Biblical Archaeology Review - January-February 2018

Digs 2018

BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY REVIEW 33

maritime trade ports in ancient Israel. Eric Cline

(The George Washington University) and Assaf

Yasur-Landau (University of Haifa) have renewed

excavations at Tel Kabri, a regional capital of a Mid-

dle Bronze Age Canaanite kingdom located in west-

ern Galilee, which recently made big news when the

team unearthed one of the largest wine cellars in

the ancient Near East. The Tel Hazor excavation,

directed by legendary archaeologist Amnon Ben-Tor

(The Hebrew University of Jerusalem), will begin its

29th dig season in 2018 and will continue unearth-

ing one of the largest, most significant sites (in terms

of international knowledge) of the ancient world.

Finally, the Abel Beth Maacah project, led by Bob

Mullins (Azusa Pacific) and Naama Yahalom-Mack

and Nava Panitz-Cohen (The Hebrew University of

Jerusalem), have expanded the northern Israel exca-

vation they began in 2013. During the second season,

the excavators discovered a Late Bronze Age hoard

of 12 silver pieces that may help us understand who

lived at this ancient border town and what their

technological capabilities were. And just last sea-

son, they discovered the faience head of a bearded

male in an Iron Age II context that might help us

understand the ethnic makeup of the population liv-

ing in this city.

These are only a small sample of the ongoing

excavations in the Biblical world, many of which

will be digging this summer. Here at BAR, we want

to promote the study of—and your participation

LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL. At the Roman-period site of

‘Einot Amitai in Galilee where chalkstone vessels were

produced, a dig participant cheerfully wheelbarrows dirt

away from the excavation area.

COURTESY OF THE ‘EINOT AMITAI EXCAVATION

WITH EAGLE EYES, Kabri volunteers George Arbanas,

Martha Soltani, and Nissim Sasson carefully sift buckets of

excavated dirt in search of small artifacts.

ERIC H. CLINE