First Week at the Givati Excavations

I recently completed the first week of volunteer work at the Givati Excavation just south of the Old City of Jerusalem, across from the entrance to the City of David. Doron ben Ami, of the Hebrew University has directed the dig from its beginnings in 2007. It contains impressive remains from the Islamic era (9th century A.D.) back to the Iron Age, the Kingdom of Judah (9th century B.C.). The dig has four main areas, M-1 thru M-4. We are now working in area M-4, just working down into the Roman period. In several squares where we are working, there is a collapse and under the collapse of stones, several walls about a meter thick are emerging.


In the middle of the photo you can see the wall emerging, plus you can see the rubble of the collapse that was on top and around it. Also in the picture is a couple of cisterns. The one on the left at the bottom of the photo is fairly deep. The sandbags around the square separate the working areas.

 The destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 is well represented at the site with coins dated to the very years of the siege, including a hole cut into the wall where people hid out from the Roman occupation. Josephus clearly documents that the Romans had to hunt down the insurgent Jews in sewers, caves, and holes in the ground.

All excavation in Jerusalem is controversial. Givati is no exception. I'll unpack a little of that controversy on a later post.

For now, here is a link to a short three minute video done in 2010 that can give you a view of the dreaded bucket line. It's the only way to get the dirt to the top of the surface. We fill two large construction containers full of soil each day. Each bucket line takes about a half an hour. About four a day.  See the link below.

Givati Parking Lot YouTube Intro 2010