Pastor Elkin Digging in Tiberias, Israel

Pastor Elkin has been planning an adventure for some time, to take part in an archaeological expedition in Israel. Most such events take place during the summer months when college students are available as workers, but one is scheduled for spring and fall 2006 sessions at Tiberias on the western coast of the Sea of Galilee.

Pastor Elkin left on October 17, 2006, and will stop off in Barcelona, Spain to visit his daughter, Katy for several days before continuing on to Tel Aviv. He has a day to get acclimated with a visit to friends in Haifa, and then arrives in Tiberias. There is a modern city near the ancient site, but fortunately, not on top of the site. The group will be housed in a motel a few miles away, near where the Jordan River exits the Sea of Galilee. The workday begins quite early, so that workers can be in the shade by the hottest part of the day.

Tiberias Pastor Elkin is hoping to find internet access so that he can send regular reports to us. If he finds access, reports will be posted on this Website. Watch for announcements about this in the Sunday bulletin. Persons curious about the enterprise can read about the dig and see photos of past seasons on the website for the dig at www.tiberiasexcavation.com.

Last season the expedition discovered a fourth-century church that had been unknown. That is part of the allure; no one knows what might be beneath the next inch of soil. Tiberias was a bustling place at the time of Jesus, even though scripture does not record him visiting the city. It became the headquarters of the Jewish religious leaders after they were banished from Jerusalem following the zealots’ revolts. It continued to be an active place until it was finally destroyed at the time of the Crusades. It was abandoned at that point until excavations began in recent years. The Israeli government has recently committed $5 million toward the promotion and protection of this site as an archaeological park when the excavations are concluded.

The Pastor will give a full report on this adventure when he returns.