El-Araj
Session 1: July 10 - 24; Session 2: July 24 - August 7; Session 3: October 9 - 23
other
The Search for Bethsaida-Julias
The El Araj Excavtion Project was initiated in 2016 in the search for Roman-period (New Testament) Bethsaida-Julias. During the previous nine seasons we have demonstrated beyond doubt that the settlement was established in the late Hellenistic period (second-first centuries BCE) and continued as a Jewish fishing village into the Roman period, and was finally transformed into a small Roman polis. This archaeological evidence corresponds precisely with the description by the Jewish historian Josephus Flavius of Bethsaida-Julias in Antiquities 18:28. In addition, in recent years we have unearthed a lost basilica which in Byzantine tradition was reportedly built over the house of Peter and Andrew. Next season the focus will be upon unearthing more of the residential quarter of the Roman period settlement on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee.
Details
Geographic Location
Sea of Galilee, Northern Israel
Dates of the Dig
Session 1: July 10 - 24; Session 2: July 24 - August 7; Session 3: October 9 - 23
Minimum Stay
2 Weeks
Application Due
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Academic Credit/Cost per Credit/Institution
Yes / 3 Credits / TBD
Accommodations
Volunteers will be housed in twin-bedded rooms with air conditioning, wifi, and private shower/toilet. The cost includes all meals. The excavation includes a field school with lectures and field trips.
Cost
Directors
Mordechai Aviam, Director, El Araj Excavation Project
R. Steven Notley, Academic Director, El Araj Excavation Project
Contact
Sunya Notley
Phone: +1 (845)-357-2090
To learn how you can get involved, visit their website and check them out on Facebook.
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