Fred as the intrepid excavator at Sussita-Hippos.

Fred and Janet with trowels and masks preparing to remove a layer of soil covering the mosaics.

Project

During the month of July my daughter Janet and I had the privilege of being volunteers on an archaeological dig in Israel. The summer season of four weeks or so is the time when most of the digs in the area are worked on, and we were there for the first two weeks. Late last year we located this particular dig on the web and enrolled as volunteers (i). The site of the ruins of Sussita–Hippos(ii) (it suffered an earthquake in 749AD) is located on a plateau on the top of a small mountain on the south-east side of the Sea of Galilee (Lake Kenneret). This was the eighth season for the site and it has only a couple of seasons to go before the permit runs out. This excavation is under the direction of a brilliant archaeologist Dr Arthur Segal, head of the Zinman Institute of Archaeology at Haifa University. There were three teams involved with a director in charge of each: one from U.S.A. (to which Janet and I were attached), a Polish team and an Israeli team, a total of 60-70 people on the site. Sussita was the largest town in the Galilee area at the beginning of the Christian era and consisted of a number of buildings from the Greek, Roman and Byzantine era. Those that were currently being investigated included churches (at least 4 of these), a cathedral, a Greek ‘forum’, a Roman temple (for the worship of their emperor), a huge underground cistern and Roman walls for the defence of the town.

The project for the American group was the unearthing of the church (3rd – 5th century) in the north-east section of the town, restoring its badly damaged mosaics and digging out more rooms around the church. The project also included digging down to the street that connected the church to the main street of the city (the Decamanus Maximus, as it is called by the Romans). This was done with the help of an excavator and a lot of hard work by the team with picks, shovels and buckets. Our team of about 20 volunteers was split up into four groups and given different tasks. Janet and I started on uncovering the mosaics in the nave of the church (they had been covered over after the previous season with several layers of soil), cleaning and restoring them under supervision while others were drawing and cataloguing them. (There were in fact two layers of mosaics. The first layer contained birds, flowers etc., very beautiful. However, after a few centuries the church authorities thought these to be “too pagan” and covered them over with another layer of plaster and placed thereon mosaics with patterns.)

After a few days I was moved to another team that was digging out some rooms and endeavouring to find the walls. It was back-breaking work, with pick, shovel and terrene, as well as being on one’s hands and knees with towel and brush. (A face mask was essential.) But it was great fun.

As this was the height of summer, we needed to start very early in the day. We were taken by a bus part of the way, climbed the rest of the way on a path bordered by barbed wire (so that we did not walk on unexploded landmines!) and started work at the top by 5.00 am. We worked as the sun rose over the hills and had our breakfast at 8.00 am in one of the two Israel Defence Force buildings of the 1940s and 1950s. (This mountain/hill was a crucial place for the Israelis during these conflicts: the Syrian border was on the next mountain, and the Golan Heights only a rocket launch away!)

Yes, we did hear the Israelis doing some artillery practice on the Golan Heights from time to time (just to upset the Syrians), and the helicopters passed over us occasionally in formation. (At least we didn’t have to evacuate as they did last year, owing to outbreak of hostilities!)

People

The volunteers came from all over the world. There were experts and volunteers from Poland, from Israel (Jews and Palestinians), America, and Janet and I from Australia. The American group of about 20 consisted of adults and students associated with Concordia University at St Paul, of the State of Minnesota. (Concordia is a well-known Lutheran University with a number of campuses.) They included recent graduates, staff members and several pastors. Dr Mark Schuler was our leader, an excellent archaeologist. He is a professor in Theology and Greek at the university. (His wife, Rhoda, has similar qualifications.) He is also a former pastor. He said that, as there is no money in archaeology, you have to earn a living doing something else!

So there we were, living and working  with a bunch of Lutherans. How were we going to cope, us being Liberal Catholics? Actually, political, religious and ethnic issues were not topics for discussion, as you could well imagine. (However, there was universal sympathy for the plight of the Palestinians – the Wall is an appalling creation, and there was general condemnation of President Bush.) They were not fazed by the fact that we were different to them theologically, but they were intrigued by encountering a couple of Australians!

The other people who were very important to our well being were the staff and residents of the Kibbutz where we stayed. The community (Ein Gev) is on the shore of the Lake and consists of several hundred residents of varying ages. (The Kibbutz celebrated its 70th anniversary while we were there.) The cafeteria and its food were fabulous. There was also a commercial restaurant, pub and a coffee shop, mainly for the tourists, and these were excellent.

