In the Field and In the Classroom

Welcome back to my blog! It's been a few weeks, so there is a lot of material to catch up on. Hanukkah is over, and today is Christmas! For anyone that celebrates it, have a merry Christmas!

The Coastal Plain

I believe I left off last post before our first trip to the field. We had a tour of several archaeological sites near Tel Aviv, hosted by Dr. Yuval Gadot, one of our professors. We went to a couple small sites as well as Aphek and Jaffa, and saw the archaeological material that we had been discussing, especially for the Bronze Age. The tour focused on sites that controlled the road along the coast, at the foothills of the highlands. At the site of Migdal Tzedek we could see the flat lowlands on one side, and the foothills on the other. It really made the material come to life to see how this narrow strip of land was the only easy path from south to north. It was wonderful to finally get out in the field and see everything, as opposed to just reading about it in articles and books.

The school work is starting to pick up, and we have had several papers to write and several more on the way. We are starting to look at the bigger picture in many of our classes, and have discussed the implications of many different events. One of the most fascinating events that we have discussed is the destruction of the territory of Judah by Sennacherib, emperor of Assyria, in 701 BCE. While he didn't destroy Jerusalem, his actions had major ramifications for the next three thousand years. Sennacherib's campaign is probably one of the most influential events on the formation of Judeo-Christian theology. The fact that Jerusalem was not destroyed led to its sanctification as the place that God had chosen, and this has affected every generation till today.

Hanukkah came to an end, and with it the winter celebrations. I spent the last night in much the same way I spent the first night, with friends in the city. We watched the large chanukiyah be lit at Rabin Square and then partied at several bars. It was a great way to end the holiday.

View of the Judean Hills

We had a second tour the following week, looking at sites in the Judean Lowlands. Dr. Omer Sergi took us to the sites of Bet Shemesh, Azekah, and Gath, where he discussed the importance of the sites, their geopolitical background, and the excavations there. Tel Bet Shemesh is a small site, but because it is almost completely surrounded by hills it probably was afforded some measure of security. Azekah, situated at the tip of a ridge that splits the area east from west, was an important site for controlling the pass from the coast to the highlands. From Azekah you can see the highlands surrounding Jerusalem, the ridge bordering Hebron, and the lowlands that approach the coast. Gath was the largest city in the southern Levant during the early Iron Age, and has impressive fortifications both on the tel and surrounding the lower city. The Iron Age ruins are extremely easy to identify, in some places protruding from the surface. The site is enormous and very intimidating. It makes it easy to imagine how the rulers could command the populace surrounding the city.

A partial view of Gath

As the year 2015 approaches its end, I have a lot about which to think and reflect. I have really been enjoying my studies here in Tel Aviv. While I haven't always agreed with everything we do, and I often question the format and planning of the program, I am very grateful for this amazing opportunity to study archaeology and history here in Israel. To study under the guidance of the most influential scholars in the field, being taught by the men and women who have done the work in the field that we read about in the articles and books, is a great honor and one that I would never pass up.

I hope every one has had a wonderful Hannukah, Christmas, Festivus, or whichever winter celebration you choose to celebrate, and that everyone has a safe, enjoyable, and exciting New Year!

Attached here is the link to all of my photos, for those that don't look at or don't have Facebook. It includes all the photos I've taken while I've been here in Israel, including some of the less spectacular ones that I choose to omit from publishing on Facebook. The link will work no matter how many photos I add, so saving this link will always show you the most up to date files.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rzg8dgcag9yjjx7/AADeP0ft-J6r_xxApFqm7p1xa?dl=0

Hiking and Hanukkah

Hey guys, it's been a while. Here's an update to what's been going on the last several weeks, what I've been doing, and all the holiday celebrations!

The excavations are over for the season at Aphek. The last day was the Friday after Thanksgiving, November 27th, but I did not participate. That weekend I went to Bet Shemesh to celebrate Thanksgiving with my aunt and uncle. Thursday after class I traveled there, and we had a delicious, traditional Thanksgiving dinner. There was turkey, stuffing, corn bread, and may other seasonal staples. It was really great to celebrate the American holiday while outside the country.

