three long years. These are the ruins of just a few of the storage rooms there.

It was an awesome feeling to be there and know what happened in 70 to 73 AD!

Roman Bath at Massada

2011-03-28T09:20:00.000-04:00

Here is an interesting view of the Roman Bath Herod built at Massada.

The lower level is where slaves kept a fire going to heat the pool of water above it. Can you imagine yourself feeding those fires? That would have been hot and dangerous work. It would be a lot more pleasant to think of your self enjoying a hot bath.

Quite a system those Romans invented for a hot bath for you and your closest friends.

Christian Church of 500 AD

2011-03-22T09:02:00.000-04:00

First Christian Church of Ashkelon

Here are two views of a Christian Church in Ashkelon dating from around 500 AD.

Our guide is pointing out a painting on the wall that is slowly fading from view now that it is exposed to the sun and other elements of weather.

Caesarea's Artificial Port

2011-03-21T11:19:00.000-04:00

This is what is left of an artificial port that King Herod built at Caesarea.

The site along the coast that Herod chose for the city of Caesarea for the Romans to use did not have a natural harbor or port so he went to the great expense to build one.

He used a new Roman invention called hydraulic concrete - that is concrete that sets under water.

The sea filled in the port with sand long ago and this is what is left of the docks which are now quite a bit inland.

Sermon On the Mount Here?

2011-03-20T09:22:00.000-04:00

This is called Mt. Beatitude and it is the only one that fits the description in the Gospel according to Matthew as the only mountain near Capernaum.

The gentle slopes allows for a voice to carry down hill a long way.

This is me in 1999 on the top of the mountain in front of a church build by Mussolini and is still funded by his endowment.

Massada Palace

2011-03-18T12:15:00.000-04:00

Archaeology Tour Guide

The man in the brown shirt and ball cap is one of our staff archaeologist who guided us on all the "Tell Tours" around Israel.

We were fortunate to have him as our guide because he gave us the real information. We were often close to tourist guides who put out some of the worst miss-information you could imagine.

We are viewing the palace on the second level at Massada. There was some restoration/conservation work going on at the time.

Herod's Palace Ruins

2011-03-17T08:30:00.000-04:00

This is another view of the huge and lavish palace of King Herod the Great.

He never did any building in a small way but this one was for really showing off to the Romans in Caesarea.

The columns in the distance are still part of the palace.

Massada Under Siege

2011-03-16T09:39:00.000-04:00

Roman Army Camp at Massada

Looking down from the top of Massada you can still see where the Roman Army camped for three years while trying to take the last hold out of the Jews. There were three of these camps and you can just imagine the thoughts in the defenders minds as they looked down at that scene.

On the other side consider the Romans baking in that Summer heat down on the floor of that camp. For three years they dealt with hot wilderness conditions trying to take a fortress that seemed impossible. But nothing was impossible for that army and take it they did.

Herod Built A Palace

2011-03-15T19:40:00.000-04:00

At Ceasrea we toured the ruins of King Herod's palace there.

He had them all over Israel. This one was fancy with almost modern plumbing - running water - baths - toilet that flushed down a sewer line and into the sea.

Did Jesus Walk Here?

2011-03-14T08:05:00.000-04:00

What you see in this picture is an excavated street in ancient Jerusalem just below the south wall of the temple mount. It was still being excavated when I took this picture.

When Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD it was covered over with dirt so the actual streets that Jesus walked on are underground.

This very narrow street between two rows of homes and led up to three great doors into the Temple. This street and the Western Wall may be the only streets where the public can see where Jesus actually walked.

Roman Theater in Caesarea

2011-03-13T09:43:00.000-04:00

This Roman theater in Caesarea was built by King Herod the Great before Jesus was born and it is still in use. It was awesome to sit there and think of all the people who have sat in those stone seats for the past two thousand years. The day we were there a rock band was scheduled to preform there that night.

Pranks

2011-03-12T09:26:00.000-05:00

Proof that you can't ever underestimate the creativeness of American boys for mischief.

When considering all the brilliant, devious minds we had in high school, I don't know how we missed doing this.

At a high school in Montana , a group of students played a prank.

They let three goats loose inside the school. But before turning them loose, they painted numbers on the sides of the goats: 1, 2, and 4.

