Tel Dan
excavations
Tel Dan is a rectangular mound in the northeastern reaches of the Hula Valley, where the largest tributary of the Jordan River, the Dan, begins its course south. In the Hebrew Bible, the site is also referred to as Laish (Joshua 19:47; Judges 18:29). This name may appear in the 18th century BCE Egyptian Execration Texts and in documents from Mari, on the Euphrates River in modern Syria. In the early 15th century, the Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III named Laish as one of the cities he conquered.
The Middle Bronze Age mudbrick gate of Tel Dan
Tel Dan Walls
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Tel Achziv
excavations
Tel Achziv (Tell ez-Zib) is situated some 14 km north of Acco and 25 km south of Tyre. The multi-period site of Achziv occupies between 55-70 dunams. Situated on the major route between the Lebanese coast to its north and Palestine's Coastal Plain to its south, Achziv was a locus of interface between cultures. Providing that Achziv is one of the last important Phoenician sites in Palestine and given that previous exploration of the site was limited mostly to cemeteries and tombs with only limited exposed segments of public and domestic architecture, the lion's share of the city remains unknown.
An aerial view of Tel Achziv
A Phoenician terra cotta mask from Iron Age II
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Maresha
excavations
Tel Maresha is located in Israel's Shephelah region, i.e. in the foothills of the Judaean Mountains. It was established in the Iron Age II and is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible (Josh 15:44; I Chron. 2:42). But it is mainly a Hellenistic-period site—a major Idumean political and administrative center. Maresha is now part of a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Subterranean chambers at Hellenistic Maresha
Hellenistic lamps from Maresha
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Tel Beth Shemesh
Salvage excavations
Tel Beth-Shemesh is located in the Shephelah (piedmont) of Judah, near the modern town of Beth-Shemesh. Tel Beth-Shemesh was first excavated in 1911-1912 by D. Mackenzie on behalf of the Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF) and in 1928-1933 by E. Grant from HaverfordCollege, Pennsylvania. A new phase of excavations was started in 1990 by Shlomo Bunimovitz and Zvi Lederman of the Institute of Archaeology in Tel Aviv University; these continued until 2018. Our salvage excavation was conducted east and south of the tel in 2018
Salvage excavations at Tel Beth Shemesh 2018
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Public lectures (in Hebrew)
The Nelson Glueck School of Biblical Archaeology announces its annual lecture series in Hebrew, which presents the results of recent archaeological research to the general public in Israel. The lectures are Powerpoint presentations. They take place on the last Tuesday of every month (not in summer) at 5.00 p.m. at Hebrew Union College, 13 King David Street in Jerusalem (2020-2021 in ZOOM).
Excavation Reports
NGSBA Excavation Preliminary Reports
This is our electronic journal which reports the results of our excavations.
NGSBA Archaeology Journal
NGSBA Archaeology is our platform for presenting the results of our fieldwork. The contents consist mainly of reports on salvage archaeology projects conducted by Y.G. Archaeology under NGSBA oversight.
ABOUT US
The NGSBA is an academic institution with an active field research program. Our work focuses on the Land of Israel, asking both universal questions about the development of human society and more particular ones concerning the special nature of ancient Canaan and Israel and the world of the Bible. We believe that a rigorous, critical approach to archaeology and the Bible can lead to new insights into the roots of our cultural identity, without denying the historical narrative of others.
EXCAVATIONS
Research excavations
For many years, since 1964, the NGSBA’s field projects were confined to research excavations. Our first project was conducted at Tel Gezer. Starting in 1974 Tel Dan became the school’s flagship project and it has remained so ever since.
Community excavations
Since 2005, the NGSBA has engaged in a series of community-based excavations at Givat Sher, near Modiin, in Lod, and at Tel Dan. The way we see it, archaeologists can and should make a contribution to society beyond pure research.
Salvage excavations
Contract archaeology (often called “rescue” or “salvage” archaeology) is archaeological survey and excavation carried out, under commercial contract, in areas threatened by, or revealed by, construction or other development.