The hilltop site of Ramat Rachel, located on the grounds of Kibbutz Ramat Rachel just southeast of Jerusalem, continues to produce unparalleled evidence for the flourishing Judean monarchy of the latter half of the Iron Age. It was here that an earlier generation of archaeologists discovered the only known Judean palatial compound (decorated with outstanding examples of Proto-Aeolic capitals), as well as dozens of seal impressions that indicate the site’s royal and administrative importance during the late Iron Age, Persian and Hellenistic periods. Later occupation at this important site is shown by a well-preserved villa and bathhouse complex of the Roman Tenth Legion, as well as a large church and monastery of the Byzantine period.

But now, after three seasons of fresh excavation by Israeli and German archaeologists, Ramat Rachel is providing even more evidence of the extraordinary wealth and ingenuity of the last of the Judean kings. Most significantly, they have uncovered the remains of an elaborate water system that once channeled rainwater collected from the city onto lush gardens surrounding the royal palace. It is the first ever Iron Age palatial garden discovered in Israel. The renewed excavations have also revealed an entirely unexpected public building dating to the Abbasid period (10th century C.E.), adding yet again to the long history of the site. This upcoming season, volunteers will help directors Oded Lipschits and Manfred Oeming dig deeper into the royal citadel of Ramat Rachel, uncovering further clues about its water system, fortifications and palatial gardens. The excavators also plan to devote considerable attention to the site’s little-known Persian and Hellenistic levels.

Participants will stay at the luxurious four-star Ramat Rachel Hotel located on the kibbutz. The hotel is equipped with air-conditioned rooms, a pool, a recreation and spa center and 24-hour internet service.

Oded Lipschits co-directs the Ramat Rachel excavations. At Tel Aviv University he is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Archaeology and a professor in the Jewish History department, where he has taught since 1988.

In 2004 Dr. Lipschits published The Fall and Rise of Jerusalem (Eisenbrauns), for which he received the Zehavah and Eliyahu Eilat Prize. In 2005 he was awarded the Ish-Shalom Prize for Best Book in the Research of the History of Israel. His most recent book, Judah and the Judeans in the Persian Period, was published in January 2006 (Eisenbrauns).

Manfred Oeming is co-director of the Ramat Rachel dig, where he and Oded Lipschits began a five-year excavation campaign in 2005. He is a professor of Old Testament Theology and Jewish History at the University of Heidelberg. Dr. Oeming has contributed to and written several books, including Contemporary Biblical Hermeneutics: An Introduction (Ashgate Publishing Company, 2006).