Season 10: S01 W02 — "We Made Good, Steady Progress..."
- Bethsaida-Julias Staff
- Jul 25
- 3 min read
We made good, steady progress in our second week. Two more to go.
My personal engagement shifted just a bit. On Sunday, Adam, Laney and I finished our work in Area H alongside the Schneider house. It was determined that the walls of the 19th house were not built on monumental Roman walls, which is what we were checking.
We did uncover smaller Roman walls in our half-square, but they were not related to the foundations of the house, and it was felt that they likely would produce little additional significant information. Our energy and picks were needed elsewhere.
On Monday, we shifted to Area F, which was initially opened up last fall by the Russian immigrant archaeologists . They unearthed the largest, most substantial Roman period walls that have been seen thus far. But the archaeologists are still not sure of the purpose of the structure. When they dug, the Russians also found significant amounts of pottery and even a gold coin.
On Sunday, two new adjacent squares were marked to the east of last year's work. In my pictures I am including a before and after picture, to show the results of four days. As we finished on Thursday afternoon, we began to see the tops of Roman walls in the floor of our square. I am excited to see what we uncover in the next two weeks.
In Area G, the Lipscomb students are moving lots of dirt and uncovering amazing Roman period walls and floors. Numerous coins, pottery and other artifacts speak to the urban nature of the area and strengthen the identification of the site as Bethsaida-Julias.
The work in Area A, west of the basilica, remains a maze of walls between the Byzantine church, narthex, and atrium. It seems just about the time the archaeologists solve one question, three more rise to the surface. For the most part they are uncovering the crusader and Byzantine periods of settlement at Bethsaida.
Today, our friends from Hong Kong arrived to pitch in the dig. It was good to see them after a year. They are excited to get to work and have the opportunity to open new squares in Area D, which in previous seasons has produced the richest finds.
The weather remains quite hot, most days rising over 100˚F (38˚C). Most days, if we are fortunate, there is a little breeze. The camaraderie has been brilliant between old friends and new ones. We come from different locations and backgrounds, but we share a common purpose: To bring to light the rich history of this place and a new understanding of the people who lived here.
For those who are anxious for us, until now, things remain quiet. Continue to pray for the peoples living in this region, and your friends and loved ones who are here for only a short while.
Shalom from Bethsaida!
— R. Steven Notley, Academic Director
