Tel Dan
June 2 – June 28, 2024
israel
The Site Where History and Legend Converge
Tel Dan is one of the most important sites in the ancient Near East and for biblical archaeology in particular. Situated at the base of snow-capped Mount Hermon on the headwaters of the Jordan, Dan has been an important settlement from the Neolithic period (ca. 5000 BCE) through the early modern period.
Archaeological highlights include massive Early Bronze Age fortifications (ca. 2900–2200 BCE), the earliest preserved mudbrick arched gate in the world (ca. 1900–1500 BCE), a spectacular Mycenaean tomb from the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1500–1200 BCE), an early Iron Age I agrarian settlement that some associate with the Israelites (ca. 1200–1000 BCE), and major fortifications from the Iron Age II (ca. 1000–700 BCE), including an Israelite temple where Jeroboam’s golden calf may have once stood (1 Kings 12), along with various figurines, statues, and inscriptions from the Persian, Hellenistic and Roman periods.
Perhaps the most famous find from Tel Dan is a stela, likely commissioned by Hazael of Aram sometime in the ninth century BCE, identifying a Judahite king from the “house of David” and thus providing the only extra-biblical reference to the famed King David.
Details
Geographic Location
Golan, Northern Israel
Dates of the Dig
June 2 – June 28, 2024
Minimum Stay
2 Weeks
Application Due
Monday, April 15, 2024
Academic Credit/Cost per Credit/Institution
3 credits are offered by Hebrew Union College/NYU Tel Aviv. Contact for more details.
Accommodations
Volunteers will be housed in the Mount Hermon Field School with 2- or 3-person occupancy options.
Cost
Directors
Yifat Thareani: Hebrew Union College and NYU Tel Aviv
Jonathan Greer: Grand Valley State University
