First Day @ the Dig August 6th

The six of us from Temple Sinai arrived yesterday, Sunday in Tel Aviv. We took a van past Jerusalem to Ramat Rahel Kibbutz where we're staying at the hotel. My luggage didn't arrive & they hotel misplaced my reservation so that was upsetting, but it's all resolved now.

At 5AM local time all the participants (about 40) met for coffee & walked out to the dig site -- maybe 1/4 mile away. I am assigned to section C1 south where we're digging next to a wall. There are five of us (including Merilyn) at this site and this area was quite prolific.

Were digging by 5:30 and worked till 9 when a hearty Israeli breakfast was served overlooking Jerusalem. We are on the top of a large hill which was at times a fortress and a palace -- the site chosen because you can see for many miles in any direction. It was an important site from the Judean kingdom era 700 BCE till the Byzantine rule 1,400 years later. It's a great dig site because it's relatively cool and there's usually a breeze.

We recovered a bucketful of pottery shards, the adjacent site found a clay seal - emblem of Jerusalem. The "prize" for best find given by Liona, the pottery expert, was for an intact Byzantine oil lamp found in site D4. We use pickaxes to start, then hand pics and then hands and flat trowels to unearth the artifacts. I found dozens of pottery pieces, most small but one about 5" across. I also found 3 partial jar rims, which are important because an expert can date the rims by its characteristics.

After a much-needed nap, I went swimming at the hotel pool. I have to tell my fellow Perinton Rec guards about Israeli lifeguards -- for one thing they smoke on duty. I must take a picture for Barb.

I just caught up with the rest of the group for the 5PM lecture of Prof Manfred Oding about Jerusalem's history in relation to King Solomon. After a light supper (all the food is excellent) I met one of our group and we walked up to the Ramat Rahel Monument, which has olive trees growing op top. Soon I will go to bed. It's only 9PM now (2PM for you) but after my reading I will be tired again.