I spent Shabbat in Bet Shemesh, which is always a nice experience. Cousin Hannah came for Shabbat dinner, but didn't stay. After Shabbat was over my aunt and uncle were going to Tel Aviv for a party, and they drove me back so I didn't have to take a bus. The rest of the weekend was devoted to preparing for the work due during the coming week.

The week was pretty uneventful. There were readings, papers, and studying to be done every day. The excitement came that weekend, when Tel Aviv University International hosted a 2-day hiking trip around Mitzpe Ramon. It was a very large group, so we split into two smaller groups and did everything just with our group, only meeting the other group a few times. We left early Friday morning and drove down near Sde Boker and went on a hike. We passed a small watering hole, where we took a rest. The hike culminated in a very large ascent, that was both unexpected and extremely challenging. I really enjoyed it, even though I was exhausted and sore by the end. After the hike we drove to a hostel overlooking Ramon Crater, dumped our stuff, and then went to a Bedouin tourist center for dinner. The food was really delicious, and after we sat around a bonfire eating marshmallows. The night ended with us going to a small bar. I wasn't looking forward to it, but it surprised me. It was very mellow and quiet, and had hot cider. It was the perfect way to end the day.


Saturday morning we had breakfast in the hostel, packed up to leave, and started a hike down the crater. The path was somewhat steep and very rocky, which made it easy to slip and fall. The view out over the crater was very scenic, and I think everyone enjoyed the experience. One thing that almost everyone complained about, however, was how cold it was. The wind was always blowing, and even in the sun we had to stay bundled. I really enjoyed looking at the geology and rock features, and had a great time the entire day. After we made it to the bottom the buses picked us up and we drove to the Orlyya Farm. There we met a local farmer who created a life for himself and his family in the desert growing herbs and Moroccan Oil (Argan) trees. After learning about his lifestyle we drove to the Sde Boker Winery and had a wine tasting. After four cups of wine, we sleepily piled into the buses and made our way back to Tel Aviv.

The hike was a great experience. Walking through the desert in the Ramon Crater, while something that I have done before, brings a new experience every time. After the hike, however, I had a lot of work to do. Sunday a paper was due, and I needed to finish it before I could do anything else fun.

Sunday night saw the beginning of Hanukkah. An eight-day festival of lights, it is a big celebration here in Israel. For the first night I went to Independence Park, where there were crafts, jelly donuts, and candle-lighting. They also gave out personal chanukiyot so everyone could light at home. Second night I went to a party for young Jews, hosted by Nefesh b'Nefesh at Moishe House. They served latkes, snacks, and lots of wine. It was a great opportunity to meet other Jewish young adults while celebrating the holiday. One thing that I'm finding so fascinating and inspiring is how involved the entire city is in the holiday. I know I shouldn't be surprised that Israel, the Jewish state, takes Jewish holidays seriously, but when I'm walking through the streets and there are people at every other corner giving out chanukiyah kits or jelly donuts it just makes everything seem better. The municipal building in the center of Tel Aviv lights up its windows every night in the shape of a chanukiyah, with a new candle lit each night. And all over campus, people walk around carrying boxes of donuts, just handing them out. It really feels wonderful.

As the holiday continues the events around campus and the city continue. There are parties or lighting ceremonies every night. Also, this Friday we are going on our first archaeological field trip. I am really excited to finally get out and visit the sites. Hopefully it will be full of information as well as fun.

Attached here is the link to all of my photos, for those that don't look at or don't have Facebook. It includes all the photos I've taken while I've been here in Israel, including some of the less spectacular ones that I choose to omit from publishing on Facebook. The link will work no matter how many photos I add, so saving this link will always show you the most up to date files.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rzg8dgcag9yjjx7/AADeP0ft-J6r_xxApFqm7p1xa?dl=0

Excavating and Teaching

Welcome back! Sorry it took so long for an update, but the last several weeks have been extremely busy. We've had a lot of school work thrown on us which has caused a lot of stress, and that has taken its toll on many of us. However I think I can safely say that the worst has passed and most everyone is feeling better about things.

