The Shmunis Family Foundation Excavations at Kiriath-Jearim

06/03/2022

Come dig with us in Megiddo this summer!

26 June – 21 July 2022

After a long break, we are very excited returning to the field this season in areas S, T, K, X and Z!

Join us in uncovering the secrets of Megiddo, one of the most fundamental sites for biblical archaeology and the Bronze Age Levant.
Registration is open at megiddoexpedition.wordpress.com

For questions and further information, feel free to contact us at [email protected]

01/01/2022

Happy new year!!!

Happy New year!!!

Dig with us at Megiddo this summer!
26 June - 21 July 2022
Register here - https://did.li/TdxlC
check out more information on our website -
https://megiddoexpedition.wordpress.com/

30/10/2021

𝗗𝗶𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿!
We are so excited to be back in the field in June/July 2022!

• Join us for a week, two, three or the whole four weeks.
• College students can earn up to 6 university credits through Tel Aviv University.
• We welcome participants from all walks of life - no archaeological experience necessary.

Register here - https://did.li/TdxlC
check out more information on our website -
https://megiddoexpedition.wordpress.com/

Feel free to contact us at: [email protected] with any questions.

Can't wait to see you all this summer!

07/07/2021

The new episode of the "The Shmunis Family Conversations in the Archaeology and History of Ancient Israel with Israel Finkelstein" is dedicated to Kiriath-Jearim and the Ark Narrative. In this episode Israel Finkelstein and Matthew J. Adams describe some of the new results of our excavation results and explain their meaning and contribution to the study of the Ark’s narrative.

02/07/2021

𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐊𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐡-𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐦 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟗 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐥 𝐀𝐯𝐢𝐯 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥

We are very happy to share the second preliminary report of the excavation at Kiriath-Jearim detailing the 2019 Seaon, published in Tel Aviv Journal, authored by Israel Finkelstein, Thomas Römer, Christophe Nicolle, Zachary C. Dunseth, Assaf Kleiman, Juliette Mas, Naomi Porat, and Naama Walzer.

In the report you can find new discussions regarding the monumental Iron IIB summit compound and the nature of the Iron IIC settlement, along with new dates of the Hellenistic fortification system, and the characteristics of the Early Roman period activity.

The report is now available on the journal's website:
https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/ytav20/current

24/06/2021

The Bible is one of the most complicated texts in human history, and today it is very clear that it consists of many layers added to it during a long process of writing and rewriting. We know that many of its parts were written in the Kingdom of Judah but looking carefully at the Biblical text we can identify some which were probably written earlier, at the Northern Kingdom of Israel. In the next three episodes of “The Shmunis Conversations in the Archaeology and History of Ancient Israel” Matthew J. Adams and I will examine how did the northern traditions find their way into the biblical text. In the first episode we will speak about Jacob the Patriarch and the clues that his tradition actually came from the north.

Link: https://youtu.be/0BDBrAmdOYQ

23/06/2021

Jerusalem is much more than a city and there is no city quite like it in the world. It is incredibly important and holy for so many people from different religions, nations and cultures and over its long history many rulers have developed it layer after layer. Today, thanks to intense archaeological diggings conducted, we can do a pretty good job describing how Jerusalem have developed. Joe have asked me to speak about Jerusalem in his podcast “Osim Tannach” and together we have decided to dedicate three episodes to its complex and long history. In the first episode, we will speak about the beginning of Jerusalem as a city during the Bronze Age and discuss the whereabouts of its borders in the time of Kings David and Solomon.

Link to the podcast (in Hebrew): https://katzr.net/85b585

06/06/2021

27/05/2021

Dr. Eilat Mazar was one of the most prominent and influential Israeli archaeologists, well-known and respected both at home and on the world stage. She contributed greatly to our understanding of the archaeology and history of Ancient Israel, especially regarding Jerusalem in biblical times. Her most outstanding contributions were the excavations in two locations in the "City of David" ridge – above the Gihon spring and in the "Ophel" south of the el-Aqsa mosque. The results of these projects enabled reconstructing the layout of the city, its material culture and its impact on Judah and beyond. Excavating in Jerusalem is a complicated task, which calls for special personal skills. Eilat Mazar's strong character and resolve were essential to her success in the field. Despite our interpretational differences, I have respected her work; we were good friends and shared a passion for the past of the Land of Israel. Eilat Mazar's impacts on the archaeology of Israel in general and Jerusalem in particular will always be counted among the cornerstones of the archaeology of Israel. She will be greatly missed.

23/05/2021

Conversations in the Archaeology and History of Ancient Israel with Israel FinkelsteinEpisode Sixteen: The Northern Kingdom, the First 50 YearsIsrael Finkels...

09/05/2021

I have been asked many times this complicated question: When was the Bible written? Obviously there can be no short answer to this question since the Bible contains many layers written at different times. But can we date these different layers? And what historical events influenced the writing of the biblical text?

In recent years I had the honor of participating in a number of studies that have used new technological methods to investigate ancient inscriptions found in different archeological excavations. In this new episode Matthew J. Adams and I will present the conclusions of these studies and their contribution to our understanding of the literacy of ancient Israel.

Link: https://youtu.be/SISKe1jv8EY

All episodes of the Shmunis Family Conversations in the Archaeology and History of Ancient Israel are available in Israel Finkelstien's YouTube Channel.

23/04/2021

We are very proud to share that our dierctor Israel Finkelstein was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences as an International Honorary Member.

The American Academy was founded in 1780, during the American Revolution. From that time until today, The American Academy gathers knowledge and produces reflective, independent, and pragmatic studies that inform public policy and advance the public good.

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences honors excellence and convenes leaders from every field of human endeavor to examine new ideas and address issues of importance to the American Nation and the world.

https://www.amacad.org/new-members-2021