Field School in Focus
In the summer of 2007 the Selz Foundation Hazor excavations in Memory of Yigael Yadin, headed by Amnon Ben-Tor from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem will resume at Hazor, a major site in the Galilee (located approximately 5 km. north of Rosh-Pinnah, Israel). In this, the 18th season at Hazor, excavation will be concentrated on the Israelite and Canaanite periods. Excavations are also sponsored by the Philip and Muriel Berman Center for Biblical Archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and by the Israel Exploration Society. The excavations take place in the Hazor National Park and receive full cooperation from the National Parks Authority.Hazor is the largest biblical-era site in Israel, covering some 200 acres. The population of Hazor in the second millennium BCE is estimated to have been about 20,000, making it the largest and most important city in the entire region. Its size and strategic location on the route connecting Egypt and Babylon made it "the head of all those kingdoms" (Joshua 11:10). Hazor's conquest by the Israelites opened the way to the conquest and settlement of the Israelites in Canaan. The city was rebuilt and fortified by King Solomon (1 Kings 9:15) and prospered in the days of Ahab and Jeroboam II, until its final destruction by the Assyrians (2 Kings 15:29) in 732 BCE.
Tel el-Qedah, the Arabic name of Hazor, was first identified with biblical Hazor by J.L. Porter in 1875. In 1928, the British archaeologist J. Garstang conducted a limited excavation at the site.
Large-scale excavations were conducted at Hazor was during 1955-58 and 1968-69 by a team led by the late Yigael Yadin. These excavations were conducted on behalf of the Hebrew University, supported by funding from the Rothschild Foundation. The 15 areas excavated in various parts of this vast site revealed 21 superimposed cities containing a wealth of relics from biblical Hazor, including temples, fortifications and a huge water system.The 2007 season will extend from Sunday June 24th, to Friday, August 3rd, 2007, and is divided into two 3 week sessions: June 24th-July 15th and July 15th-August 3rd. Preference will be given to those who apply for the entire 6-week season. Students may arrange to receive up to 6 academic credits through the Rothberg International School (and transfer the credit to their home institutions). Students opting to receive academic credit are required to fulfill the requirements set by dig directors.
For information contact project co-director Dr. Sharon Zuckerman at Email: hazor@mscc.huji.ac.il, or the Hazor Project website.
Photos: Top: Middle Bronze standing stones overlying Early Bronze Age remains. Middle: Late Bronze Age Palace/Temple overlying Middle Bronze Age monumental walls. Photo credit: Copyright 2004 The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
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