Tamar (Mezad Hazeva)Israel • February 22-March 5, 2009 |
  Dig Scholarship Winner EssaysEvery summer, people of all ages and from all walks of life volunteer to participate on archaeological digs throughout Israel, Jordan and other parts of the Mediterranean world. Read the dig experiences of three such volunteers, all of whom were selected as 2008 BAS Dig Scholarship winners. Read Dig Scholarship Winner Essays Find a Dig Poster
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 On the Road to the Queen of ShebaThroughout antiquity, the lucrative Arabian spice trade was carried on the backs of camels, traveling thousands of miles across trackless desert to reach the major ports and cities of the Mediterranean. All along this long road, local kings and faraway emperors eagerly set up stopping points for the caravans, making sure that they too got their share of the goods and profits.
Biblical Archaeology: From the Ground Down How does a dig team work? What do archaeologists look for at a dig? In this documentary DVD, learn how excavators work and what we can learn from archaeology. More information. The ancient city of Tamar in southern Israel was just such a site. Already by the tenth century B.C., Solomon had established Tamar as a fortified town to control the trade routes coming from Arabia. Subsequent kings of both Judah and Edom, including Josiah, occupied the site in order to oversee the passing caravan trade. The Edomites even maintained a cultic shrine at Tamar, as evidenced by several distinctive Edomite incense altars found in a pit at the site. By the latter half of the first millennium B.C., the great Nabatean merchants of Petra had also established a commercial outpost here, an outpost that was then occupied by the Romans in the second century A.D.
Although excavation work at Tamar is continuing, the Blossoming Rose society, in coordination with the Israeli Antiquities Authority, is embarking on a long-term project to conserve, develop and protect this important desert site as a national park. Volunteers are needed not only to help excavate and restore the archaeological remains, but also to help build structures and plant trees for the planned 53-acre park.
Located 30 miles south of the Dead Sea in the desert steppe of the Wadi Arabah, Tamar is quite isolated, and volunteers should expect simple living. If you’re looking for a quiet, serene and incredibly beautiful setting, however, Tamar is the place for you. The project facility has a kitchen, dining hall, toilets and showers, as well as several rooms furnished with beds.
Yigal Israel Dr. Yigal Israel is the head archaeologist at Biblical Tamar and serves as director of the Israel Antiquities Authority’s southwestern district.Craig Bowman Dr. Craig Bowman is a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary and teaches Old Testament and Biblical Studies at Rochester College near Detroit, Michigan. He currently serves as co-director of the Biblical Tamar Park excavation and restoration project. |
Dig DirectorsGeographic Location30 miles south of the Dead Sea, Wadi Arabah Dates of OccupationIron Age to Early Islamic Dates of the DigFebruary 22-March 5, 2009 Minimum StayOne day Application DueRolling registration Cost$50 per day Academic Credit/Cost per Credit/InstitutionCertificate in restoration from the Israel Antiquities Authority, $1,500 (including room & board) AccommodationsTrailer housing on site ContactJodi Coxon Open for toursYes |
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