I believe since my last post I have a few new things to mention. I've unofficially and informally joined an excavation at the site of Tel Aphek/Antipatris. The site is located just outside the town of Rosh Ha'ayin, at the headwaters of the Yarkon River. The site has habitation layers from the Bronze Age (~1500 BCE) all the way to the Ottoman Period. The excavations run by Tel Aviv University are in an area of a Canaanite Palace dating to the Bronze Age. Most of the site has been excavated before, so we are finding a lot of fill material, such as barbed wire, modern glass, plastic, and chewed gum.

I have been to the site twice now, last Friday and this Friday (today). I have been working with several others in one square, trying to make the floor level before lowering it down to the elevation of the Canaanite Palace. The Bronze Age level is more than a meter beneath the current level, and the work will not be completed after only one season. Right now we are digging through part of the Roman level, and are finding some typical Roman pottery (in addition to the modern fill material). Today part of my job was filling sandbags to line the bulks and edges of the excavation squares. 'Sandbags' is a misnomer, since the bags are actually filled with the dirt that we excavate from the square. The boss was happily surprised by my technique and complimented the look and professionalism of the sandbags I made, He put me in charge of the sandbag job, which surprised me since I have never done that kind of work before.

One aspect of the Aphek excavations is the inclusion of children and non-academics in the excavation process. Each week a large part of the team consists of normal people that have chosen to wake up really early and participate in the dig. Children from a local school are also brought to the site to help out and learn more about archaeology. Part of our job as the 'expert excavators' is to teach the others about the archaeological process, the techniques, methods and terminology, as well as the reasons behind those methods and the excavations themselves. The children, while not able to do the heavy digging or more delicate work, can also participate by moving loose stones or washing the potter that has already been found. They really enjoy it because they feel like they are helping the professionals (us) with our work, which they are! It also exposes them to a part of the history that they may never experience, or only experience to a limited extent. Plus it's a chance for them to practice English (and for me to practice Hebrew)!

The winter rainy season has come, which limits the time excavations can be held. This means that there may be only one more day of excavations before the squares are closed for the winter. The decision hasn't been made yet, but even if I've excavated my last day at Aphek I have learned quite a bit and am glad I went. I have signed up for another dig in January down in the Negev, but the details for that have not been released yet.

I hope all my American followers have a relaxing and stomach-bursting Thanksgiving. Hanukkah is coming up soon, so my next post will probably cover that festive time!

Attached here is the link to all of my photos, for those that don't look at or don't have Facebook. It includes all the photos I've taken while I've been here in Israel, including some of the less spectacular ones that I choose to omit from publishing on Facebook. The link will work no matter how many photos I add, so saving this link will always show you the most up to date files.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rzg8dgcag9yjjx7/AADeP0ft-J6r_xxApFqm7p1xa?dl=0

1 Month In, 2 Weeks of Rain

Hey everyone! The program is now around one month old, and things are starting to go at a regular pace. This post is somewhat light on content and events, so if you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments and I will be more than willing to answer!

The few weeks since my last post have been mostly uneventful. I go to classes Mon-Thur, I read various articles about various aspects of archaeology in the Southern Levant, I eat, I sleep, I do laundry, I try to avoid the rain. Yeah, we've had a lot of rain recently. I haven't been keeping track, but I'm pretty sure it has rained for at least an hour at some point every day for the last two weeks. And not just a light drizzle, either. They have been storms, complete with thunder and lightning. This is great for the country as a whole, but a real bummer for us who like to do things outside.

Identifying sherds

This past Friday we were supposed to go on our first field trip to the sites of Gezer and Aphek, but we had to cancel on account of thunderstorms. Instead we had an impromptu lesson on pottery in the Bronze and Iron Ages. You can see some of the pictures from the lesson I posted on Facebook. I was definitely disappointed that we didn't get to go to the sites, since they were two sites that I had never been to before. However, the day wasn't a loss as the typology lesson was very educational. Some parts of it were review, like how to identify and label different parts of a vessel (neck, base, rim, etc.), but seeing actual examples of the pottery we were discussing in our classes was very useful.

