DIGS

Biblical Naarah

Since 2015, the Jordan Valley Excavation Project (JVEP) has been investigating the ancient history and archaeology of the southern Jordan Valley, with a particular focus on the Iron Age (1200-586 BC), sometimes referred to as the “Israelite period.” In 2019, JVEP began excavating the site of Khirbet ʿAuja el-Foqa, a well-preserved, fortified city on a high hill isolated by steep slopes. During the Iron Age II (1000-586 BC), the time of the Israelite kingdoms, it was probably an eastern administrative “capital” and the military center of the southern Jordan Valley, and likely played a role in the Ammonite wars that had been ongoing since the time of the judges. The site can probably be identified as biblical Naarah, mentioned in the Manasseh-Ephraim boundary description in Josh 16:6-7. This is a pioneering excavation that is producing completely new information about the administration of the northern kingdom of Israel in the southern Jordan Valley, a region that has been virtually unknown archaeologically until now.

Details

Geographic Location

2 km west of Yitav

Periods of Occupation

Iron Age II

Dates of the Dig

May—June 2022

Minimum Stay

Two weeks

Application Due

March 30, 2021

Academic Credit/Cost per Credit/Institution

Yes, through Averett University. For more information, call Averett University’s IDEAL Program office at 1-800-283-7388, ext. 14949.

Accomodations

The team will lodge in Jerusalem at the New Metropole Hotel, two to three per room, with air-conditioning and three meals a day. The hotel is located just about a two minute walk from the Old City Walls, and provides an ideal base for daily strolls to and from the major historical and biblical sites of the Holy City.

Open For Tours

Visitor Information:
Is the site open to visitors: Yes
Do you offer guided tours of the site: Yes
Is an appointment necessary: Yes

Cost

Directors

Contact