Volunteer at an Archaeological Dig in Israel in May, 2008!

Students once again have the opportunity to volunteer to work on an archaeological dig in Israel in May of 2008! Join Dr. Aaron Gale (pictured below), the Coordinaor of the Program for Religious Studies at WVU, and see what exciting artifacts are unearthed!

Volunteers can sign up to dig at the biblical city of Bethsaida through the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Please visit the following website for more information:

http://www.unomaha.edu/bethsaida/

Interested WVU students should also contact Dr. Gale at: Aaron.Gale@mail.wvu.edu

Bethsaida dates back to the Old Testament era (called "Zur") and was the capital of the Geshurite Kingdom. In fact, the Bible states that King David married one of the daughters of the King of Geshur. The city is more well-known, however, from the New Testament era. Bethsaida is the third-most frequently mentioned town in the New Testament, with at least three (Peter, Andrew, Philip) of the 12 apostles born there. Jesus is said to have performed several of his major miracles there including the feeding of multitudes and the healing of the blind man.

Volunteers will have the unique opportunity to work under the supervision of world-renowned biblical archaeologist, Dr. Rami Arav. Dr. Arav has been working at the site since 1987, and has uncovered many fascinating artifacts including one of the most well-preserved Iron Age city gates ever found. Exciting new discoveries continue to be found each season of digging.

Come join us for the dig in 2008! In addition to digging at Bethsaida, participants typically get to tour many of the historical and religious sites in Israel, including Jerusalem and Masada. Pictured below are the caves of Qumran, where the world-famous Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.