El-Araj
July 22 - August 5, 2022
israel
The Search for Bethsaida-Julias
The El-Araj Excavation Project is today considered the leading candidate for first-century Bethsaida-Julias. Excavations carried out over five seasons since 2016 have uncovered evidence of a settlement in the Roman period on the northern lakeshore. The most remarkable find from this period is a Roman bathhouse. This feature reflects the urbanization described by Josephus in Antiquities 18:28 when Herod Philip raised the status of Bethsaida from a village to a small polis and renamed it Julias. Jewish presence at the site is also indicated by stone vessels, which are a tell-tale sign of Jewish settlement, and knife-pared “Herodian” lamps that were only made in Jerusalem prior to 70 C.E.
In the last two seasons, excavators have unearthed the lost, legendary Church of the Apostles reported by Byzantine pilgrims who witness to the Christian tradition that the basilica was believed to have been built over the house of Peter and Andrew in Bethsaida. Excavations this summer will finish uncovering the Byzantine church floor and begin excavating surrounding houses from the first-century Roman era.
Details
Geographic Location
Sea of Galilee, Northern Israel
Dates of the Dig
July 22 - August 5, 2022
Minimum Stay
2 Weeks
Application Due
Tuesday, March 1, 2022
Academic Credit/Cost per Credit/Institution
To be determined
Accommodations
Cost
Directors
Mordechai Aviam: Kinneret Academic College
Steven Notley: Nyack College.
Contact
Sunya Notley
Phone: +1 (845)-357-2090
[email protected]
To learn how you can get involved, visit their website and check them out on Facebook.