School Administrators spent the rest of the day looking for No. 3

Scarab Seals found in Ashkelon

2011-03-07T10:11:00.000-05:00

Here is a display of Scarab Seals found during the dig in 1999. In this picture the seals are mounted on glass above the mirror so observers can see both the top and the bottom at once.

The Egyptians invented the Scarab seals and used them to impress their seal on documents and clay seals for locking boxes and doors. Some of these seals are egyptian and some are Canaanite. Egypt often conquered Ashkelon and then the Canaanites there copied the ways of the Egyptians.

As the Scarab was considered sacred its image was used on the top of the seal and the owners cartouche was the seal on the bottom. They looked like the cartouche of my name on the banner of this blog.

The Ceasarea Aqueduct

2011-03-06T16:47:00.000-05:00

King Herod the Great built this aqueduct and two others to supply water to Ceasarea.

He built Ceasarea as a place for the Romans to live in Israel.

Some of my Pottery Excavations

2011-03-05T11:17:00.000-05:00

My Pottery Finds

Here are a few of the pottery pieces that I excavated in the tomb including the two twin vases I found side by side. That dish in the center was found broken in three equal pieces and was very nicely glued back together.

All the the pottery in the tomb tested to be over 3500 years old. I was the first human to set eyes on them since they were buried with one of the occupants of the tomb. I love digging in the dirt.

The Alantis Myth

2011-03-03T12:44:00.002-05:00

The story of the Isle of Atlantis first occurs in Plato's two dialogues the "Timaeus" and the "Critias." Plato's story centers on Solon, a great Greek legislator and poet who journeyed to Egypt some 150 years earlier. While in the Egyptian city of Sais Solon received the story of Atlantis from priests. The priests respected Solon's reputation and cordially welcomed him. They also respected the Athenians, whom they regarded as kinsmen, because they believed their deity Neith to be the same deity as the Greeks called Athena. Therefore, she was believed to be the patroness and protector of both Greece and Egypt.

The story that the priests told Solon was unknown to him. According to ancient Egyptian temple records the Athenians fought an aggressive war against the rulers of Atlantis some nine thousand years earlier and won.

These ancient and powerful kings or rulers of Atlantis had formed a confederation by which they controlled Atlantis and other islands as well. They began a war from their homeland in the Atlantic Ocean and sent fighting troops to Europe and Asia. Against this attack the men of Athens formed a coalition from all over Greece to halt it. When this coalition met difficulties their allies deserted them and the Athenians fought on alone to defeat the Atlantian rulers. They stopped an invasion of their own country as well as freeing Egypt and eventually every country under the control of the rulers of Atlantis.

Shortly after their victory, even before the Athenians could return home, Atlantis suffered catastrophic earthquakes and floods until it disappeared beneath the sea. All of the brave men were swallowed up in one day and night of horror according to legend. This is why the Egyptians were ever grateful to the Athenians.

Also in the story Plato gives is a history of Atlantis that shows how the rulers eroded to such a state were they wanted to conquer everyone. This history had been recorded by Solon in notes that were handed down through his family.

The best archaeological site for the fabled Atlantis is the island of Santorini which is essentially what remains of an enormous volcanic explosion, destroying the earliest settlements on what was formerly a single island, and leading to the creation of the current geological caldera.

Some of the houses in ancient city of Akrotiri are major structures, some amongst them three stories high. Its streets, squares, and walls were preserved in the layers of ejecta, sometimes as tall as eight meters, and indicating this was a major town. In many houses stone staircases are still intact, and they contain huge ceramic storage jars, mills, and pottery. Noted archaeological remains found in Akrotiri are wall paintings which have kept their original color well, as they were preserved under many meters of volcanic ash. The town also had a highly developed drainage system and, judging from the fine artwork, its citizens were clearly sophisticated and relatively wealthy people.

Pipes with running water and toilets found at Akrotiri are the oldest such utilities discovered. The pipes run in twin systems, indicating that the Therans used both hot and cold water supplies; the origin of the hot water probably was geothermic, given the volcano’s proximity. The dual pipe system suggesting hot and cold running water, the advanced architecture, and the apparent layout of the Akrotiri find resemble Plato’s description of the legendary lost city of Atlantis, further indicating the Minoans as the culture which primarily inspired the Atlantis legend.

