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Bethsaida - Excavations Project

Faculty of Arts

School Of Theology

Topic Area: Biblical Studies

*The application deadline for the 2012 program has passed. Please monitor this page for 2013 program details*

This course of biblical archaeology fieldwork takes place at the archaeological site of Bethsaida, Israel and introduces students to elementary tenets of biblical fieldwork archaeology. The 2 weeks on site at Bethsaida are supplement by an additional week visiting selected sites in Israel and Jordan.

The tour will be led by Dr Greg Jenks, Academic Dean at St Francis Theological College in Brisbane and a Co-Director of the Bethsaida Excavations Project.

Program Dates: approx mid June - early July, 2013 (exact dates to be advised)  

Number of Places: TBA

Cost: TBA *

* CSU students may be eligible for OS-Help assistance if they are co-enrol with UNO for their International Studies subject, INST3000-802 Perspectives in International Study. This is likely to cost up to $1,500 in addition to the tour expenses, but is only required by those students wishing to access OS-Help funding. It is not required for CSU students wishing to gain academic credit but not wishing to access OS-Help funds.

Costs should includes: return air travel, travel insurance, land transfers, accommodation and most meals for three weeks, based on twin-share accommodation. Exclusions from tour price: Lunches (unless otherwise indicated), gratuities and incidental expenses (including optional side trips, entry to some national park sites). 

Eligibility: Diploma of Theology, Bachelor of Theology, Bachelor of Theology (Honours), Graduate Diploma of Theology, and Master of Theology students.

Credit Arrangements: Students enrolled in the Diploma of Theology and Bachelor of Theology may be granted for 8cp towards their award. In addition to active participation in all aspects of the tour, a short paper (1,500 words) describing the development of a particular locus at the site is required for academic credit.

Application Timeline:

• Application deadline:to be advised
• Successful students notified (email): TBA
• Passport required for Visa Processing: TBA
• Payment required: $500 deposit with application, TBA

All application forms and deposits must be submitted by the due date to:

Audrey Warren 
Mission Travel Services
phone: 1300 554 654
email: info@missiontravel.com.au
website: www.missiontravelgroup.com.au

Mission Travel handle the travel arrangements for the tour, and early contact with them to register for the trip is recommended.

Indicative program outline:
Et-Tell is a mound approximately 20 acres in size, situated some two kilometres from the north coast of the Sea of Galilee in Israel. In 1838 Edward Robinson followed the German traveler Sietzen and identified this mound with Bethsaida, mentioned in the New Testament and by Josephus Flavius. It was not until 1987 that the problem of identification of Bethsaida was solved when Dr. Rami Arav launched his first excavations season at all the suggested locations and discovered that Bethsaida should be identified with Et-Tell.

The Golan Research Institute and the University of Haifa sponsored the first four seasons (1986 - 1990) and since the 1991 season, the excavations have been sponsored by the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). The Consortium of the Bethsaida Excavations Project (CBEP) was organized in 1991, with UNO administrating the project. The Israeli base of operations was Kibbutz Gadot in Galilee, until 1994, at which time it was moved to Kibbutz Ginosar on the Sea of Galilee.
The Consortium maintains a pottery restoration lab, offices and storage at Beit Alon, located at Kibbutz Ginosar. The storage rooms contain the excavation material that has not yet been published. Published artifacts were shifted to Israel Antiquities Authority.

The mission of CBEP is to excavate the ancient city of Bethsaida, research the remains and finds, and disseminate the results to both academic and popular audiences. Through our participation in this project, students and staff of CSU School of Theology have opportunities to engage directly with a major archaeological site in Israel.

Dr Greg Jenks (gjenks@csu.edu.au) from the School of Theology is a Co-Director of the Bethsaida Excavations Project and leads a group of volunteers to work on the site each June.

Draft itinerary:

Friday, June 3 - Depart Brisbane in the evening and travel to Dubai via Singapore for onward transfer to Amman.
Saturday, June 4 - Arrive Amman mid-morning and transfer to Ecce Homo Convent in the Old City of Jerusalem. Afternoon and evening free.
Sunday, June 5 - Worship with Arabic congregation at St George's Cathedral. Visit Mt Olives for overview of Jerusalem. Lunch by own arrangements. Afternoon visit to Israel Museum. Evening free.
Monday, June 6 - Visit Church of the Paternoster on the Mt Olives, then walk to Gethsemane via Dominus Flevit and Church of all Nations. Lunch by own arrangements. Afternoon walking tour through Jewish Quarter to the southern steps of Temple ruins (Davidson Center) and then to the City of David. Evening free.
Tuesday, June 7 - Early morning visit to the Haram, the Western Wall, and the Western Wall Tunnel. Lunch by own arrangements. Afternoon visit to Yad Vashem.
Wednesday, June 8 - Morning visit to Bethlehem in morning. Lunch by own arrangements. Presentation from ICAHD/PASSIA/Sabeel in afternoon (details to be confirmed).
Thursday, June 9 - Early morning visit to Qumran and Masada, followed by opportunity to swim in the Dead Sea. Lunch by own arrangements. Late afternoon presentation from Palestine Media Watch (or similar Israeli organisation).
Friday, June 10 - Morning free and lunch by own arrangements. Mid-afternoon pray the Via Dolorosa ending in Holy Sepulchure. Evening free.
Saturday, June 11 - Depart Jerusalem via Abu Gosh, Tel Aviv/Joppa and Nazareth Village. Arrive Ginosar late afternoon. Evening free.
Sunday, June 12 - Morning worship with Anglican community in Nazareth. Visit local holy sites. Lunch by own arrangement. Afternoon visit to Cana, Sepphoris and Mt Tabor.
Monday, June 13 - Friday, June 25 - Two weeks on the Bethsaida Excavations
Saturday, June 25 - Morning departure from Ginosar for transfer to Amman. Special packages are available for tours in Jordan and Egypt as well as connections to other destinations.
On the weekend of June 18/19, optional visits will be arranged to local sites such as Mt Beatitudes, Chorazin, Capernaum, and Tabgha; and to nearby major sites such as Megiddo and Caesarea (to SW) or Hazor and Dan (to NE).

Further Information:

Bethsaida Excavations Project: www.unomaha.edu/bethsaida/join_dig.htm
Bethsaida 2011 Tour: www.jesusdatabase.org/index.php?title=Bethsaida_2011