One Last Season of Surprises

This spring, join the final season of excavation at the site of ancient Tiberias as archaeologists attempt to resolve lingering questions about this renowned city of late antiquity. Founded on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee in 19 A.D., Tiberias became, over the course of its thousand-year history, a focal point of culture and commerce. Most notably, Tiberias grew quickly after the mid-second century A.D. as a bastion of Jewish life and learning, while by the fourth century the city had become a major destination for Christian pilgrims touring the many Holy sites of the Galilee region. Tiberias continued to prosper after the Umayyads had come to power, becoming the capital of the Urdun (“Jordan”) district.

Excavations have been ongoing throughout various parts of the ancient site for more than five decades, but many of the more impressive finds have come to light with the excavations of Israeli archaeologist Yizhar Hirschfeld, the director of the current project. Since 1989, Hirschfeld and his team have uncovered a bathhouse, a large Byzantine urban villa with a unique basilical plan, a colonnaded building also from the Byzantine era, as well as Early Islamic era houses that contained the largest hoard of bronze artifacts ever discovered in Israel.

Sadly, Dr. Hirschfeld passed away suddenly on the last day of the 2006 season. But in his memory, Hirschfeld’s colleagues and current project co-directors Shulamit Miller and Anna de Vincenz are excavating at the site one last time in hopes of answering a few final questions. In particular, the 2008 season will focus on establishing the relationship between the large Byzantine villa complex and the nearby colonnaded building.

Dig participants will stay in the Kinneret Spa Hotel. Rooms are air-conditioned and have private bathrooms and TVs. The hotel also has internet access, a café and bar, and a sun terrace with sauna.