Fortress of the Moabites

This summer, explore the eastern neighbors of the ancient Israelites—the Moabites of central Transjordan. From their capital cities of Dibon and Kerak on the eastern highland range overlooking the Dead Sea, the Moabites developed a kingdom that at times rivaled the achievements of the better-known Israelites. Although the Bible tells us little about the Moabites, the famous ninth-century B.C. stele of king Mesha of Moab tells how the king expelled the Israelites from his territory and consolidated his power among the tribes and towns of central Jordan.

Since 1996, Michèle Daviau of Wilfred Laurier University in Canada and a team of international archaeologists and volunteers have been excavating the major Moabite town of Khirbet al-Mudayna. The site, located on a hill overlooking the Wadi ath-Thamad tributary of the Wadi Mujib gorge, was built and fortified with a casemate wall and sloping glacis during the Iron Age II. It is thought that the site may have been one of the Moabite fortresses that helped protect Moab’s northern border against Israelite incursion. Excavation at the site has revealed an Iron Age six-chambered gate and a nearby alleyway shrine that contained several limestone altars, one with a rare Moabite inscription. The project also incorporates a larger regional survey of the Wadi ath-Thamad area, which has resulted in the discovery of a host of sites ranging in date from the Neolithic to the Ottoman period.

This summer, volunteers at Khirbet al-Mudayna will have the chance to further uncover remnants of the Iron Age town, as well as work on the excavation of the Nabataean house that was discovered in the upper strata of the site. There may also be opportunities to work on the survey portion of the project.

Volunteers will stay in a hotel in the nearby town of Madaba, about a half-hour bus ride from the site. On weekends, participants will be able to visit Amman, Petra and other beautiful sites throughout Jordan.