We’re off to Jerusalem this afternoon until Saturday evening.  Until we return, we’ll leave you with this… the group singing Amazing Grace during devotions last night on the “beach” of the Sea of Galilee…

Some people eat to live. I live to eat. I did not return for my second dig season because of the food OR the ambiance of the dig “dining room.” We eat in an abandoned IDF (Israel Defense Force) building constructed on this hilltop after the 1948 war between Israel and its Arab neighbors. Grates over the window openings added since my last dig season (2006) have greatly reduced the amount of pigeon doodoo covering the serving tables and junk chairs. And the food is WEIRD! And all labeling is in Hebrew. Every morning is an adventure.

Today’s finds include a marble mortar, a metal pendant, broken part of a grinding bowl. In this video, Darryl demonstrates the proper technique for getting a big rock UP and out of a square.

Following is the basic 3 step process of Hippos archaeology for those of you tuning in at home wondering what we actually do here.  Please read carefully, and save all questions for the end. 

Step one: Use pick axe to loosen a layer of dirt.  (The boys in my group stated this as their favorite part of digging because it makes them feel “manly.”)

Step two: Use a turreah to shovel the dirt into buckets.

Step three: Transport the dirt by hand to the dump pile and… you guessed it, dump it out!

There are, of course, some other things involved such as picking up pottery sherds and other small finds like glass or bones; we take water breaks, fruit breaks, and even, on occasion, popsicle breaks, and there are many many big rocks to be moved during the course of the morning’s work, but here you see that in just a few steps, we slowly uncover more of this church complex at Hippos, really just one bucket of dirt at a time.  

Now you may ask any questions.