Director: Dr. R. Steven Notley THE M.A. Students will study with both Christian and Jewish scholars in their areas of expertise.
is a 36-credit [48 with 12 credits of Modern Hebrew] multidisciplinary curriculum that introduces the student to the "fields of
knowledge necessary for advanced research in the New Testament and Christian Origins. The program is unique in that it engages aspects of
language, history, religious thought and material culture for both Judaism and Christianity in late antiquity.
08/02/2023
Week 2, Day 2 — We found a live snake.
Season 7 — Week 2, Day 2 El Araj Archaeological Excavations Season 7 - Week 2 Day 2- Today was another good day of important finds. Area D uncovered portions of stone vessels which are distinctive to Jewish communities. These reinforce the identification of the site as a Roman period Jewish fishing village. The Hong Kong te...
07/28/2021
El Araj Excavations — Summer 2021 — Day 4
EAEP Summer 2021 — Day 4 Day 4 - Sorry for the delay. It was a very full day. I woke at 3:45. Since the alarm is set to go off at 4:45, it didn't make much since to try and go back to sleep. We eat at 5:00, start for el Araj at 5:30, and are on site by 6:00. Today we had many visitors to the site including the senior editor...
11/29/2019
On this day of thanks which will turn into the season of giving, why not give your loved ones the opportunity to study the Bible with scholars. While you’re at it, give yourself the same opportunity. Coming your way Spring 2020. in with those their lives to www.csajco.org/tsc-spring-2020
09/12/2019
Part 2 of the story. The author concludes in this part "At this point, there have been no significant finds that would contradict such an identification, and several that may point to it. For now, it is best to conclude that el-Araj is the leading candidate as Bethsaida, the hometown of Peter, Andrew and Philip (John 1:44) and the village that Jesus actively ministered in (Matt. 11:21)."
Biblical Sites: Is el-Araj Bethsaida? Has the lost village of Bethsaida finally been found? People point to one of two main sites to proclaim that it has. In this two-part blog series, we’re analyzing the geographical, topographical,…
09/12/2019
Part 1 of a story dealing with et-Tell and el-Araj. The author concludes in this part, "After over 30 years of excavations at et-Tell, it is clear that it was a significant city in the Iron Age, and was occupied, albeit with a much smaller population, during the early Roman period. The evidence for it being biblical Bethsaida, however, is lacking, and the lead excavators’ theories stretch credulity."
Biblical Sites: Is et-Tell Bethsaida? Everyone loves a good mystery! In the world of biblical archaeology there are many mysteries to solve. One in particular is the question of where the town of Bethsaida is located. Lost to histor…
09/07/2019
Special event at Nyack College, NYC!
09/03/2019
Fantastic new video about our excavations .araj from Zach Wong!
https://vimeo.com/357498655?fbclid=IwAR0NoWP-ty9Iqb0ePn54V5f23Vfxomzo8YXIRe2vp_whPI6MQTmOUkO3Fw8
www.csajco.org
Why El-Araj ? Dr. R. Steven Notley sits with us at the end of our 2019 dig season, and discuss with the question "Why are we digging here at El-Araj?"