Half of a Doric capital used to decorate a public building. As we moved into the final week of excavations, the pace picked up. You don’t want to run out time and leave that unearthed stratum or artifact for next year. Right on time, the temperatures soared. But we marshalled on through the heat and fatigue determined to make the most of our efforts. Below I will give what I think are some of the more important advances that have been made this summer in our aim to unde

Season 10 (2026) Week Three Summary - Let’s be honest, digging four weeks in the summer in Israel is a challenge. You get into the rhythm of rising a 3:50AM to be on site at 5:00AM. Indeed, you prefer that hour, because it is the coolest hour in the day that you are going to see. Yet, after three weeks of hard labor, the heat and exertion begin to wear on you, even if you are only 25 years old (which is an age I left long ago). Still, you carry on as a team and the camaraderi

The team from Session 1. 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

R. Steven Notley and David Bivin, ז״ל There are a number of folks posting daily from the excavation, and I did not want to duplicate their efforts. If you have a daily interest, I recommend the Facebook pages of Bethsaida-Julias EAEP and Chris McKinny with Lanier Center for Archaeology which are often linked. On my page, unless there is something special during the week, I will post a summary of what I think we have accomplished during the week. As I have written, we rise bef

2-3 century CE city coin found in Area G. Today we began our tenth season of excavation at Khirbet el A'raj: Roman Period Bethsaida-Julias. For the first time since before the pandemic, we will excavate for four consecutive weeks in the summer months (there will be another two week session in October). We are joined this year by Chis McKinny and students from the Lanier Center for Archaeology at Lipscomb University. During these first two weeks our focus is on three areas. Th

Welcome to the Bethsaida-Julias EAEP 2026 excavations. This summer we begin our tenth season in the search for the last, lost city of the Gospels. The week before an excavation is usually a time for preparing the site, clearing away the growth from the winter, bringing the tools to the site, and getting the volunteers in place. However, this year we had a special occasion. Yesterday we were visited by Ambassador Mike Huckabee, his wife and other dignitaries in a ceremony to m

The final day of a dig session is about preparation for the photographs of your squares. So, less digging and more brushing. Although this session was only two weeks, important progress was made on several fronts. The Russian team in Area F penetrated through the Byzantine floors to demonstrate that below them there is a Roman stratum. It was definitively confirmed by an abundance of Roman coins and pottery. More of the Roman layer will be uncovered in the next season. The te

We are quickly arriving to the end of our excavation season. Our bodies and sleep time have adjusted to the routine. We dig from 6:00-1:00, returning to Migdal for lunch. After a short siesta, we wash pottery, which is left for a day to dry and to be read by Motti Aviam. The process of reading pottery is an opportunity to identify overlooked small treasures. This evening Motti identified a Herodian knife-pared lamp nozzle from Area G. These were only made in Jerusalem before

Today included a steady stream of visiting groups to the site. Very glad to have them reach us, but it sometimes disrupts the digging. The Russian team in Area F is finally unearthing finds from the Roman period. There was a clearly visible complete pottery vessel that emerged from the bulk. They are also finding an abundance of coins. Area D produced a couple of remarkable finds. Hellenistic black slip ware, very fine pottery that likely originated from the Tyre region. Even

Another great day unearthing the past. Area G is making great progress moving large stones as we make our way down into the earlier periods. Coins and fishing weights greet us as we pass through the strata of history. In Area F the Russian team keeps finding relics from the Byzantine period, while they are dismantling the walls to penetrate to the Roman level. Today they found 8 Roman coins. There is also a small excavation just outside the basilica on its northeast corner th

Today the clocks fell back and we rose one hour earlier. It doesn't sound like much, but 4:30AM comes early. The three areas of the excavation continued today with remarkable results. Area D continues to produce an abundance of Roman and Hellenistic finds. A new Hellenistic (Hasmonean) wall was uncoved deep in the square. Dozens of coins were found both Hasmonean and Roman. A complete Hellenistic lamp, and the base for a chalk stone vessel, which is a marker for Jewish settle

Day 4: We set out each morning before sunrise to begin in the cool of the day. We dig for 7 hours and at times it can be exhausting work. After a couple days swinging a pick, using a hoe, or pushing a wheelbarrow your muscles are aching in the morning when you get up. Still, something draws you back to the square where possibilities exist that may be uncovered that day. Today was one of those days when there was an abundance of finds. At the beginning of the day we were visit

Our lovely temperate weather continued, so very different from the heat of the summer. We begin just as the sun rises over the Golan Heights. The most stunning view these days is the abundance of the squills in the sunshine. I don't remember these from the past. Groups continue to come, an indication of the growing interest in the excavation. Vatican TV interviewed Motti and me about the church and its association with St. Peter. We remain hopeful that these encounters will s

All three areas (D,F,G) continued to make good progress in lovely autumn weather. The Russian team in Area F have penetrated through the Byzantine floors and are encountering significant Roman finds, include first century coins. In Area D the Israeli team is in the process of dismantling walls from previous seasons to access more of the earlier strata. In Area G the beginning of any new square is slow going with lots of dirt to move, stones, and roots. We are finding a few co

Today we returned to begin excavating for two weeks. In the autumn the sun rises later, so we work 7:00-2:00. When we left in August, the area surrounding el Araj was still blackened from the wildfire. Two months later, new life is springing up everywhere. I am encouraged about this two weeks. We have 10 volunteers who are joined by 20 Israelis, including the team of new Russian immigrants who worked with us in the summer. We are focused on three areas. The Russian immigrants

2025 'Chariots of Fire' Dig Team Aerial Drone Picture of Bethsaida (el Araj), the wildfire, and the Jordan River We ended the first...

Anna with one of the bells found by the Russians Amulet found by the Russian excavators Today is the next to last day of this session. As...

On the Sea of Galilee after a long day Another good day with significant progress. As is typical towards the end of the our dig sessions...

Today was a very, very full day. However, we will begin with pictures from yesterday evening. Several days during our two weeks we set...

Today we began the second week of our two week session. The heat continues but we are beginning to see good results from our efforts....