As already mentioned, our daily routine commenced with rising at 4.00 am, boarding the bus that took us half way up the mountain, and then climbing the mountain track to the top to start work by 5.00 am. It was truly a beautiful sight to see the sun rise each morning, and also to look out at that height over the Sea of Galilee, knowing that Jesus and his disciples walked along the shores of the lake, and the city of Tiberias beckoned us from the other side. We had breakfast at 8.00 am, consisting of fruits, salads, eggs, cordial, coffee and tea. This had to last us until we had lunch in the cafeteria at 12.30 pm! Each of us was instructed to bring 4 litres of water and also some fruit bars to sustain us through the day. We had a “water break” every 25 minutes, and the director made sure that we were having lots of water.

By about 10.30 am it was getting rather warm. We stopped at 12.00 noon, staggered down the mountain covered from head to foot in dirt and perspiration and waited for the bus. The air conditioning on the bus was heaven! We fell out of the bus at the kibbutz and struggled to our accommodation (which also had air conditioning). A quick shower and a slow walk to the cafeteria for lunch. Then came a few hours of rest. Our group met up again under the palm trees on the shore of the Lake at 4.30 pm to wash the shards and other artefacts found on the site that morning.

This was followed about an hour later with announcements by our director and a short evening devotion. This service included a particular reading from Luke selected for the day and there was a roster of volunteers to conduct the service under the palm trees. It was very informal. Some of the students led the service and gave their reflections on the day’s reading. I had the privilege of conducting a service, and in typical LCC style I handed out copies of an order of service and had my thoughts on the reading typed out! I was very nervous, actually, as there were several Lutheran pastors in the group. Apparently, it went down well.

The people of our group were all Lutherans, mainly allied with the Missouri Synod that is somewhat conservative. However, there was one young staff member and his mother who are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and they are more liberal. He warmed to the teachings of the LCC, its openness to all etc. (I did see a copy of the Agenda and Resolutions of the Synod that was taking place a week after the dig, which one of the pastors was attending on behalf of his area. There were about 60 pages of Resolutions!)

I have already mentioned that Sussita is located on the eastern side of the Lake towards the south. This side, at the time of Jesus, was Gentile, while the western side of the Lake (containing places such as Tiberias and Capernaum) was Jewish. Sussita could be clearly seen from the other side of the lake in Tiberias and in the other towns. In fact, when Jesus used the words relating to “a city set on a hill” (Matt. 4:14), he may have had the city lights of Sussita in mind as everyone would have been able to see them. Also, a short distance along the road past Sussita is a 3rd century Byzantine church, and just above it on the hill is a ledge which they claim is where the swineherd that were possessed of demons were tossed over the side. (Luke 8:26-39) It’s all very plausible.

However, what can be claimed with greater confidence is the house at Capernaum in which Peter lived. It has been excavated and is now located beneath the glass floor of a Catholic Church that has been built above it (aesthetically a dubious venture). Also, only another few kilometres away, is the Mount of the Beatitudes. It has a pleasant view of the Lake, but as it now has a church, a tourist shop, amenities and car/bus parking area, whatever spiritual presence it had has certainly gone.

Returning to my report on Sussita, what surprised me was the large number of Byzantine churches built in a relatively small area, even a cathedral. The director explained that, although some people lived in the town, it actually served as a centre for the population in the surrounding valleys. Also, the number of churches built would have been as the result of people giving money for one to be constructed. Our north-east church was a case in point. Here, beneath the place where the altar would have stood, were the remains several people. It is believed that these people may have been patrons of this church, hence their burial beneath the altar – a place of honour.

Another interesting find in an earlier season was a sarcophagus on the southern side of the sanctuary area in which were the remains of a woman in her 60s. It is believed that she was greatly revered in this town, hence the location of her burial. In the room next to it, recently unearthed, there are several benches. The current  theory is that it was a healing room for people who came to be near the remains of this revered/saintly person who may have had a reputation as a healer. Also, the large number of small rooms attached to the church (we kept finding more) would suggest, according to our director, that the church may have also acted at one time as an urban monastery.  (These are all theories, and more excavation needs to be done in order to give them greater credence.)