The Jesus Boat

2011-03-01T14:05:00.000-05:00

In 1999 We visited Caperenaum by the sea of Galilee and this site where archaeologist were preserving a first century fishing boat that was found during a time when lake levels were low. It is now in a museum built just for this boat.

Did Jesus sail in this boat?

The time frame for this boat makes it possible that he could have sailed in it. It is also likely that this boat was one of thousands that were around at the time and he did not sail in it. The model below is what the boat would have looked like new.

My three friends from the Ashkelon dig traveled with me to the Sea of Galilee in a rental car.

Pictured here from left to right are Howard Scott, Carol Jahn and Eudora Bernsen.

We all had a great time exploring northern Israel together.

Mount Moria

2011-02-28T14:55:00.001-05:00

This was my first view of the "Wailing Wall" the western wall of Mount Moria or Temple Mount.

Actually Mt. Moria is mostly hidden under a lot of dirt. The wall you see here was built as a retaining wall by King Herod the Great when he enlarged the Temple Mount to build a bigger temple. This wall was not actually part of the Temple itself. It is however awesome!

Above it is the Dome of the Rock on a site that is sacred to Hebrews, Christians and Islam. Inside that golden dome is three alters: one for Abraham, one for Jesus and one for Mohammad. It was an inspiring day for me in 1999 when I visited there and prayed at the wall and at the alter for Jesus. Three religions that worship the one true God and one wonder why we can not get along. But then I wonder why Christians can get along with each other. People and their differences of personal opinions spoil the message about God's love for all of us.

Fauna Bones

2011-02-27T13:59:00.000-05:00

Not all of the bones we dig up were human. As a matter of fact most were not human. To deal with those bones we had the "Fauna Crew" down at the other end of our row of bone tables these three experts on animal bones sorted them out. They had the more difficult task of sorting than we did as they had to identify not only which bone in the body but also what kind of animal it was.

You can learn a lot about a culture by the bones of their animals both pets and what they ate. It was interesting for me to discover that not only did the Hebrews not eat pork but neither did the Canaanites and other Semitic cultures. The Greeks and Romans did eat pork and a lot of it.

I once Rode A Camel

2011-02-26T08:15:00.000-05:00

My first and only camel ride was on this docile beast who wasn't docile at all.

The ride itself was not so bad though a little wiggly at the top. It was the getting up and down that was awkward but I managed that OK too.

It was the getting off that put me off camels. As I dismounted the beast tried to bite me and when it could not it spit on me. I thought it must have been chewing tobacco for that spit was oh so awful. I had to toss out my shirt as the stain never came out.

After that I passed up every chance to ride another camel.

Bus-man's Holiday

2011-02-25T08:03:00.000-05:00

I met a lot of very interesting people on the Ashkelon dig and this man was one of them. Dennis was one of my three room mates and is a commercial archaeologist who usually digs in places where federal dollars are being used for construction. When artifacts are found during construction an archaeologist has to check the dig site for the significance of the find. This sometimes means closing the construction during excavation.

So Dennis was taking a buss man's holiday by digging in Ashkelon. Here is a man for whom his work is his play. In this picture he is examining a piece of chert. Dennis is an expert on flint of all kinds. I never saw a man drink so much vodka and remain sober - well alert and able to work.

Lots of Pottery

2011-02-23T10:21:00.000-05:00

Here is another view of the Pottery Cleaning Yard. As you can see it was a big operation every day. Students and volunteers would sit in the shade and wash the pottery then set it out in the sun to dry on the wooden pallets.

After drying the pottery is moved to the sorting tables where the experts check it carefully.

It did not take long for the pottery to dry in that hot sun.

The Bone Table

2011-02-22T08:26:00.000-05:00

From six AM to Noon we worked on the dig site and brought back what ever we dug up to what was called the pottery yard. The yard was more than pottery though most of it was for the massive amounts of pottery. We had sections for human bones and another for other bones. In the afternoon we returned and after lunch cleaned what we had brought in, labeled it for inspection by the experts and then sorted it for later study by PhD. students.

I was assigned to the anthropology area which we all called "The Bone Table" and worked there. The cardboard boxes, called flats, on the table is what we used to hand carry the bones back from the dig site. The bone fragments you see in the boxes still need to be processed. Each box was labeled with information that stated where the items were found, who dug them up and when.

