June 3: A Step in the Right Direction – Update 6

The Bottom Step

By Gary D. Myers

Only a short blog today because everyone on the Gezer team is tired, very tired. We’ve worked hard and toured hard and today everyone looked a little worn.

The big progress today came in the area of the bottom step of the water system. When the tunnel was cut from the rock a series of steps was cut from the top to the pool below. When MacAlister excavated the system 100+ years ago, he laid a “causeway “ of stone from the bottom step to the mouth of the cavern. Our hope is that ancient material will be found below MacAlister’s causeway. Any material found there could help the team date the water system.  Volunteers also worked to clean the causeway for a photograph tomorrow. After the causeway is thoroughly measured and documented, the team will remove portions of the stones and dig several probes to search for datable artifacts and the water source. Stay tuned.

Week One Video Update with Dr. Dan Warner

Click Here to Watch

The Gezer Team sings “How Great is Our God” in a cistern under the Western Wall in Jerusalem (video courtesy of Brian Mooney)

Click Here to Watch

June 2: A Very Full Weekend and a Very Full Day – Update 5

By Gary D. Myers

The group had two very long days touring over the weekend. Friday the team tour Caesarea, Megiddo, Capernaum and several other sites near the Galilee. Saturday it was Masada, Swimming in the Dead Sea and Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Both trips were very enjoyable. We ended the evening Saturday with a short worship service back at Neve Shalom.

Sunday, we were back at the Gezer Water System for the first part of a very long day. We worked in the morning at the water system. We worked hard, moved a lot of dirt, but other than that, not much to report.

After lunch and a quick shower, we were off to Jerusalem to the City of David to tour the ancient water system under the oldest part of Jerusalem. It was a very special tour for our guide was none other than Eli Shukron, the archaeologists who excavated the City of David. During the 14 years he excavated there, Shukron found the passage David’s general Joab used to enter the Jebusite city of Jerusalem, the Pool of Siloam and countless other important finds. And the excavations continue. On top of being a the leader of such an important dig, Shukron knows the Bible and believes the stories of the Old Testament. It was a rare treat to spend time with this man.

Near the end of our tour, standing in a cistern below the Western Wall of the Temple Mount, Shukron asked us to sing a song to enjoy the acoustics. We chose “How Great is Our God.” We truly worshiped. The sound of heart-felt worship filled the cistern. And though it was unplanned, it was one of the real highlights of this year’s dig.

2013 Dig Week One

2013 Dig Week One, a set on Flickr.