Our working week was from Sunday to Thursday, owing to the Jewish Sabbath covering Friday and Saturday. And so, between the first and second weeks, our director took us to Jerusalem on an archaeological study tour. This was my second visit to Jerusalem and Janet’s first. One of the interesting talks he gave us, on route through the Old City, was in reference to the archaeologist’s alternative Via Dolorosa, the journey that Jesus took between the prison and Mt Calvary. It was a very persuasive argument.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is an unusual place, quite a hodge-podge of designs. There were fewer people in the church than when Libby and I were there during Easter in 1997. We heard the Franciscan monks chanting their Offices in the building. It is a place that is maintained and managed by several denominations, including the Orthodox (several varieties) and Catholic (especially the Franciscans). There are often arguments between the groups  in regard to its use and maintenance, as one group is responsible for the roof, another for the sepulchre etc. Our director pointed to a short ladder placed under a window on a ledge above the main entrance. He said that the ladder was placed there about 100 years ago for use in undertaking certain repairs, but they cannot agree as to who has the authority to  take it down!

As we were in the Old City on the Jewish and Muslim holy days, it was not advisable to venture to the Temple Mount itself. However, we visited the archaeological park that is adjacent to the southern wall and studied the excavations that cover the period since the Babylonian Captivity (6th century BC) up to the time of Herod’s Temple (from 20 BC).

Like other pilgrims at the time, Jesus would have walked on these stone steps on which we stood as he made his way up to the huge entrance to the outer courts of the Temple. What was also memorable on this trip was a visit to the Citadel near Jaffa Gate, where there are remains of walls and buildings that go back to Canaanite times. It was a very special experience to be able to go up to these monuments and place one’s hands on a construction that went back more than 4,000 years.

In scripture we find references to people ‘going up’ to Jerusalem. The esotericists would place a very esoteric explanation on this phrase. Actually, it has a very mundane meaning. When you start your journey to Jerusalem from Galilee, you are already several hundred metres below sea level. Then when you go through the desert and pass the Dead Sea, you are at least a thousand metres below sea level. And further on, when approaching the Holy City, you find that Jerusalem is more than a thousand metres above sea level!

On returning to Sussita in the bus, we again passed the Wall that divides the Palestinians from the rest of Israel. (The Wall is set up in various places such as around parts of the city and areas of the countryside.) While we were in Jerusalem we had a presentation by a Lutheran missionary and teacher on her work in several schools that are located in Palestinian areas. It appears that the Wall has not only created an apartheid in Israel, but it has often separated the Palestinian families from their farms and means of livelihood. The teacher reported that, on a daily basis, they would accompany the farmers to the check-point and ensure that they were permitted to cross the road (not always successful) and farm their land. Then they would go back to teach their children at the school.

Israel is a very sad place at present, and we should all pray for the people who live there, that they may become more open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and more compassionate and humane in their dealings with each other. It is also sad to hear that the Christians are now only about 2% of the population as many of them have left Israel for other parts in search of a more secure and prosperous life. Even in the so-called “Christian Quarter” of the Old City, nearly all of the shops are managed by non-Christians.

Peroration

There are a further three experiences I wish to report in conclusion. The first is that it was a very special experience and privilege to say the Church’s Daily Prayer on the shores of the Lake, and also to say the Daily Office of other organisations of which I am a member.
Secondly, it was a most rewarding experience to work on a dig and uncover the past, to work with other enthusiasts (many coming back for a repeat season) and to share our experiences.

The third is the experience of walking on the roads and streets in Galilee, to swim in the Lake as Jesus and his disciples would have done. These opportunities brought the Gospels alive in a very special way.

Our director, Dr Mark Schuler, would often explain to us the historical and archaeological background to the stories in the Bible. And he was a true professional in that he would often conclude his words with the observation: “this is what many believe to be the case.”

Janet and I could not have asked for a better group of people to work with and our director looked after us in such a professional and caring way. The people of the Kibbutz, the other volunteers from around the globe, all of them made us feel part of the family. If only this feeling of shared humanity could be spread across this small and troubled nation of Israel. There is still time.

Frederick A. Shade

August 2007

(i) Actually, anyone can enrol as a volunteer on an archaeological dig around the world. See http://archaeology.about.com Information on the Sussita-Hippos excavation can be found on http://virtualdig.com.

(ii) The site is known by both names. Hippos is Greek for horse, Sussita reflects the Aramaic equivalent.