Come and Dig with us!

“We are looking for volunteers for the first excavation ever at Tel Nissa in the Valley of the Springs near Beit Shean! Come be the first to discover the secrets of the wonderful site.

The excavation will take place the week before Passover, April 14-19, 2024, as well as during the week of Passover and Hol Moed on the dates: April 21-22, April 24-26, 2024. A limited construction team will start working already on 11-12.4. The excavation will be carried out by a limited team and will be based mainly on volunteers. Preference is given to those who can come for at least three days. The team is organizing on a tent complex near the hill, but there will also be the option of staying in rooms for those who want and come from afar.

The Arab name of the hill “El Menshiyeh” means “the built one”. In the survey we conducted at Tel in November, we found spectacular findings, including decorated ceramics, an amazingly well-preserved arrowhead and a seal impression with a drawing of an animal, an impression that was probably used to close a letter. We also found a lot of Egyptian-style ceramics typical of the period of Egyptian rule in Israel, including many “beer bottles” that teach about the drinking culture of the people of the site. The most significant period discovered in the survey is the Iron Age IIa, the beginning of the royal period in Israel.

The excavation will focus on uncovering a layer of ruins from this period at the top of the mound, which includes burnt mud brick and certainly many pottery and special finds as we found in the survey. The project will include excavation at the top of the hill (the climb is challenging) but also the processing of the findings in a shaded area at the foot of the hill, so it is suitable for everyone. In addition, we will give comprehensive explanations about the excavation, go on tours of other sites in the area and dip in the springs in the area (it is recommended to bring swimwear). Feel free to forward to potential volunteers from the area. For further questions you can contact us by email/phone:

Yoav: 054-6269362   yoav.vaknin@gmail.com,   Ayelet: 052-3794477    ayelet.keidargold@mail.huji.ac.il

Thank you from the bottom of my heart,

Yoav Vakanin and Eilat Kidar Goldberg,

The Hebrew University”.

Here is the registration form:

Dig Request form (Hebrew)

          Tel Nissa – Biblical period – figurative illustration

Learn more about the site: Tel Nissa

Excavation update (updated April 18, 2024)

Three 5x5m squares were opened on the south side of the summit. The team of volunteers and archaeologists have removed the top soil within the squares and continuing to dig into the ground in order to search and identify the ancient objects.

Updated Apr 28, 2024

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