When bones were processed at the table the tag stayed with them as a reference for future study. The box went back to the dig site the next morning to be filled again.

An Interesting Head

2011-02-21T12:33:00.000-05:00

This is the head of an idol found in the Canaanite tomb. It is quite small, not much bigger than a thumb nail and was carved from stone.

It was all we found of the idol and we thought it seemed clear that there had once been more to it.

It was very nicely done by a good artist.

The Cleaned Skull

2011-02-16T10:41:00.000-05:00

Here are two views of the same 3500 year old Canaanite skull that I excavated. After I cleaned it up, and treated for preservation.

Notice what a great set of teeth this man had. All the the teeth found in that tomb had one thing in common - NO Cavities. Reason is there was no sugar in their diet.

Awesome Skull

2011-02-13T08:55:00.000-05:00

Here I am holding the skull that I excavated that morning and before I cleaned it and treated it for preservation. He had a mouth full of well worn teeth and not one cavity. This is one of my favorite pictures from the Ashkelon dig.

What a thrill it was to think about the individual and what kind of life he might have lived. He was about 35 years old when he died so had lived a full life for that time.

Petra Chapel

2011-02-12T11:07:00.000-05:00

This picture of the Blue Chapel in Petra Jordan is a favorite of mine. It is an early Christian Church around 300 AD.

Anytime I was on the dig in Petra during a break time I would walk up the hill to visit and think about how this building looked when it was new. Even in ruins it is beautiful.

Canaanite Bones

2011-02-11T10:02:00.000-05:00

What we found the most of in this 3500 year old Canaanite tomb was bones. Here Neta the Israeli anthropologist is checking my work and analyzing what she could even before we removed them to her lab. She was very good at telling the story of those ancient bones.

The ancient Canaanite you see laying there turned out to be male and was about 35 years old when he died. A normal life span at the time. As we excavate him we discovered a female underneath him at cross angles.

What a day that was.

Found - Measured & Photographed

2011-02-10T12:09:00.000-05:00

Finding an object on a dig is only the first step. Before it can be removed its location must be charted, it must be measured and photographed. We photographed with both 35 mm and digital cameras. These bone of a six month old girl had just been exposed that morning. It took two weeks to gently remove all her bones.

Notice the centimeter stick and the information board that gives location on the dig site, the date and the indication of where North is. All of this is vital to the dig records and for future scholars.

I love this stuff.

Ancient Painters Putty

2011-02-09T10:11:00.000-05:00

Many of the stone walls of Petra were rough uneven and unsightly. To make them look good the workers put heavy amounts of plaster on the walls and drew in the bricks or stone blocks to make the wall look neat. Some of the walls were so uneven that the plaster in places were almost a foot thick. Workmen still do that to some degree.

I had some work done and notices some big cracks between joints. Their reply was, "That is why they make painters putty." Sure enough they filled the cracks with putty and painted over the error.

45 Feet Down

2011-02-08T10:31:00.001-05:00

Forty-five feet down from the Canaanite dwellings is my dig site Canaanite Tombs that were last used for burials around 1500 BC. Tony, the site supervisor, is sitting at the bottom of the shaftthat the ancients used to bring their dearly beloved's bodies down to the tombs.

Yes the Canaanite's dug down about forty-five feet beneath their homes and hollowed out tombs in the sandstone. In this one there was one large opening and three smaller tombs around the edges. You can see the opening of one of them on the left.

You can also see some of our tools and supplies. The rubber baskets - called "goffa's" are made from recycled truck tires. We filled them with dirt from the tombs and carried them up the 45 feet to the sifting area where we sifted each one to make sure we did not miss any Small artifact.

A Very Old Skull

2011-02-07T10:02:00.000-05:00

This is one of the many skulls I dug up in that Ashkelon Canaanite tomb.

This one was in difficult condition and was the only body part of this particular person that we could identify.

Often when the Canaanites buried a new body it was brought down into the tomb the other bones were pushed aside in all directions.

We found lots of bones but only a few articulated.

Walking Down a Roman Road In Petra

2011-02-06T15:05:00.000-05:00

Walking down a Roman road in the heart of Petra is my dear friend Eudora Jean Struble. We get a glimpse of the grandeur that was once that great city.

Petra once held over thirty thousand people and controled much of what is now Arabia, Jordan and Syria.