Philistine wine krater

'Bilbil' jug

The classes themselves have been interesting as a whole, with some more educational than others. Since the professors teach classes for our program as well as courses in Hebrew for Israeli students (and sometimes courses for other departments), juggling classes sometimes leads to overlap. This means sometimes we won't have one of the classes one week, and may have a different class more times than is scheduled. As long as we are learning, I have no complaints.

Starting this week we will begin our discussion of the Iron Age, and the time periods discussed in the Bible. It is going to be very interesting to see what people think about the different interpretations and outlooks towards archaeology and the Bible, and to see how professional archaeologists tackle the issue as well.

We have received our first written assignments, so the next couple weeks will be mostly devoted to doing research and writing for those. I hope everyone has an enjoyable and productive week. Feel free to ask questions, and stay out of the rain!

First Week of Classes

Time for post #3! School has officially started. The campus is full of people, all the students have come, and classes have begun. Here's a quick look at how the week went, and what I think I can expect for the rest of the semester. I don't want to bore you too much with details about what specifically we learned, so this might be a little shorter of a post.

The first semester is going to be a busy one. Mondays are busiest days, we start at 10am and go all the way to 6pm with minimal breaks. The rest of the week gets progressively easier, with only one class on Thursday. I don't have classes Friday through Sunday. This semester has 6 courses: 3 seminars on daily life and culture in different times and places in the biblical and pre-biblical periods, an intro class to the history the Levant from the Late Bronze Age through the Hellenistic Period, a class on how to think and write critically in an archaeological setting, and Ancient Greek for beginner archaeologists.

Most of the classes seem really interesting, and the professors are all very engrossed in their topics. The first few classes that went over history and archaeology terms and basic stuff was mostly review for me, but a lot of the people in the program don't have that background and need the introductions. In about a month we are going to start taking field trips to different sites around the country that are related to what we are studying. Early in November we will be traveling to places near Tel Aviv like Gezer and Aphek, late bronze age sites that we are currently studying. The Ancient Greek class is focused mainly on being able to identify and translate inscriptions and other written finds, not necessarily speaking it.

The first week was also host to a large fair/carnival/thing on campus to welcome back all the students. The main courtyard and surrounding walkways were full of vendor stalls selling clothing, shoes, and food, along with booths for different clubs and organizations on campus. This happened all week, not just on one day. There was also a stage for live bands that played periodically. It was a huge welcome celebration, and was really fun to experience.

The real grind is about to begin. I am going to have a lot of reading and a lot of writing to do, and my time is going to be full. It is going to be a challenge, but I think I'm going to enjoy it!

Orientation Week

Welcome back to my blog, everyone! This post will be dedicated to covering the weekends and the week of orientation. I know all of you are eagerly waiting to hear what I've been up to, so sit tight while I take you with me on the long week I've had. It's a long post!

The weekend after I moved into the dorm was uneventful. I went to the beach again, explored the neighborhood around the university, and got situated into my room. Nothing special. My roommates are finally all here, they moved in on different days over the last week. Some may be leaving soon to move into the studio dorms, but for now it's a full house.

Monday was the first day of orientation, where we met everyone in our individual masters program. We met the faculty and staff of the archaeology department at TAU, along with most of our professors teaching us this semester. Some were out of town so we will meet them once classes begin. There are some big names in the department. The head of the department is Oded Lipschitz, a big important scholar in biblical archaeology. Israel Finkelstein and Omer Sergi are also professors of ours, and are very well known in the field. If you ever read articles from biblical archaeology magazines or watch specials on the History Channel, you might recognize their names. After meeting all the available professors we had a little break and snack, accompanied by a toast to a successful year. We met some of the previous students that had already gone through the program and had already graduated or are working on their theses. Then we learned more about actual program, what we were going to be doing and studying, and how the next year (or several years) was going to play out.

