DIGS

Tel Dan

June 2 – June 28, 2024
israel
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The Site Where History and Legend Converge

Tel Dan is one of the most important sites in the ancient Near East and for biblical archaeology in particular. Situated at the base of snow-capped Mount Hermon on the headwaters of the Jordan, Dan has been an important settlement from the Neolithic period (ca. 5000 BCE) through the early modern period.

Archaeological highlights include massive Early Bronze Age fortifications (ca. 2900–2200 BCE), the earliest preserved mudbrick arched gate in the world (ca. 1900–1500 BCE), a spectacular Mycenaean tomb from the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1500–1200 BCE), an early Iron Age I agrarian settlement that some associate with the Israelites (ca. 1200–1000 BCE), and major fortifications from the Iron Age II (ca. 1000–700 BCE), including an Israelite temple where Jeroboam’s golden calf may have once stood (1 Kings 12), along with various figurines, statues, and inscriptions from the Persian, Hellenistic and Roman periods.

Perhaps the most famous find from Tel Dan is a stela, likely commissioned by Hazael of Aram sometime in the ninth century BCE, identifying a Judahite king from the “house of David” and thus providing the only extra-biblical reference to the famed King David.

Details

Geographic Location

Golan, Northern Israel

Dates of the Dig

June 2 – June 28, 2024

Minimum Stay

2 Weeks

Application Due

Monday, April 15, 2024

Academic Credit/Cost per Credit/Institution

3 credits are offered by Hebrew Union College/NYU Tel Aviv. Contact for more details.

Accommodations

Volunteers will be housed in the Mount Hermon Field School with 2- or 3-person occupancy options.

Cost

Weekly fees with triple occupancy: 2 weeks for $1240, 3 weeks for $1840, and 4 weeks for $2400. Weekly fees with double occupancy: 2 weeks for $1700, 3 weeks for $2500, and 4 weeks for $3300.

Directors

Yifat Thareani: Hebrew Union College and NYU Tel Aviv

Jonathan Greer: Grand Valley State University

Contact

Jonathan Greer

[email protected]

To learn how you can get involved, visit their website.


In the free eBook, A Digger’s Life: A Guide to the Archaeology Dig Experience, step into an archaeological excavation and find out what it takes to find, prepare for, and work on a dig.

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