Chang-Ho Ji
Chang-Ho Ji studied at Andrews University and earned his PhD in anthropology from the University of California, Riverside. In addition to his archaeological work in Korea, Kazakhstan, and Jordan, he has directed multiple research projects in Jordan since 1995, including the Iraq al-Amir Survey Project (1995–1999), the Wadi as-Sir Dolmen Field Excavation (1996), the Tobiad Cave Excavation Project (1998), and the Dhiban Plateau Survey Project (1998–2002). He currently directs the Khirbat Ataruz Project (2000–present) and the Jabal Hamidah Regional Project (2007–present). He has published numerous scholarly papers, including studies presenting the excavation results from Khirbat Ataruz.
Presenter at
Bible & Archaeology Fest XXIX, November 7th and 8th, 2026
Khirbat Ataruz: Unearthing Iron Age Temples and New Discoveries in Moab
This lecture introduces Khirbat Ataruz in central Jordan, an extraordinary site excavated for more than twenty-five years and mentioned in the famous Mesha Inscription. Archaeologists have uncovered an impressive temple complex with altars, sacred spaces, and ritual objects from the Omride period, along with evidence of a dramatic destruction linked to King Mesha’s rebellion in the late ninth century BCE. Together, these discoveries offer a rare window into how religion, politics, and daily life were intertwined in the ancient southern Levant. Ongoing finds, including Moabite cultic materials and evidence of ancient road systems, continue to deepen our understanding of sacred space, interregional interaction, and biblical history in Moab.