I know a lot of people have asked me about the second year of the program, and I finally have some answers for you! The minimum grade to be invited to apply to write a thesis is an 85. Then you apply to different groups in the staff for approval to participate in the second year. While it is not a requirement for receiving the MA that you plan on doing a thesis, it is recommended for those that intend on going further in their studies and encouraged throughout the year. Different staff members will meet with us about our interests and hobbies so that we can find a good theme and topic for the thesis. If we are accepted into the thesis track we do not need to have our thesis topic chosen and written in stone at the beginning. I have also heard that some students continue their work on their thesis past the second year and into a third or fourth year. My plan remains the same, to work hard and do the best I can so that I might be accepted into the thesis track for the coming year.

After all the explanation was done we left the department and went on a tour of campus. We saw many of the important buildings and places that we would need to be successful, including the main library, the exits, and the cafeterias. That closed out the first day of orientation on Monday.

Monday night was the first social event for international students, held at a bar in south-central Tel Aviv. The event was full of students from all the different international programs, and while there was some mingling, it mostly ended up being everyone sticking around their own program colleagues. It was a fun night. We drank, talked, and got to know each other better.

Tuesday was orientation for all the international students together. It started with a placement test for those students who wanted (or were required) to take Hebrew classes, but I was not one of them so I slept in. Then we all met together in a classroom where two of the international student office staff members told us all the rules, regulations, and general information about the international program. It was very long, dry, and boring, made worse by the fact that everything they said was included in the multitude of emails they had sent to us during the previous several days. After a while we split up into groups to do "ice breakers," where we met with people from other programs and talked about different topics that moderators brought up. The ice breaker was way too short, and after like ten minutes it was time for lunch. After lunch we went back into the classroom for an academic writing workshop. I thought the first half of the day was boring, but the writing workshop seemed completely useless.It was almost entirely devoted to talking about plagiarism. I get why that is important, but it didn't have to be a two hour lecture. Anyway, that ended orientation on Tuesday.

Wednesday we had a 4 hour "introductory class" with Omer, one of the professors from the program. The class was an introduction and overview into the different important settings for the entire program, focusing on the geography, terminology, and scope our studies into archaeology and history of the land of the Bible. The class was one of a three-part 'series' of intro classes we will be having these first two weeks. One of the other professors is out of the country and won't be back until the second week, so we are having intro courses during that time slot instead. Even though almost all of the information was review for me, the class was still very entertaining, engaging and exciting. Omer is a very good professor, and I am looking forward to taking more classes with him.

Thursday morning we had a tour of the archaeology department. We saw the different offices, the archaeology library, the displays of the different dig sites, and met some multi-year students that were working in the labs on specific projects. It was very interesting to see all the different sites that the university was involved in, like Megiddo, Ramat Rachel, Tel Azeka, and Timna.

That was the end of orientation week. Friday night I went to the Chabad rabbi's apartment for Shabbat dinner, and had a great time. I met some new friends from the university, made friends with the rabbi, and had great food. Saturday I spent reading. We were assigned a multitude of articles to read for class on Monday, so that took up a lot of time. Sunday, today, the archaeology department held a tour of central Tel Aviv. It was a lot of walking around neighborhoods of Tel Aviv that I was previously familiar with, but I'm sure it was useful for the students that didn't know the city very well or had never been there before. It was a fun walk, and we ate lunch at a good falafel restaurant.

That pretty much covers everything important that's happened over the last week or so. Tomorrow morning I start classes. I have classes Monday through Thursday, so I'm not sure if it's going to be easy, with fewer class days, or very hard, with lots of work to do between classes and on off days. In my next post I'll be sure to update everyone on how classes are going, and how I think the year will progress. Have fun!

Pre-program Post

Hello everyone, and welcome to my blog documenting my year-long study in Israel to obtain an MA in Archaeology and History of the Land of the Bible! For those of you returning to my blog after reading about my journeys here in Israel nearly two years ago, welcome back! To all my new followers, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride!

Let's get things started by answering the basic questions everyone has: What are you studying? For how long? How'd you hear about it? Is it in English? And so on.

