Come dig with us in 2008!
The Tel Dan expedition is looking for capable, enthusiastic volunteers for the 2008 season!The 2008 season will run from Sunday, June 22 until Thursday, July 17. We ask volunteers to spend a minimum of week at the dig. Students and volunteers earning credit from Hebrew Union College are required to stay for four weeks. Volunteers must be in good physical condition and eager to work with others in a communal, team-oriented environment.
Goals for the 2008 season
We have three main objectives for the 2008 season. First, we will continue to expose the Iron II village architecture just inside the Israelite gate. In the last season, we reached a courtyard from the eighth century BCE in the final days of digging. We will clarify the relationship between these features and the surrounding Israelite city. Second, we will resume excavations outside the Israelite gate, where Avraham Biran discovered fragments of the House of David stela and a peculiar bronze plaque among a collection of extramural buildings, comprising an inn or cultic area. We would like to establish the parameters of this intriguing complex of buildings and collect enough information to determine its function. Will we find any additional pieces of the House of David inscription among these ruins? Come find out! Third, we will most likely open an new area in the middle of the city, where we believe it is possible to discover domestic architecture. This will give us valuable information about the living conditions of Israelites as well as the settlers relocated to Dan after the Assyrian conquest of Israel in the late eighth century BCE.
Location
Tel Dan is a ten-minute drive from Kiryat Shmona, and a one-hour drive from Safed or Tiberius in northern Israel.
Accommodations
Volunteers will reside at the Snir Field school, which is a five-minute drive from Tel Dan. Volunteers are typically housed 2 people per room. Amenities include air conditioning, laundry, internet access, hiking trails, swimming pool and an on-site grocery store. The academic program usually features lectures on archaeology and/or the Bible in the evenings. All volunteers are invited and encouraged to attend. Field trips will take place one afternoon each week for an additional fee of $30 (cost included for students paying tuition). Weekend trips can be organized upon request.
College Credit
Hebrew Union College offers three academic credits at a total cost of $500. Students electing to take the course for credit are required to attend the evening lectures and stay for a minimum of four weeks.
In addition to instruction in the field and evening lectures, the educational program also features visits to important nearby archaeological and historical sites. Here David Ilan discusses the Late Bronze palace at Hazor with the volunteers from Dan.
Program Costs
Registration: $75
Room and Board:
1 week (without weekend) $400
2 weeks (one weekend) $800
3 weeks (two weekends) $11504 weeks (three weekends) $1450
5 weeks (four weekends) $1750
Airfare is not included in the above costs.
How do I apply?
Prospective volunteers will need to complete an application and medical form. For application materials and any additional questions, please click the link for “Volunteer Application” and/or contact:
Dr. Nili Fox
Hebrew Union College
3101 Clifton Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45220
Telephone: 513-221-7444 x 3268
FAX: (513) 221-1847
E-mail: nfox@huc.edu
