Khirbet Safra
June 1 – June 27, 2025
other
Iron Age Crossroads
Located 17 km southwest of Madaba, Jordan, Khirbet Safra is a 2.6-acre hilltop site offering spectacular views of the Dead Sea and the Wilderness of Judea to the west, as well as the Wadi Zarqa Ma’in and the Jordanian highlands to the east. The site also dominates the road to Ma’in Hot Springs, which passes by at the base of the hill.
While Safra’s ancient name remains unknown, early Iron Age settlers established a walled settlement at the site sometime during the 13th century BCE. Iron Age Safra boasts a casemate fortification system, a large central structure that possibly served as an administrative building, and a well-preserved gate complex. Destroyed by fire during the 11th century BCE, Safra was quickly reoccupied and rebuilt. Settlement at the site continued until the mid-ninth century BCE, when Safra was destroyed a second time, either by seismic activity or by a human agent, possibly at the hands of the Moabite king Mesha, as mentioned in 2 Kings 3. Aside from some activity of unknown duration at the site during the Byzantine period, Safra was not resettled.
Details
Geographic Location
Central Jordan
Dates of the Dig
June 1 – June 27, 2025
Minimum Stay
1 Week
Application Due
Saturday, February 1, 2025
Academic Credit/Cost per Credit/Institution
Credits are offered by Andrews University. Contact for details.
Accommodations
Volunteers will be housed in the Mariam Hotel in Madaba with a swimming pool. Generally, two or three persons per room.
Cost
Directors
Professor Paul Gregor: Andrews University
Dr. Jeffrey P. Hudon: Andrews University
Contact
Dr. Jeffrey Hudon
Phone: +1 (269)-471-3273
Visit their website and learn how you can get involved.
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