1) What program is this, what are the details?
I am part of a 1-2 year master's program in archaeology, specifically archaeology of the Holy Land (as I mentioned in the first paragraph) at Tel Aviv University International in Israel. Now I say 1-2 years because, I'm not quite clear on the exact details, but it is a 1-year program to receive the MA, and then depending on your performance you can pay to attend a second year doing research, writing a thesis, and having it published. Again I'm not sure exactly how it works, so once I have more information I'll explain it here for you all. I know some of you may be thinking, "One year to get a master's? That's really quick!" and I agree with you. Whether I'm extremely overwhelmed with work or I'm able to manage everything and still have time to lay on the beach, we'll soon find out!

2) How did you hear about this program?
I actually heard about this program at the end of my conservation internship in Akko a year and a half ago. I was discussing my future plans with the director of the program, one of the things being furthering my studies. When I mentioned that I was interested in studying for an MA, she mentioned this program here at Tel Aviv University. During the last few weeks of my program I did more research on the MA program, and decided to apply for the upcoming year (2014-15). The application process was quick and easy, and I was accepted! However, since I applied so close to the start of the program, there was no financial aid available, and the program does have a price tag. After weighing all the options, I decided to refuse acceptance and save money and work, and then apply for the following year (2015-16). So that's what I did. I worked, saved money, reapplied, and was accepted again.

3) Is the program in Hebrew or English? Why are you starting so late in the year?
The program is entirely in English. The MA is part of Tel Aviv University's International branch, which is run entirely in English for primarily international students. All students must be able to speak English fluently. We will be studying ancient Greek, but learning Hebrew is not included in the curriculum. The school year in Israel is mostly determined by the dates of the Jewish High Holidays, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. Because Israel is a religious state, and everything shuts down on holidays, there would be a lot of days off right at the beginning of the year. I'm not sure how primary and high school schedules are made, but for universities, they almost always begin after the end of Sukkot. This year Sukkot ended Monday, Oct. 5th, so school is starting the following week.

4) What is the program like? What classes are you taking?
The first semester is primarily divided into four blocks. Each block delves into a different period of ancient history in the region, starting with the Late Bronze Age (1550-1100 BCE) and ending with the Hellenistic Period. After each block we will take field trips to sites relevant to the period. Second semester continues the history lesson, looking at themes relevant to the broader region of the ancient Near East. There are also courses in archaeological method and science, as well as classes on ancient culture.

Now that I've bored you all with the technical information, I can tell you how my trip has been so far.

I arrived in Israel Sept. 30th and have spent the last week with my cousins in Beit Shemesh. On the plane I actually met one of my colleagues in my program, a girl from Toronto. We met one day along with her roommate and explored the artists market in Tel Aviv, then walked on the promenade along the beach and ate hummus for lunch. My second cousin is also starting a master's at TAU, and she spent some time with my cousins as well. On my second day here my aunt and uncle took my cousin and me to the old Turkish train station outside Jerusalem, and then we went and watched part of a parade.

This morning I moved into the dorm. After a long, traffic-filled drive from Beit Shemesh, I arrived at Einstein dormitories, and am now all unpacked and settled into my room. Here's a little bit about the room: I am in Building E of the Einstein dormitories complex, in room 55. The building has four horizontal sections, each containing a block of rooms. The first fifteen or so in section 1, fifteen more in section 2, etc. I am in the last section, on the second floor. No elevators by the way, I had to carry all my luggage up myself. Each room is actually a suite, with two rooms connected to a main kitchen and bathroom. Each individual room houses two people. As of writing this blog, no other person has moved into the suite, so I don't have any roommates yet. Also, the dorm is lacking some key things, namely trash cans, silverware and utensil, and toilet paper.

After I got unpacked, I met up with Raquel (the girl from Toronto) and her roommate and we went to the beach. We spent the afternoon relaxing in the sand, then ate shawarmas for a late lunch. I came back, went shopping, took a shower, and then a nap. Now I'm writing my blog, thinking about what I want for dinner.

Orientation starts next Monday, and in my next blog I'll let you know more details! Check my Facebook for pictures, and have fun!