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Students dropped their textbooks and picked up picks and buckets this summer, putting their Old Testament knowledge to the test on an archaeological dig in Israel. Trip coordinators Deborah Appler, associate professor of Old Testament at MTS, and Jason Radine, assistant professor of Religion at Moravian College, shared highlights, stories and pictures from the trip at the final Moravian Lunch of the fall semester on November 17th.
From July 20 through August 15, twenty-one students and faculty from Moravian College and Seminary traveled to the southern tip of modern Jerusalem for the Ramat Rahel Archaeological Project. Participants dug at the site from 5:30 in the morning until breakfast, washed pottery in the afternoon, and attended a lecture each evening. Time was allowed to explore Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and other cities and landmarks.
The group kept in touch with the Moravian community back home by posting regularly to their online blog, "Hounds in the Ground." Pictures from the trip offered a glimpse of what each day was like at Ramat Rahel: digging for pottery and other artifacts under heavy tarps and the hot sun, visiting the Dome of the Rock, meeting the Israel president, tasting local delicacies, and wading in the Sea of Galilee.
As Deborah and Jason shared the details and memories from the trip, other participants interjected with their own recollections. MDiv student Susan Bennetch, who attended with her husband Brad, summarized her experience: “People ask me ‘You were in Israel?’ and I say ‘Yes, I was, and I’m still not back’ because I’ll never forget.”
Deborah reported that another archaeological trip to Israel is in the works for 2012. Until then, interested individuals are encouraged to explore the archaeology museum at UPenn. Dr. Appler is co-leading a trip to various cities in the Holy Land in January 2010.
Photos and journal entries from the Ramat Rahel trip can be found at http://houndsintheground.wordpress.com. |
